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Caring for Eden
Exploring Eden
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Exploring Eden
Exploring Eden
An aerial view of a wide a slow moving section of the river Eden. A stone a boulder shelf encroaches into the river on the inner bank of a slight bend. To the right a small grass bank with two people having a picnic.

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Armathwaite Paddle Sport Entry / Egress

Part of project: Access to Eden: breaking barriers, building bridges

Armathwaite is a well-known and well-used exit and entry point for paddlers – standup paddle boards, canoes, kayaks and rafts on the Eden. There is currently no formal entry or exit point, so they scramble up the riverbank to the public footpath, river right past the bridge which is difficult for new/younger/older paddle sport participants potentially increasing erosion and sedimentation.

With the philosophy of ‘share with care’ for the river and river users, there is the opportunity to make the river more accessible, but to do so in an environmentally friendly way; protecting the site, maintaining important river issues (especially invasive species/Check Clean Dry campaign), and raising awareness of how to take care of the river Eden. With the creation of a formal entry/exit point, this project will make all round improvements.

Lead partner: Cumbria Canoeists, a regional branch of Paddle UK, working closely with Eden Rivers Trust.

Challenge

With the philosophy of ‘share with care’ for the river and river users, there is the opportunity to make the river more accessible, but to do so in an environmentally friendly way; protecting the site, maintaining important river issues (especially invasive species/Check Clean Dry campaign), and raising awareness of how to take care of it. 

With the creation of a formal entry/exit point, this project will make all-round improvements.

So far ...

Agreements have been reached between Eden Rivers Trust, landowner, land agent and tenant farmer for a 25m buffer strip to be removed and fenced off from the current tenant farmer’s land along the River Eden. This will stop erosion of the riverbank and improve habitat for 1km along the River Eden. Importantly, it will also improve the protection for the rare jelly lichen.

Spring 2025 update

Agreements have been reached between Eden Rivers Trust, landowner, land agent and tenant farmer for a 25m buffer strip to be removed and fenced off from the current tenant farmer’s land along the River Eden. This will reduce erosion and improve habitat for 1km along the River Eden. Importantly, it will also improve the protection for the rare jelly lichen and support the associated car park.

Image gallery

  • Looking across grass and species rich field to mature oak in distance under blue sky.
  • A wide section of the river Eden with a multi arched bridge spanning in the background.
  • A wide section of the river Eden with a multi arched bridge spanning in the background. A man in waders is looking beneath the water surface using a hand held viewing device.

Access to Eden Doorstep Sites

Creating thriving natural spaces

Making improvements to the river environment at eight sites ‘on the doorstep’ of urban areas along the length of the river Eden.

Partners and Funders

This project is supported by the Access to Eden: breaking barriers, building bridges partnership project led by Eden Rivers Trust with a grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund. Thanks also to the Garfield Weston Foundation and Penrith Town Council for their support during 2024. 

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