Lake District Part 5

Reflecting on a fantastic week

FRIDAY - THE LAST DAY: GRASMERE & RYDAL WATER

So our week drew to a close as we woke on our final full day. And yes, the sun was still shining - how lucky have we been? For our last day we'd decided to do a circular walk from Grasmere around both Grasmere and Rydal Water. This included a walk part way along the "Coffin Route", a large stony and undualting trail underneath Nab Fell between Ambleside and Grasmere. The Coffin Route was traditionally used to carry the dead from Rydal and Ambleside to St Oswald's Church in Grasmere for a christian burial. That's a fair old way to lug a coffin, but thoughtfully there is a "coffin stone" about half way between Grasmere and Rydal where presumably the coffin bearers could take a well earned rest!

First though as we left Grasmere we past Dove Cottage, yet another of William Wordsworth's previous homes in the area.

Dove Cottage

Signpost for the Coffin Route just outside Grasmere

The Coffin Stone

As we descended off the Coffin Route into Rydal, we were presented with a choice for a refreshment stop, at either Rydal Mount or Rydal Hall. We chose the latter (on advice from my younger brother whose been a regular visit to these parts), but as we were only stopping for a quick coffee either would have sufficed.

Rydal Hall

After a pleasant coffee stop (albeit with a piece of overpriced flapjack), we crossed the A591 and crossed a footbridge over the river Rothay. From here we wound along a wooded footpath before coming out into the open on the banks of Rydal Water. 

Rydal Water

A gravelly beach was athrong with sunbathers and swimmers, and we wound past them and climbed a path towards Rydal Cave. This is an enormous man made cave, dug out though slate quarrying. The water was deep enough and big enough to be carrying a substantial amount of small fish, and again, there were plenty of people here taking advantage of the opportunity to cool down in the shade of the cave.

Rydal Cave panorama

Descending from the path we stopped at he edge of the lake for a picnic, away from the busy area, and watched a pier of common sandpipers calling and flitting around the edges of the water. I'm guessing they had a nest there and didn't like us near them (although we were in fact about 50 yards away!)

After some replenishment we wanted onwards though some more woods before coming to the shores of Grasmere. The path - sometimes a well maintained flat gravelly path, sometimes more reminiscent of a limestone/large cobbled pavement wound around the edge of Grasmere, with the Daffodil Hotel, and Allan Bank coming into view. 

Grasmere with
Allan Bank (left)
Helm Crag (left)
Daffodil Hotel (right)

A short climb off the path took us to Redbank Road, a tricky road that leads you over Loughrigg Fell (not for the faint hearted apparently) which we followed into Grasmere. Just before the village we took advantage of yet another opportunity for a refreshment stop at the rather quaint and pretty rustic Faeryland. The pot offers rowing boat hire, a tea garden (some benches and tables) some Romany artefacts including a proper Romany caravan (although this is private), and as well as coffee, cold drinks and snacks, an anazing selection of 53 different varieties of loose leaf tea, many blended by the owner himself. Apparently his grandmother used to mix tea, and the passion wore off on him. I had a Romany Tea, and I have to say it was very refreshing. My pot gave me three cups and I polished them all off!

At Faeryland

By the time we got "home" we'd walked 7 miles. We certainly needed a quieter evening, and we celebrated the end of our holiday with a meal in the pub across the road, the Inn at Grasmere, before a couple of pints at our "local" for the week, and then it was back to the cottage and packing for our departure the next day.

We had a fabulous week on our first proper visit to the Lakes - well mine anyway. Of course wall to wall sunshine helped - we could have left all our wet weather and colder weather gear at home, but you never can tell - even on sunny days you need to be prepared, especially if you're going walking in the hills.

My take away from the week are as follows:

• Stunning scenery
• It's busy (and that's not in school holiday time)
• Millions of outdoor shops
• Millions of tea rooms, cafes, snack places etc
• Plenty f places to escape the crowds
• No need to climb high if you don't want to
• National Trust membership gives you value
• We'll be back

The best of our Lakes Photo Album (Flickr)

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