Aim: More people can access, enjoy and exit the river easily and safely without harming the River Eden.

Lead partner: Cumbria Canoeists, a regional branch of British Canoeing and a volunteer paddle sport support group working closely with Eden Rivers Trust.

Armathwaite is a well-known and well-used exit and entry point for paddlers – standup paddle boards, canoes, kayaks rafts and swimmers 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.

Autumn / Winter 2024 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 stop the tenant farmer’s cattle poaching and eroding the river bank 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.

In pictures…

Thank you

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 and Cumbria Wildlife Trust.