Rydal Hall

Rydal Water

Central Lake District

Route: Circuit of Rydal Water

Area: Central Lake District

Date of walk: 7th July 2016

Walkers: Andrew and Gilly

Distance: 4.4 miles

Ascent: 650 feet

Weather: Cloudy but bright and warm

This is a popular walk, rather too popular at times due to its proximity to the honeypot destinations of Ambleside and Grasmere, and so we set off early in order to avoid the crowds. This plan was thwarted at the start (the car park at Pelter Bridge) when we encountered a huge group of 160 schoolchildren setting off round the lake at the same time as us. There’s nothing wrong with schoolchildren – unless you’re planning a quiet country walk – so we decided to reverse our planned route and walk round the lake anti-clockwise in order to avoid their excited chatter. Sorry kids, no offence

After crossing Pelter Bridge we visited the beautiful grounds of Rydal Hall and then set off along the old Coffin Road which was formerly used for taking the dead of Rydal to Grasmere Church for burial

We left the road just beyond the head of Rydal Water and after crossing the road joined a path which follows the bank of the River Rothay. When we reached the foot of Grasmere we crossed the footbridge and walked back to the start along the lovely elevated path above Rydal Water

For other walks here, visit my Find Walks page and enter the name in the ‘Search site’ box

Click on the icon below for the route map (subscribers to OS Maps can view detailed maps of the route, visualise it in aerial 3D, and download the GPX file. Non-subscribers will see a base map)

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