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)

Twitter: @Statto1927 

Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/people/simon_hiscocks/ 

Instagram: simon_hiscocks 

Lake District - a new favourite place: Part 1

Tarn Hows with the
Old Man of Coniston (l) and Wetherlam (r) behind

GETTING THERE - FRIDAY

I'm not yet sure how many parts this blog post will run to, but it's likely to be more than 1! There's a lot to catch up on from our week away in Grasmere in mid June, so without further ado...

I've never been to the Lake District. Well, strictly speaking that's not true. We passed through with an overnight stop at Penruddock near Ullswater in about 1971 on our way to Scotland on a touring holiday the first year my parents bought a small caravan. Them, three kids and and two dogs in a small tin can. Anyway, all I saw of the Lakes was a dusky Ullswater for an hour or two before we set off for Scotland the following day. 

Anne has been, but it was a long time ago.

We've talked about going for a few years, but one thing and another - oh, and Covid. Anyway, I overcame my procrastination earlier this year, bugging my younger (but still old) brother about the best places as he's been a regular visitor over the years. He recommended his favourite place, Grasmere. After searching his recommended holiday cottage links we duly found a small cottage, for a reasonable price, slap bang in the middle of the village for a week in the middle of June, hoping for decent weather, although being the lakes, that could still mean snow, rain, gales and flash flooding at any time!

Suitably packed for all eventualities we set off, but as it's a long way, made a slight detour to break the journey overnight at my sister in-law's in Solihull. We met them on the Friday afternoon at Coughton Court National Trust and spent a pleasant afternoon wandering the grounds, and walking along the river. 

Coughton Court, near Redditch

STILL GETTING THERE - SATURDAY

After an early(ish) breakfast we pointed the car north (or rather east) before heading north up the M6 toll and thence to the M6. It was pretty much M6 all the way then until the final 30 mins or so. Again we broke our trip up just after turning off the M6 to visit Sizurgh Castle, another National Trust place. More gentle wanderings, and wa walk up a smallish hill to see a vista of the distant Cumbrian hills that were our eventual destination. 

Sizurgh Castle, near Kendal

Driving up past Windermere and through Ambleside, the traffic was heavy - turns out there was a Lak District Ultra Event going on the Saturday for fitness lunatics - 114km run anyone? Those of a less inclined nature could stick to any one of 14km, 25km or 50km events or some vast open water swimming and cycling craziness. 

Arriving about 30 minutes before our allotted check in time, we found the place ready and waiting. It was lovely. Comfortable, well furnished.....but sadly lacking any outside space to sit. Partly I guess we were to blame for not reading the online info correctly (although it does mention an "outside courtyard" (ie parking area), and it was a shame given the continued outrageously hot forecast. Still the village green was about 20 seconds stroll away.

A view from near the centre of Grasmere

Dumped the bags, had a quick wander around the small (but busy) village - it seems everywhere is busy in the Lakes, and pooped into the nearest hostelry for a thirst quencher (or two).

SUNDAY

We had a sort of plan of the places we wanted to go during our week, but it wasn't fixed in stone. I was recovering from some sort of injury to me knee the week before when it had swollen to almost twice it's normal size after a round of golf to climbing Helvellyn and Scafell wasn't going to happen, although stronger than usual anti-inflammatories had worked their magic.

Anne's not one for steep hills (or any hills for that matter), so gentler ambles were more on our radar. You'll see how that went out of the window in a later post....

With another glorious day in the making, we set off for Easdale Tarn, a relatively short walk on paper, and described in some guides as an easy walk, and in others "not pushchair friendly with some steeper sections). It's basically a follow the path route. Soon out of Grasmere we found the path and followed it for a while before it started ascending. As we rose the views impressed but in the heat the steeper sections meant several stops, and for those used to fairly flat walks, it was a bit of slog (Anne might want to call it something else!). Anyway, we made it. It's clearly a popular place as there were lots of people around. Some swimming, some picnicing , some walking through. We found a quiet spot, had our picnic and took our shoes off and dangles our feet in the wonderfully cool water, whereupon our feet were instantly set upon by myriads of small fish giving us an instant, and free pedicure.. The view up there were spectacular, even though we weren't that high at around 300m. 

Easdale Tarn Panorama

View from Easdale Tarn

Easdale Tarn Fish Pedicure

Luckily the walk back down was MUCH easier than the walk up, although by mid afternoon, very hot indeed and we were glad to get back to the cottage to get refreshed and find some shade. It was a pretty impressive start to our week, and although a good work out, very much worth the effort.

I think that'll do for this first post. Part 2 takes in Windermere, Tarn Hows, Coniston  and some eat and drink recommendations.

The best of our Lakes Photo Album (Flickr)

Twitter: @Statto1927 

Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/people/simon_hiscocks/ 

Instagram: simon_hiscocks