Heritage Open Days 2025

Buildings and bridges, exploring how we have designed and built the world around us. Join us on these free walks.

Saturday 13th September
Smardale Circular which takes in County Bridge and Smardale Gill Viaduct.
4.7miles/7.5km, 500ft/150m
Meet Smardale Nature Reserve car park CA17 4HG 09:30
Booking recommended waw@uppereden.org.uk

Smardale is an old parish now part of Waitby. The name ‘Smaredale’ may derive from smere, an ancient name for clover, or old Norse butter.

Smardale Bridge over Scandale Beck carried the old County Road to Appleby and whilst listed as a Packhorse Bridge probably 18th century, it has origins carrying the old road to Appleby, as a meeting place for the Kaber Rigg Plot in 1636 and Lady Anne Clifford’s preferred route from 1649 from Pendragon Castle to Appleby Castle. It is believed that there was a hamlet and an ale house.

There are nearby Iron Age and Medieval settlements and associated field systems including Giant’s Graves which are believed to have been used for drying bracken rather than breeding rabbits.

Nearby Smardale Hall has origins in the middle-ages but the present turreted building dates from 14th to 16th century.

Chapel-well a once reputed ‘holy well’, west of Scandal Beck within a very early chapel.

Smardale Viaduct, owned by Northern Viaduct Trust, is a magnificent, curved viaduct designed by Thomas Bouch as part of the South Durham and Lancashire Union Railway. The viaduct has 14 arches of 30 feet span, and a total length of 553 feet (c170m), 90 feet (27m) high above the valley. It is constructed of locally quarried sandstone with limestone cement from the large recently restored Lime Kilns nearby.

Saturday 20th September
Church and Market Brough Family History Walk 3K (1.86 m)
Including St Michael’s Church and Brough Castle
Finishing at Brough Ice Cream Parlour and playground
Meet Church Brough car park CA17 4EJ 10:30
Booking recommended waw@uppereden.org.uk

A gentle walk around Church Brough and Market Brough back lanes with points of interest for our younger walkers, with or without buggies and some history for all.

Church Brough has a long history of a settlement serving the castle and perhaps even the Verteris Roman Fort before it. Our first stop will be St Michael’s Church, which began life in the 11th century and only 200 yards from the castle was absorbed into the life of the inhabitants of the castle and village.
There is a history of Brough display to enjoy before moving on.

After finishing our loop of Church Brough passing an ice cave, we walk down towards Market Brough, and the A66 stopping for Andy Goldsworthy’s pinfold and the old mill.

Market Brough (Brough-under-Stainmore) was given a Market Charter in 1300 which together with the original road established a trading area away from the castle. We will walk some of the back lanes. Look out for Marilyn Monroe, several bridges and historical buildings.

Returning to Church Brough, we will visit Brough Castle which dates from about 1200 with additional through the centuries which was built on the site of the Verteris Roman Fort, both designed to protect the Stainmore pass. We finish our walk at Brough Ice Cream Parlour to treat ourselves to refreshments and the children’s play area.

Thursday 18th September
A gentle walk around Great Musgrave about 2 miles
Including St Theobald’s Church and the Tithe Barn
Returning to Kirkby stephen for refreshments as required
Meet The Cloisters, Kirkby Stephen 10:30 for car share 3 miles
Booking recommended waw@uppereden.org.uk

The Musgrave family traces its origins back to Gamel (b.1030), Lord of Musgrave, pre-conquest before moving to Hartley Castle where Thomas was granted a license to crenulate on 4 October 1353. The Musgraves later moved to Eden Hall abandoning the castle. The remnants of a medieval village in Great Musgrave are believed to be where pre 14th century settlement was complete with lynchets. The later Musgrave House is said to date from the 19th century.

You may well be familiar with the Musgrave family coat of arms adopted in the 13th century depicting six gold annulets, three, two and one, on a blue shield as seen in Kirkby Stephen Parish Church where three Musgrave knights are buried in Hartley Chapel.

The current St. Theobald’s church is the third church built in 1845 on higher ground because of river flooding. It is recorded that in 1822 floods were said to be 3 ft high in the previous church and vicarage next door, since demolished. Note the annual Rushbearing procession crowns in the church.

The Musgrave Church Field Trust restored the 18th century Tithe Barn, byre and stables in 2013 as a community space.

Note the beautiful riverside space and bridge over the Eden before returning to Kirkby Stephen for optional refreshments.