7.1 miles 3h 42m ascent 291m
Thrang-Garsdale Station
Well, the Eden Way proved to be quite an epic, interrupted as it was by legal lockdowns, common-sense social distancing, various illnesses, and bad weather (too hot and too cold). We had completed the Solway to Source sections and were left the niggling epilogue – Hell Gill Bridge to Garsdale station, a part of the route that really just exists to have the walk end somewhere other than a hill top .
The quickest way up to Hell Gill Bridge would have been to park at Aisgill Moor Cottages and walk up the farm track but I thought it would be better to start at Thrang Bridge instead so we could include an Eden Benchmark in the section (even if it was one we had visited before).
It was a moorland kind of day. Grey skies with an occasional wink of blue, enough wind to rustle the grass and cool enough to make hats and gloves comfortable.
It was dry, which was a nice change, and meant it was easier fording the many becks we crossed. We even had a lunch break on the smooth boulders of a dry stream bed.
As you can see, the bridge at Scars Gill wasn’t needed.
Most of this section was on bridleway or farm track so none of the problems of crossing bogs and the route was usually quite obvious. There were good views along the valley beneath us and some interesting waterfalls on the River Ure.
Reaching Garsdale Station, we were able to stop and reflect on our Eden Way journey. We had started way back in 2021, walked 109 miles, and found all the Eden Benchmarks – even the hidden one.
