Smardale Gill Nature Reserve

Smardale Gill is a national nature reserve in the upper Eden valley, reached by a short drive from Garsdale over the A684 and across the dale to Newbiggin. The reserve follows Smardale Beck along a steep-sided wooded gorge, and the main path along the old viaduct - the Smardale Viaduct, restored by the Northern Viaduct Trust - gives fine vantage points for spotting sparrowhawks, buzzards and treecreepers among the woodland birds. The reserve also holds a population of red squirrels in the coniferous sections along the gorge. The viaduct itself was part of the now-disused Stainmore Railway, which crossed the Pennines from Tebay to Darlington until the line closed in the 1960s. A relaxed half-day walk, easier than the fells, and quieter than most of the household-name Dales beauty spots.