Greywalls

Maulds Meaburn sits within the Westmorland Dales, the north-western corner of the Yorkshire Dales National Park. The village takes its name from Maud, sister of Sir Hugh de Morville. In the 12th century, Henry II divided the lands of Meaburn between the two of them; when Sir Hugh fell from favour, the Crown took back his share, which became King's Meaburn, while Maud's portion kept her name. Today the village is a conservation area of stone houses and farms set either side of the beck. On its southern side stands Flass House, a striking Italianate mansion built in the early 1850s. The Lyvennet rises near Robin Hood's Grave on Crosby Ravensworth Moor, an area rich in ancient remains, and flows north through Crosby Ravensworth, Maulds Meaburn and King's Meaburn before joining the River Eden.

This is wonderful walking country. The Westmorland Dales cover more than 200 square kilometres, stretching from Maulds Meaburn in the north to Tebay in the south-west, and there are routes straight from the village. One local trail follows the Lyvennet from Crosby Ravensworth church to Maulds Meaburn and back. A longer loop climbs Crosby Ravensworth Fell to the Black Dub Monument and Robin Hood's Grave, and up on the fell you can also join Wainwright's famous Coast to Coast Walk.

For anglers, Appleby Angling Association sells visitor day tickets for its River Eden waters, and these must be bought online in advance. The Lyvennet itself is reserved for association members. The Eden offers wild brown trout from 15 March to 30 September and grayling from 16 June to 14 March, so there is fishing all year round. Anyone aged 13 or over also needs an Environment Agency rod licence, available online at gov.uk/fishing-licences. Cyclists will enjoy the quiet country lanes, and the extended Yorkshire Dales Cycleway includes a 29km signed section through the Westmorland Dales between Tebay and Kirkby Stephen.

Beyond the valley, the wider Eden Valley has plenty to explore. Appleby-in-Westmorland is a handsome market town with a riverside setting, a castle and a station on the scenic Settle–Carlisle railway, and it is famous for its annual Horse Fair. To the north-west is the bustling market town of Penrith, and nearby is Lowther Castle, where dramatic ruins sit within restored gardens and an enormous adventure playground that children love. Ullswater, often called the most beautiful of the lakes, is around half an hour's drive away. There you can board a lake cruise from Pooley Bridge or Glenridding, or walk the shoreline paths.

• Crosby Ravensworth – 1 mile
• Appleby-in-Westmorland – 6 miles
• Shap – 5 miles
• Penrith – 13 miles
• Pooley Bridge (Ullswater) – 15 miles