Armathwaite

Red sandstone walls rise dramatically from the River Eden, giving this little Cumberland village an almost fortress-like quality. Armathwaite sits in proper fell country, where ancient woodlands climb steep hillsides and the railway line cuts through landscape that's barely changed since Victorian times.

Armathwaite Castle commands the high ground above the river - what's left of it, anyway. The 15th-century tower still stands proud, though the rest has long since crumbled. It's a proper romantic ruin, the kind that makes you wonder about medieval lords watching for Scottish raiders.

Woodland walks are the real draw here. Coombs Wood sprawls across the valley slopes, while smaller copses like Peggy's Wood and Townhead Wood offer shorter rambles. The train station still sees the occasional service - handy if you fancy arriving without the car.

Christ & Saint Mary overlooks the village centre, its Norman stones weathered by centuries of Cumbrian weather. St Michael & All Angels sits a bit further out, serving the scattered farming community that keeps this corner of the Eden Valley ticking over.

From Carlisle, it's about twenty minutes by car through gentle countryside that gets progressively wilder. The fells proper start just beyond the village - Woodcock Hill marks the beginning of serious hiking territory towards the Lake District's northern reaches.

Staying at one of the nearby camping spots makes perfect sense. You're close enough to Carlisle for supplies but far enough out to feel properly rural. The glamping pods around here often come with hot tubs - not a bad way to end a day tramping through those extensive woodlands.