Appleby Town Centre
Katie Hale
Appleby is a small market town in the Eden Valley, characterised by its rural location and historic buildings.
Its full name, Appleby-in-Westmorland, pays tribute to the county it used to be a part of, before the modern-day county of Cumbria was formed. It’s a town that holds on to its traditions. You won’t find high street shops here, but instead a collection of smaller independent gift shops, groceries, cafes and businesses, which give Appleby its boutique feel.
There’s history to be discovered here, too. The town started life as a Viking settlement, and the current Tourist Information Centre is housed in the twelfth century Moot Hall. Up the road, Appleby Castle is almost a thousand years old, and is said to be haunted by the ghost of Lady Anne Clifford, who was responsible for a number of Appleby’s buildings in the seventeenth century. The town has a Heritage Trail, which can be picked up from the Tourist Information Centre.
Or, if you’d rather soak up nature than history, there are plenty of places to discover in the surrounding countryside – Appleby does, after all, lie in the Eden Valley – and in nearby villages. Why not start with a river walk along the banks of the River Eden, which wends its way sleepily through the centre of town?
If you’re looking for something a bit less laid back, then early June is the time to visit. The biggest event to take place here each year is Appleby Horse Fair, a traditional Gypsy and Traveller fair, which sees the town’s population multiply enormously.
Appleby has a station on the scenic Settle-Carlisle line, which makes it a great base for walking holidays in the Pennines. There are also regular bus links to the nearby town of Penrith.
