Rydal Water Walk

3.1 miles (5 km)

Enjoy a wonderful circular walk around the beautiful Rydal Water in the Lake District. The route makes use of the waterside trails on the southern side of the lake before picking up a section of the popular Coffin Route on the northern side. There's much to see on the route with views of the River Rothay, rushing becks, pretty waterfalls, woodland trails and a visit to Rydal Hall with its cafe and pretty gardens. It's about a 3 mile walk with some moderate climbs so a reasonable level of fitness is required.
You can start your walk from the good sized White Moss car park at the north eastern end of the lake. The bus also stops here if you are coming by public transport. From White Moss you can follow a footpath south through woodland and along the River Rothay to the eastern tip of Grasmere.
The path then climbs east towards Loughrigg Terrace before descending to the lakeside path. Eventually the path takes you through woodland and across the Rothay before climbing towards Rydal Hall.
The 19th century mansion has nice formal gardens and the pretty Rydal Falls where you can enter 'The Grot' - an 18th century summerhouse designed for viewing the waterfalls. There's also a very good tea shop with outdoor seating so it's a great place to stop for refreshments at what is the half way point of the route. Just up the hill you will find Rydal Mount, the home of the poet William Wordsworth�from 1813 to his death in 1850.
After leaving Rydal Hall you pick up the Coffin Route so called because it was used to convey coffins on their final journey to St Oswalds Church in Grasmere. It heads west below Nab Scar with nice views over the lake from the elevated position of the path.
After about a mile you come to a beck where you turn left to return to the car park.
To continue your walking in the area you could climb to Loughrigg Fell on the southern side of the lake. From the 335�m (1,099�ft) summit there's fabulous views back down to Rydal Water and Grasmere Lake.
If you continue west along the coffin route it will take you into Grasmere where there are numerous good walking trails to try.
The White Moss Walks start from the same car park and will take you across White Moss Common where there's woodland and meadow to enjoy.

Postcode

LA22 9SE - Please note: Postcode may be approximate for some rural locations

Rydal Water Ordnance Survey Map - view and print off detailed OS map

Rydal Water Open Street Map - view and print off detailed map

Rydal Water OS Map - Mobile GPS OS Map with Location tracking

Rydal Water Open Street Map - Mobile GPS Map with Location tracking

Further Information and Other Local Ideas

Just to the west of the lake you will find Dove Cottage, former home of poet William Wordsworth.�During the period of his habitation, William wrote much of the poetry for which he is remembered today, including 'I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud'. You can explore the fascinating old house and then browse the adjacent museum where you will find exhibits, manuscripts, landscapes and portraits. Stroll into nearby Grasmere and you can also visit his grave in the churchyard of St. Oswald's Church.

Pictured above, Dove Cottage. This popular tourist attraction makes a worthy addition to the walk.
For a longer circular walk which also takes you around Grasmere Lake see the Grasmere and Rydal Water Circular Walk.
For more walking ideas in the area see the Grasmere Walks and the Lake District Walks pages.