Rydal Water and Rydal Cave from Pelter Bridge
A full circuit of Rydal Water: the old Coffin Route, the River Rothay to Grasmere, Loughrigg Terrace and the great slate cavern of Rydal Cave.
- Distance
- 6.8 km
- 4.2 miles
- Ascent
- 231 m
- High point 149 m
- Time
- 1 hour 30 minutes
- Walking time, no stops
- Grade
- Easy
- Circular
Take this walk with you
Google Maps does not know most fell paths, so use it to get to the start, then follow the GPX in an app like OS Maps, Komoot or AllTrails. To see the line in Google Maps, open Google My Maps, create a map, choose Import and pick the KML file. It then appears in the Google Maps app under Saved, Maps.
Weather on this walk
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Rydal Water is small, and that is exactly why this loop works. You get the whole lake in one go: high on the north side along the old corpse road towards Grasmere, low on the south side through oak wood and along the shingle shore, with Rydal Cave as the set piece in between.
The cave is a worked-out slate quarry, a vast open chamber with a pool across the floor and a line of stepping stones leading in. Children love it, and so does anyone who has ever wanted to stand inside a hill without needing a helmet.
It is a low-level walk, but not a flat one. There is a steady pull up from Rydal village and a rough, rocky stretch around the cave, so it suits families with sturdy footwear and anyone after a proper morning out rather than a stroll.
The route
- 1
Pelter Bridge to Rydal
Leave the car park, cross Pelter Bridge over the Rothay and turn left along the road towards Rydal. Pass St Mary's Church and turn up the lane beside it, climbing past Rydal Mount, Wordsworth's home in his later years.
- 2
Along the Coffin Route
At the top of the lane turn left onto the walled bridleway known as the Coffin Route, the old way the dead of Rydal were carried to Grasmere for burial. It runs along the hillside above the lake with fine views down over the water and its wooded islands.
- 3
White Moss to Grasmere
Just past the head of the lake, take the path that drops left to the A591 at White Moss. Cross with care, then follow the path down to the River Rothay and walk upstream through Penny Rock Wood to the footbridge where the river leaves Grasmere.
- 4
Loughrigg Terrace and Rydal Cave
Cross the footbridge and climb gently to Loughrigg Terrace, the broad shelf with the classic view up the length of Grasmere. Follow it east, round the shoulder of the fell, until the huge mouth of Rydal Cave opens up beside the track above Rydal Water.
- 5
Back along the shore
From the cave, take one of the paths down towards the lake and follow the shore track east through the trees. It leads back to the footbridge near Pelter Bridge and the car park.
Questions people ask
Where do you park for Rydal Cave?
Pelter Bridge car park, just off the A591 on the Ambleside side of Rydal, is the closest. White Moss car parks on the Grasmere side are larger and also put you on this loop.
Can you go inside Rydal Cave?
Yes. It is free and open at all times. Stepping stones lead in across the pool at the entrance, and the driest route in is usually over the rocks on the right-hand side.
Is the Rydal Water walk suitable for children?
Yes, for children used to walking. The rocky section near the cave needs a hand for little ones, and it is not suitable for pushchairs.
Are there toilets on the Rydal Water walk?
Yes, at White Moss car park, which is about halfway round this circuit.
More walks nearby
The Fairfield Horseshoe from Ambleside
Hard, 19.5 km, 1018 m up, about 5 hours 30 minutes
One of the great Lakeland rounds: from Ambleside up Nab Scar and over eight tops around the Rydal valley, with Fairfield's summit at the head.
Loughrigg Fell from Ambleside
Moderate, 10.2 km, 413 m up, about 2 hours 30 minutes
Ambleside's own fell: over the knobbly top of Loughrigg, along Loughrigg Terrace above Grasmere, past Rydal Cave and home by the River Rothay.
Wansfell Pike and Troutbeck from Ambleside
Hard, 11.6 km, 602 m up, about 3 hours 30 minutes
Ambleside's own fell: past Stock Ghyll Force to Wansfell Pike, down Nanny Lane to Troutbeck, home through Skelghyll Woods and Jenkin Crag.
Food, drink and beds near the start
The Golden Rule
Traditional, Ambleside, £, dogs welcome
No food, no music, no pretence. Ambleside's no-nonsense Robinsons pub is a perfect pint in its purest form.
Dodds Restaurant
Modern British, Ambleside, ££
A relaxed, long-running Italian restaurant on Rydal Road in Ambleside, serving lunch and dinner with a takeaway menu too.
The Unicorn Inn
Traditional, Ambleside, £
A proper Ambleside local that doesn't try to be anything it isn't - good beer, good craic, good value.
Zeffirellis
Vegetarian Italian, Ambleside, ££, dogs welcome
Vegetarian Italian cinema-restaurant hybrid that has been an Ambleside landmark for decades. The pizzas are excellent.
The Old Stamp House
Modern British, Ambleside, £££
Ryan Blackburn's Michelin-starred restaurant in Wordsworth's former office serves creative modern British food with a Cumbrian soul. The tasting menu is outstanding value, and the Lakeland ingredients shine.
Lake Road Kitchen
Nordic, Ambleside, £££
James Cross's small, fiercely independent Ambleside restaurant holds a Michelin star for tasting menus of five, eight or twelve servings, built on Lakeland produce with Nordic and Japanese influences. Cross cooked at Noma before opening here in 2014.