Grasmere - Rydal

A nice easy circular walk, taking in Rydal Water and Grasmere

 

Parking at Stock Lane and crossing the A591 you immediately come to Dove Cottage and the Wordsworth Trust Museum.

Dove Cottage, once the family home of William Wordsworth.

He lived here from 1799 - 1808, moving into the former pub initially with his sister.

A little glimpse of Grasmere near Dove Cottage

  

 Before St Mary's church in Ambleside was consecrated, coffins had to be transported along the corpse road from Ambleside. Along the 4km route to St Oswald's church in Grasmere are several resting stones, where bearers could set down the coffin for a short while, before continuing the journey for the burial. 

A view from the "Coffin Route"

Rhododendrons near White Moss Tarn

White Moss Tarn

White Moss Tarn, also nicknamed Skater's Tarn; although it's difficult to believe that anyone could skate on it nowadays, overgrown as it seems to be. Allegedly though, Wordsworth did used to skate here in winter and referred to the tarn in one of his poems, Resolution & Independence.

High Wood



Rydal Water



One of many boathouses

Herdwick Sheep

Harrison Stickle from Rydal

Bluebells and White Campion carpet the hillside

Suddenly you come upon a view of Grasmere

 Bluebells in one direction...

 

Barns & boat houses in the other.  

A carrion crow keeps a beady eye on things

Dunmail Raise in the distance

Eventually you come full circle, and the footpath brings you out on Rydal Mount, where you can visit another Wordsworth family home, or pay a visit to nearby Rydal Hall tea shop.

http://www.rydalmount.co.uk/ 

http://www.rydalhall.org/tea-shop/ 

On the way down Rydal Mount are a number of interesting old houses.

Undermount Cottage

Parish Church of St. Mary, Rydal

Church House, Rydal

A gentle stroll through the village via the river will bring you back to the car park..

Pink Campion and wild yellow Poppies

Finishing off with a surprise sight!

Thanks for visiting my blog, I hope you enjoyed the photos.