Winton

Winton is a small, traditional farming village in the Upper Eden Valley, tucked between the market town of Kirkby Stephen and the village of Brough in what was once the county of Westmorland, now part of Cumbria. It sits in gentle, green pastureland where the Eden Valley opens out below the high moorland of the Pennines, with the Yorkshire Dales rising to the east and the Lake District fells visible on a clear day to the west. The village keeps a village green with a small playground and football goals, a scatter of stone farmhouses and cottages, and a single pub, the Bay Horse — the kind of unhurried, workaday place that has changed shape but not character over the centuries.

Winton has more history behind it than its size suggests. Once a thriving community with its own school, mill, manor house and chapel, it was at the centre of the 1659 Westmorland witch trials, when several local women were tried and hanged at Appleby following accusations of bewitching a Winton girl, Margaret Bousefield. Winton Hall was rebuilt in 1665 by the Scaife family and later became a boarding school notorious enough to be cited by Charles Dickens as an example of the poor conditions endured by pupils at such institutions. Today the drama has long since faded into a peaceful, workaday village, best used as a quiet base from which to explore the wider Eden Valley and the northern reaches of the Yorkshire Dales.

Top things to do near Winton

Winton itself is small, but it sits within easy reach of some of the best walking and scenery in the north Pennines and Upper Eden Valley.

• Nine Standards Rigg — a striking fell above Kirkby Stephen, topped by nine mysterious stone cairns and the watershed point where rivers begin flowing either west to the Irish Sea or east to the North Sea; a classic, tough walk and a famous landmark on Wainwright’s Coast to Coast path.
• Kirkby Stephen — the nearest town, just over a mile south, with a handsome Market Street, the parish church of St Stephen, independent shops and a regular farmers’ market.
• Stenkrith Park — a small nature park on the edge of Kirkby Stephen where the River Eden has carved a dramatic limestone gorge, with riverside paths and the popular picnic spot at Frank’s Bridge.
• The Coast to Coast Walk — Alfred Wainwright’s 190-mile route between St Bees and Robin Hood’s Bay passes directly through Kirkby Stephen, making the area a natural stop for long-distance walkers.
• Brough Castle — the ruins of a medieval castle a few miles north, built on the site of a Roman fort guarding the old route over Stainmore.
• Settle–Carlisle Railway — one of England’s most scenic railway lines runs close by, with Kirkby Stephen’s own station giving access to Dales towns and the high viaducts of Ribblehead and Dent.

Getting to Winton

Winton lies just off the B6259, the road linking Kirkby Stephen to Brough and on towards Barnard Castle and Appleby-in-Westmorland. By car, it is roughly 25 minutes from Penrith and the M6, and around 40 minutes from Junction 38 further north. The A66, connecting Penrith to Scotch Corner and the A1, passes a short distance to the north, making Winton a convenient stopping point between the Lake District and the North East. Kirkby Stephen has its own station on the Settle–Carlisle line, with services linking Leeds and Carlisle, while the nearest mainline connections are at Penrith (West Coast Main Line) or Appleby.

Best time to visit Winton

Late spring through early autumn (May to September) suits the Eden Valley best, with long daylight hours for walking the fells and exploring the Dales. Nine Standards Rigg and the surrounding moorland can be very wet underfoot outside summer, and short winter days limit high-level walking, though the valley villages remain attractive year-round. Autumn brings good colour along the river at Stenkrith Park, while a settled winter spell can make the surrounding fells strikingly beautiful for those prepared for the weather.

Where to stay near Winton

Winton and its immediate neighbours offer a handful of holiday cottages, several converted from old farm buildings and schoolhouses, well suited to walking breaks. Kirkby Stephen, a short drive or walk away, has a wider choice of guesthouses, inns with rooms and self-catering cottages, while Brough and Appleby-in-Westmorland extend the options further into the Eden Valley. Camping and glamping sites in the surrounding countryside make the most of the open fell and riverside scenery.

Food and drink near Winton

The village pub, the Bay Horse, is Winton’s own contribution to the local food scene, recommended locally as one of the better places to eat outside Kirkby Stephen itself. In Kirkby Stephen, options include the Black Bull on Market Street, the town’s two micro-pubs, the L’al Nook and the Old Forge, along with cafes such as the White Hare and the Mulberry Bush for daytime food and coffee. Further afield, the Kings Head and Black Swan in nearby Ravenstonedale, and the Inn at Brough, are well regarded for a short drive out.