Ainstable: Circular Walk, Stone Circles and Quiet Discoveries

Ainstable combines a varied circular walk along the River Eden with unusual sandstone sculptures, prehistoric stone circles and traces of medieval use. Anyone looking for a holiday apartment or holiday cottage for this trip can choose their base according to the experiences they have planned: Would you like to take a longer day walk by the river, view sites of cultural and historical interest, or combine several different discoveries?

Walking along the River Eden

The Ainstable slow trail is a 10.9 km circular walk for which more than two hours should be allowed. The route follows a riverside path along the River Eden and crosses small flat bridges over small streams. This provides a clearly described way to get to know Ainstable on a continuous walk. Bear the length and stated time frame in mind when planning your day, especially if you would like to include other sights along the way.

A shorter version of the Ainstable slow trail runs around Coomb Wood and includes an optional grey path section. This distinction is useful when planning your trip if you would like to choose between the full circuit and a shorter walking option. In Coombs Wood, violets, dandelion leaves, wood sorrel and nettles are among the plants that are popular for gathering.

Sandstone sculptures with restricted access

Below Coombs Wood are sandstone sculptures with five faces and written inscriptions. Access is difficult and possible only when the River Eden has a low water level. This condition should therefore be part of any specific planning: the sculptures are not an arbitrary stop along the way, but a destination whose accessibility depends on the water level. If you plan to visit this part of the area, you should take local conditions at the intended time into account.

Broomrigg: Stone Circles and Historical Traces

The sites at Broomrigg also give Ainstable a distinctive cultural and historical character. Broomrigg A is a rare example in north-west England of a large, irregular stone circle with an associated double stone row. The circle was originally made of red sandstone and had a diameter of about 55 m; most of the north-western arc is still preserved in place.

Broomrigg B1 was a small prehistoric stone circle made up of seven stones, four of which remain. The surviving stones enclose an area about 3.4 m in diameter. Despite excavations and the loss of some stones, Broomrigg B1 is still relatively well preserved. Broomrigg F consists of two adjacent hut circles with stone rings about 3.7 m in diameter.

At Broomrigg P are the remains of a single-room shieling made of dry stone walling. The surviving walls are 7 m long and up to 1.5 m wide. A shieling was a seasonally used hut for herders in the uplands; the remains of a medieval shieling are also located there. A visit therefore reveals not only stones and measurements, but also earlier forms of land use.

Church History as a Quiet Contrast

The parish church of St Michael in Ainstable is medieval in origin and was rebuilt in 1870–1871. The churchyard was mentioned in a will dating from the middle of the 13th century. Together with the circular walk and the Broomrigg sites, the church offers another perspective on the area: it complements the natural and walking experiences with a glimpse into the long history of the settlement. A stay in Ainstable can thus combine different rhythms from day to day, without every activity having to be of the same nature.

The Right Accommodation for Your Travel Plans

When looking for holiday accommodation in Ainstable, it is worth defining your own priorities first. For the Ainstable slow trail, the 10.9 km circuit is the main focus; anyone wishing to see the sandstone sculptures must also take the difficult access and the low water level of the River Eden into account. Visitors interested in history and culture can combine Broomrigg A, B1, F and P with the history of St Michael. Accommodation should therefore primarily be viewed as a base for the daily itinerary you want. Plan each destination and the time required for it separately, as the circular walk, access to the sculptures and the historic sites each have different focuses.

If you would then like to compare other destinations, you can find them here: Kirkoswald, Portinscale, Levens, Brampton, Shap, Egremont, Dufton and Skinburness.

For the higher-level travel overview: Cumbria.