Eden District facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Eden District
Non-metropolitan district
Shown within Cumbria
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Constituent country	England
Region	North West England
Ceremonial county	Cumbria
Historic county	Cumberland (part) Westmorland (part)
Founded	1 April 1974 (1974-04-01)
Abolished	31 March 2023 (2023-03-31)
Admin. HQ	Penrith
Government
• Type	Eden District Council
Area
• Total	827 sq mi (2,142 km2)
Population  (2021)
• Total	54,955
• Density	66.449/sq mi (25.656/km2)
Time zone	UTC+0 (Greenwich Mean Time)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+1 (British Summer Time)
ONS code	16UF (ONS) E07000030 (GSS)
Ethnicity	99.6% White
Website	https://www.eden.gov.uk/

Eden was a local government district in Cumbria, England. It was named after the River Eden, which flows north through the area. The main town and administrative center was Penrith.

In 2001, Eden District had about 49,777 people. This number grew to 52,564 by 2011. By 2019, it was estimated to be around 53,253 people.

In July 2021, it was announced that Cumbria would be split into two new unitary authorities. A unitary authority is a single council that handles all local government services. On April 1, 2023, Eden District Council was closed down. Its duties were moved to a new, larger authority called Westmorland and Furness. This new authority also covers the areas of Barrow-in-Furness and South Lakeland.

About Eden District

Eden District was very large, covering about 2,156 square kilometers (832 square miles). After 2009, it was the eighth largest district in England. It was also the largest non-unitary district. This means it was the biggest district that didn't handle all local services itself.

Eden District also had the fewest people per square kilometer in England and Wales. On average, there were only 25 people for every square kilometer. This shows how much open space there was. Between 2001 and 2011, the population of the district grew by 5 percent.

The district council was created on April 1, 1974. This happened because of the Local Government Act 1972. It combined several smaller areas from Cumberland and Westmorland. These areas included Penrith Urban District, Alston with Garrigill Rural District, Penrith Rural District, Appleby Municipal Borough, part of Lakes urban district, and North Westmorland Rural District. The district also included parts of the famous Lake District and Yorkshire Dales national parks.

Lots of Green Space

A survey in 2005 by the Office for National Statistics looked at how land was used. It showed that Eden District had very few roads compared to other areas in England. Only 0.8 percent of its land was taken up by roads. This was just a tiny bit more than Craven in North Yorkshire. In comparison, some parts of London had over 20 percent of their land covered by roads.

The survey also found that Eden District had the most green space of any district. Green space means areas like parks, fields, and forests, but it doesn't include private gardens. An amazing 97.9 percent of Eden District was green space. This made it a very natural and open area.

Here's how Eden compared to other districts with lots of green space:

Map of Eden District

Local Places and Services

Eden District had several King George's Fields. These are sports and recreation areas named after King George V. You could find them in Appleby and Patterdale.

The council also owned the Penrith Leisure Centre. This center offers various activities and is managed by a private company. They also owned many other playing fields and recreation grounds. A notable one was the sports grounds at Frenchfield, located near Carleton on the edge of Penrith.

The council also managed the Penrith and Eden Museum. This museum helps people learn about the history and culture of the area. They also ran the Penrith Tourist Information Centre, which helped visitors find out about local attractions.

See also

In Spanish: Distrito de Eden para niños