A new footpath linking Penrith to the Lake District has opened today (14 April 2023).
The Eamont Way is a new signed walking trail of 5.5 miles connecting Penrith to Pooley Bridge.
Volunteers from Friends of the Ullswater Way and SITU (Sustainable and Integrated Transport for Ullswater) had a role in designing the trail.
Cecilia Fry from SITU said: “We were looking at various links of getting people into Ullswater, and we realised there was a missing link from Penrith station.
Michael Firth, also from SITU, said: “We think this footpath is going to be well used.”
It is hoped the new walking trail will boost visitors and promote more people to the area without using a car.
Wooden finger post signs mark the way with a logo featuring an eel. The choice of using an eel comes from a historical reference.
From 1215 to around 1860, a weekly fish market was held in Pooley Bridge. James Clarke in his 1787 survey of the Lakes, noted: “Incredible numbers of eels are caught here in the months of July, August and September… several horse loads are frequently caught in a few hours.”
A former British Military Officer, Eddie went on to study History and then Journalism at Sheffield Hallam University. A keen outdoorsman, he has co-written several books on Outdoor Survival and Wild Camping. Now living in Penrith, Ed is a keen fellrunner.
