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Smardale Gill National Nature Reserve near Kirkby Stephen on the upper Eden

Kirkby Stephen

A market town on the upper Eden, twenty minutes east of Garsdale

Kirkby Stephen is an old market town on the upper Eden, around a twenty-minute drive from Garsdale over the A684. It has a good range of shops, cafes and pubs, and makes a useful change from the nearer towns of Sedbergh and Hawes - the White Hare Cafe on the main street has an acoustic night once a month, open to musicians, singers and poets who want to attend and take part.

On the Settle-Carlisle Line

The town sits on the Settle-Carlisle line, the same railway that serves Garsdale Station at the top of our dale, so Kirkby Stephen is one of the stops on a day out by train in either direction.

It also marks one end of the Lady Anne Clifford route through the Eden valley, taking in Pendragon Castle at Mallerstang and Brough Castle - both of which sit between Garsdale and Kirkby Stephen and make an easy loop. The upper Eden valley is also where the Coast to Coast walk passes, so the town sees a steady trickle of walkers crossing the country on foot.

Pendragon Castle in Mallerstang, between Garsdale and Kirkby Stephen

Around Kirkby Stephen

Smardale Gill National Nature Reserve is the big draw within easy reach - a secluded wooded gorge with a level walk along the old railway trackbed, crossing the Smardale Viaduct, built in 1861 on fourteen stone arches. The reserve holds red squirrels in its conifer sections and is one of the better places in the area to see them.

Further up the fells to the east, the Tan Hill Inn - Britain's highest pub at 528 metres - is reachable on a long walk from Keld in upper Swaledale.

The Smardale Viaduct on the old railway trackbed at Smardale Gill

The Top Things to Do in Kirkby Stephen

The top places we found online in and around the town.

  • Stainmore Railway Company

    A heritage railway project at Kirkby Stephen East station, where volunteers restore locomotives and run heritage train services on selected dates.

  • Stenkrith Park

    Just south of the town on the River Eden, with the Water Cut sculpture set into the rock above the river gorge.

  • Frank's Bridge

    A small packhorse bridge on the old corpse road out of town - a short walk and an easy bit of history.

  • The Eden Viaducts

    The railway arches that carry the Settle-Carlisle line across the valley near town, worth spotting if you are travelling by train.

  • Brough Castle

    The ruins sit between Garsdale and Kirkby Stephen, with a well-reviewed ice cream parlour alongside - see Brough Castle.

Holiday Cottages Near Kirkby Stephen

Our three self-catering holiday cottages sit in Garsdale, about twenty minutes west of Kirkby Stephen. Book direct with the owners for the best rates.

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