Pottering about in Kirkby Stephen

Kirkby Stephen is a fascinating town and is well worth exploring to see what serendipity brings.

It is interesting, as with many towns in the area, to consider the age of buildings that are still being used today. The earliest parts of the stone church (the ‘Cathedral of the Dales’) date back to around 1170 on the site of an earlier Anglo Saxon church. It was rebuilt in 1220 and has since undergone many updates. The Market Square dates back to the Market Charter of 1352, but most houses were built in  the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries.Drop into the church and cloisters, and the Loki stone (8th - 10th Century), which depicts the mischievous Norse god bound and chained to a rock for eternity.

If you dart off down the narrow lane past the cloisters on your left and follow the passages, you will find Frank’s Bridge, a 17th century corpse road bridge. Despite its former rather sombre function, this is a lovely place for a paddle in the shallow waters of the Eden.

We would definitely recommend that you visit the local shops and buy the local produce.

Eden Valley Produce has a great selection of fruit, vegetables and herbs, usually locally grown. It also has a good range of more exotic items. There is excellent an excellent butcher's in Kirkby Stephen and sometimes, if we are visiting Bowes Museum, we drop in on one of the butchers in Barnard Castle. The Co-Op is great for staples, and when you are in there, make sure you check out the wine section where we have found some very good wines at excellent prices. And although not in Kirkby Stephen (visit Penrith, Kirby Lonsdale or Windemere), Booths supermarkets are always a joy to step into. Cranstons Cumbrian Food Hall (we visited the one in Penrith) is a cornucopia of local produce, including the most incredible seafood.

There are plenty of tea rooms and cafés in Kirkby Stephen; we leave it to you to explore and enjoy them!

Other shops include the Church Gallery, which sells local art and crafts, as well as toys, clothing, cards and much more. If you are interested in fine antiques, then Haughey Antiques is definitely worth a visit. There are also shops selling walking gear, including Mad About Mountains, which has a really good selection of walking equipment you might have forgotten to pack (as we have done on numerous occasions).

And so on to pubs. This is a difficult one, as the pubs are constantly changing hands in this part of the world  – we don’t want to encourage or dissuade guests from trying them all (!) and would welcome feedback. Do try the Pennine, which is always warm and cosy inside, with a great selection of gins... The La'l Nook is welcoming and friendly, and has (so I am assured) a great selection of both local and national beers, bitters, IPAs and craft lagers. The Taggy Man is good value for money and offers local bitters (as well as Brockman's gin - which is a massive plus in my book).