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Caring for Eden
Exploring Eden
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Exploring Eden
Three young people stood together on a gravel path holding replicas of roman shields and carrying toy swords.
Young people dress as roman soldiers with wooden shields and toy swords at our 2025 Engine Lonning Discovery Day

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Engine Lonning: A city haven for all

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

Engine Lonning is a 10.1 hectare semi-natural, council-owned Green Space on the south bank of the River Eden in Carlisle. It is mainly woodland with some grassland glades, but has a rich heritage and story to tell. The name hints at railways forming part of that story, and indeed it is the site of a former bustling rail yard and includes one end of the now-closed Carlisle Waverley Viaduct that crosses the river.

Before that the site included part of the 10-mile-long Carlisle Ship Canal – now infilled and part of the (wet) woodland. Its heritage dates back to the Roman era, encompassing the course of Hadrian’s Wall and its associated National Trail. A network of PRoW, permissive paths and informal trails criss-cross the woods.

Planned path improvements and new interpretation for the site will exist beyond the life of the four-year project allowing subsequent generations of local families to get to know and use the site. Events, capital work and volunteering activities undertaken during the project will focus on engaging long-term local beneficiaries, volunteers and project partners, working with Eden Rivers Trust (on rivers) and with Carlisle Waverley Viaduct Trust (on railway history and conservation).

Lead partners: Cumberland Council, Eden Rivers Trust, Carlisle Waverley Viaduct Trust.

Challenge

Described by some local residents as “an oasis of calm on the edge of the city” and by others as, “a confusing unsafe space with very difficult access”.

 

Approach

We are working with project partners Cumberland Council and Carlisle Waverley Viaduct Trust to address perceptions through engagement with users and by addressing issues at the site such as rough, bad paths, steep areas without steps, broken steps, waterlogging on main track and limited parking.

Working with the community and landowner ,Cumberland Council who will be installing a new accessible path, rest places, signage and interpretation that will celebrate the natural, railway and Roman heritage of the site. 

Over the four years of the project there will be a series of activities and events for families, young people and the local community to introduce, improve, enjoy and learn about the site. There will be resources and information online too.

So far ...

  • Hidden Histories drop-in event celebrated the site’s industrial railway heritage.

  • Forging connections with with Tullie House.

  • Work with Beaumont College (SEND).

  • Woodland learning programme with Newtown Primary School.

  • Community ‘Discovery Day’.

  • Welcomed volunteers of all ages to Engine Lonning Balsam Bashes.

  • Attended Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) summer programme.

Summer 2025 update

The focus this summer has been the removal of Himalayan Balsam from the area that will form the accessible trail around the old ‘Canal Shed’ steam (rail) engine yard. Around 50% of the west of Engine Lonning was ‘bashed’ this year and some target areas of brambles will be cut this winter where they prevented access, to enable ‘bashing’ there in Spring 2026.  

We saw continued support from local residents who joined us earlier in the year, plus some new individuals with young people from Carlisle Youth Zone and the Youth Justice System also joining some events.  ERT led volunteer sessions are now being attended by Cumberland Council Greenspace volunteers.

This year’s Discovery Day community event at Engine Lonning provided opportunities for the public to have a go at stone carving and mosaic making to interpret the history of the site, alongside other activities including railway history guided tours, wild play in the woods and a nature trail. We we delighted to welcome 130 people on the day, many of whom were new to our Discovery Days.

Image gallery

  • Three young people stood together on a gravel path holding replicas of roman shields and carrying toy swords.
    Young people dress as roman soldiers with wooden shields and toy swords at our 2025 Engine Lonning Discovery Day
  • Three people in blue high visibility jackets and gardening gloves and sunglasses posing for an image on a grassy pathway in front of trees in summer leaf.
    Balsam bashing volunteers at our 2025 Engine Lonning Discovery Day
  • A man dressed in roman costume sat behind a table covered in roman artefacts including pottery and helmets. Roman shields in red with gold decoration sit behind. All under an awning on green grass.
    Roman history display and demonstrations at our 2025 Engine Lonning Discovery Day
  • Two people being shown information on a board by a man dressed in British Rail uniform from the 1960's; consisting of dark blue overalls, dark blue jacket, red tie and blue railway cap.
    Railway history guided tours at our 2025 Engine Lonning Discovery Day
  • A bearded man in blue overalls sat at a table. Using a chisel and hammer to carve a design into a large piece of sandstone.
    Stone carving activities at our 2025 Engine Lonning Discovery Day
  • A person using face paints, adding an image to the cheek of another person. Both wearing Eden Rivers Trust pole shirts, baseball hats. Sat on grass in dappled sunlight.
    Face painting activities at our 2025 Engine Lonning Discovery Day
  • A young person at a table choosing coloured pieces of mosaic from a bowl to arrange on a colourful tile, creating artwork.
    Mosaic making activities at our 2025 Engine Lonning Discovery Day
  • Two people stood in a field of tall grasses and meadow flowers are examining the contents of butterfly nets used to collect insect species from the plants.
  • A group of ERT and Cumberland Council volunteers pose for a picture stood behind a large pile of uprooted Himalayan balsam.
  • A group of young people in a woodland setting posing for a photograph. Two young people in the foreground have fashioned hats from large leaves found in the woodland.
  • A group of four people are strolling down a gravel track through woodland on either side in dappled sunshine.
  • Tow young people in a woodland setting are sat on a wooden log. One is holding a large while tray filled with insect species collected from the woodland. The other has a clipboard and they are both engaged in identifying species using a hand held guide.
  • View down a gravel pathway through a fence constructed from gapped sections of wooden railway sleeper, bordered on each side by trees in summer leaf.
  • An ERT member of staff is stood at a table under an outdoor gazebo with two young children examining a large white plastic tray filled with water and examples of aquatic life found in nearby river Eden.
  • A wide meandering river with green fields and tree borders beyond. Oxeye daisies in foreground of image.
  • Aerial image of Eden Rivers Trust staff around a table, investigating the contents of a bucket containing samples of weed and aquatic life from nearby river Eden.

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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