Walks in Cumberland by train

Easy-access town and harbour circular: Maritime Museum, coast aquarium, Georgian Fleming Square and the Senhouse Roman Museum (Britain's best Roman-altar collection).

The Senhouse Roman Museum: A clifftop museum at Maryport holding the best collection of Roman altars in Britain.

The Lake District Coast Aquarium: An aquarium on Maryport harbour devoted to the underwater life of Cumbria's seas and coasts.

Walk details: Community Rail Cumbria (PDF).

Low fells, wide salt marshes and the Duddon Estuary sea wall, with Millom Park and its open-air geology museum.

Millom Park: A wooded park above Millom with looping paths, optional viewing points and the open-air Rock Park geology museum.

Time: 4h30

Walk details: Visit Lake District / Lakes Line Rail User Group (PDF).

A shapely coastal peak between sea and mountains, climbing steeply beside Moorgill Beck to Black Combe's summit, with some of the best long-distance views in the country.

Black Combe: A shapely 600m coastal fell between sea and mountains whose summit gives some of the finest long-distance panoramas in the country.

Time: 5h

Warnings: A 15.2km hill walk with around 665m of ascent, fords and open-fell route-finding; the return includes a stretch of the A595.

Walk details: Visit Lake District / Lakes Line Rail User Group (PDF).

Moorland ridge, high plateau, boulder-filled fell tops, upland hay meadows, disused mine scars, rough pastures and engineered Pennine Way paths.

Time: 8h30

Warnings: Exposed, boggy, foggy. Avoid winter/early spring.

Walk details: the Saturday Walkers Club (tips, local insights and turn-by-turn directions).

Linear coastal route on National Cycle Route 72 and Hadrian's Cycleway, past a Roman fort site and 17th-century Moresby Hall, on the former mineral railway.

Moresby Roman Fort: The site of a Roman fort near Parton, beside St Bridget's Church.

Time: 2h

Warnings: Parton is a request stop. One steep section on the climb into Lowca.

Walk details: Community Rail Cumbria (PDF).

Recommended: Flat walk, initially through Workington docks, then along the shore over beach or grass.

Coastal: almost all along the coast.

Time: 2h–4h

Walk details: Railwalks.

Beautiful forest views and rock sculptures; Lovely very varied route. A long, varied route through woods, fields, riverside and forest tracks, with some road walking. Parts are a bit up and down, after heavy rain there can be a fair amount of mud, plus some difficult steps over tree roots near Armathwaite. Some fast sections of road between Cotehill and Cumwhinton and the motorway junction. Coombs Wood near Armathwaite is a highlight, with rock sculptures. The route can be tackled over two weekends, breaking at Armathwaite, with good facilities at either end and several points on the way.

Woodland: a fifth under tree cover.

Time: 7h30–14h30

Lunch: Pubs at Armathwaite, Cotehill and Cumwhinton along the way.

Warnings: Some fast road sections between Cotehill, Cumwhinton and the M6 junction. Difficult steps over tree roots on the exit from Coombs Wood into Armathwaite. The riverside path along the River Petteril may flood in high rainfall. Can be muddy.

Walk details: Slow Ways.

Time: 6h–12h30

Walk details: Slow Ways.

Time: 4h30–9h

Walk details: Slow Ways.