Walks you can reach from Aspatria 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).

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).

Dramatic sandstone clifftops of St Bees Head, with two promontories split by Fleswick Bay, to Whitehaven Harbour — the start of the Coast-to-Coast.

Hilly: a third on high ground, rising above the surrounding land.

Coastal: nine tenths along the coast.

St Bees Head: A dramatic sandstone headland of two promontories split by the secluded cove of Fleswick Bay, marking the start of Wainwright's Coast-to-Coast walk.

Time: 4h30–8h30

Warnings: Exposed clifftop paths with steep, undulating sections; take care near cliff edges in windy conditions.

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

Similar walk: Railwalks (inc. GPX).

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.

Recommended: Great coastal views and on a clear day you can see the Isle of Man. A relatively easy coastal walk with great sea views, on well-defined paths that mostly follow the well-waymarked England Coast Path. There are no stiles and but a number of gates and one set of steps at Harrington. Mostly follows the England Coast Path, which is very well waymarked.

Coastal: four fifths along the coast.

Time: 3h30–7h

Warnings: The steps at Harrington can be avoided, but doing so means a short stretch of roadside walking with no pavement.

Walk details: Slow Ways.

An easy, well-waymarked coastal walk following the England Coast Path with no significant gradients. The surface is largely a rough track, with some tarmacked alternatives, footbridges with the odd step and sections where the beach itself becomes the path. Passes under wind turbines along an under-visited stretch of coast. Follows the England Coast Path and National Cycle Route 72 between Maryport and Workington; well waymarked. No gates or stiles.

Coastal: almost all along the coast.

Time: 3h–5h30

Warnings: The beach sections at Flimby can be difficult to walk on; a clearly-waymarked high-tide route alongside the A596 offers easier walking.

Walk details: Slow Ways.

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.

A long, mixed route of quiet roads with distant mountain views, field paths beside the River Wampool and Caldew, a final shared tarmac path on the Cumbria Way into Carlisle. Field sections can be wet and muddy; the Wigton-to-Thursby half has serious access problems with blocked and unclear and overgrown paths. The Dalston-to-Carlisle section follows the Cumbria Way and is shared with cyclists.

Time: 6h–12h

1 lunch spot: the Ship Inn

Warnings: The section from Wigton to Thursby has blocked field paths, no clear access through farms, barbed-wire stiles and a stretch with no footpath along the busy A595 verge. Fields by the river can be wet, muddy and churned by cattle.

Walk details: Slow Ways.

A long and varied route. Starts on a fast road verge running alongside the M6, then improves to quieter roads, field paths to the River Esk and a railway footbridge and riverside fields that can be very muddy and flood-prone. Finishes on suburban roads and a historic stretch past Carlisle Castle and Cathedral. Several badly puddled farm tracks. The route passes Carlisle Castle, the Cathedral and the Tullie and Guildhall museums, and crosses through the Solway Coast National Landscape. An England Coast Path improvement may one day offer a better, less road-bound start.

Time: 5h–9h30

1 lunch spot: the Crown and Thistle

Warnings: The opening section follows the verge of a fast, busy road parallel to the M6 with a narrow, overgrown edge; great care is needed. Riverside fields can flood and the farm road up to Cargo can be very deeply puddled and muddy. Watch for tidal flooding and cows near Rockcliffe.

Walk details: Slow Ways.

Reverse direction: Railwalks.