River Eden

The River Eden rises on Black Fell Moss near the village of Outhgill in Cumbria. It flows north-westerly through the Vale of Eden and Solway Plain before reaching the Solway Firth. The river was known to the Romans as the Itouna, a name derived from the Celtic word *ituna*, meaning water or rushing. It forms the boundary between Cumbria and North Yorkshire near High Seat and Hugh Seat. Two other rivers, the Swale and the Ure, also rise within a kilometre of the Eden’s source in the same peat bogs. The Eden’s journey includes Hell Gill Force, the highest waterfall along its path, before it meets Ais Gill Beck. It flows through Kirkby Stephen and Appleby-in-Westmorland, receiving water from the Pennines and the Lake District. The river passes close to Long Meg and Her Daughters, an ancient stone circle, and through farming regions on the Solway Plain. Near Carlisle, it merges with the River Irthing, Petteril, and Caldew before crossing Hadrian’s Wall. The river supports Atlantic salmon and Eurasian otters, and its tributaries are designated a Special Area of Conservation. Ullswater is included in the protected area. The Eden’s total length is approximately 81 miles before it enters the Solway Firth near the River Esk.