Eden Valley Loop 5 (21km) Print

EV5-W1 Waypoint 1 Eden Valley Loop 5
From High Lane Farm, take the bridleway on your left signed for Smardale Fell. Follow this bridleway through Home Farm, Badger Hill and Friars Bottom (several gates) and up towards Smardale Bridge. (NB this is the southern end of the beautiful Smardale Gill Nature Reserve).

EV5-W2 Waypoint 2 Eden Valley Loop 5
After crossing the bridge the bridleway goes left through a disused quarry and up onto Smardale Fell. Carry on across the fell until you reach a high gate in the wall straight ahead of you. (NB: do not be tempted to turn either right or left at the top of the fell; there are other bridleways here, but this route continues straight on).

EV5-W3 Waypoint 3 Eden Valley Loop 5
Going through the gate, turn left onto the minor road and continue over the railway bridge towards Waitby. Go through this little village and look for the byway to Waitby Crossing.

EV5-W4 Waypoint 4 Eden Valley Loop 5
Turn left at Waitby Crossing and follow the road towards Crosby Garrett. Passing a farm called Stripes, keep straight ahead over a small crossroads.

EV5-W5 Waypoint 5 Eden Valley Loop 5
Take the route to the right which goes along the eastern bank of the Scandal beck to Leases (GR 744095). Alternatively, there is a short cut to Leases on the road which can be taken if preferred, by turning right after the small crossroads onto Far Leases Lane. Pass Leases on your right and keep straight on up the bridleway towards Soulby.

EV5-W6 Waypoint 6 Eden Valley Loop 5
At Soulby Mill, the route crosses the beck by a ford (NB: In wet periods this ford can become difficult or impassable, in which case, you need to take one of the small roads leading to Soulby Village; by turning right at the small crossroads after the farm called Stripes, for instance). Cross the ford and continue past Soulby Mill and follow the route to Belsay Gate Farm.

EV5-W7 Waypoint 7 Eden Valley Loop 5
Turn left onto the minor road. Follow this road for about 3km, crossing the railway line again (bridge) and look for a bridleway sign to the left after South House.

EV5-W8 Waypoint 8 Eden Valley Loop 5
Take this left turn onto Newclose Lane and follow it to the gate.

EV5-W9 Waypoint 9 Eden Valley Loop 5
Go through the gate and continue straight ahead (not left down the bridleway to Ladle Lane) and, after a couple of fields, out onto Crosby Garrett Fell. Keep straight on down this beautiful bridleway across the fell for another 3km, passing through a gate in an electric fence. After dropping down towards the upper Lune Valley, the track levels out somewhat as a broad track crosses your route. Turn right along this track which joins another broad bridleway. Continue along here, keeping the fell wall on your left, through a gate, until you reach the unfenced public road.

EV5-W10 Waypoint 10 Eden Valley Loop 5
Turn left on this road and ride downhill to reach High Lane Farm, returning to the start of Loop 5. To join with the Pennine Bridleway, continue onto the link to the south.