I was lucky that as October drew to a close I made the most of a pleasant day walking at Rydal Water following heavy cold rain and had a great day out.

How to get there: From Windermere and Ambleside follow the A591 towards Grasmere, White Moss Car Park is situated on the right before Grasmere is reached. Here there is a large pay and display car park.

Information

Map: OS Explorer OL 7

Grid Ref: 350 066

Length: 3.5miles

Time: do not rush because this is an excellent place to enjoy the autumn wildlife

My walk 1 From the car park turn left along the side of the A591 towards Ambleside. There is a foothpath to the left but do not follow this but take the next. Take a deep breath and ascend an incline. Close to a small waterfall which was more of a medium waterfall following the early morning rain mingled with hail stones. Follow the path to the right and keep climbing to reach a couple of drystone walls.

2 Turn right to reach a point where there are panoramic views over Rydal Water. As winter approaches there is an excellent stroll as the wildlife arrive in increasing numbers.

3 Follow the still obvious track along the side of Nab Scar. This part of the old road still known as the Coffin Road. This was the route taken by those who had died in their upland homes and their bodies were taken to the church in Grasmere. Look out to the right to see Nab Cottage which was once home of the poet Thomas de Quincey. The cottage was built in 1702 and de Quincey lived in it from 1817 to 1833.

4 There is a very gentle descent to reach a small hamlet dominated by Rydal Mount the home of poet William Wordsworth, who lived in the house from 1813 and the building is now a museum dedicated to his life. Here there is an oar owned by Wordsworth’s nephew who was in the Cambridge crew of the first ever boat race, which took place in 1826.

5 Continue to descent the road and pass the pleasant little church of St Mary. At the A591 turn right and look out for a small field leading into Dora’s Field dedicated to Wordsworth’s daughter who sadly died when she was young. This looks wonderful in the spring when it is full of daffodils and I have made a note in my diary to do this walk again in April 2012.

6 At the The Glen Rothay Hotel cross over the road and squeeze through a narrow gap in the wall. Cross a bridge over the River Rothay and turn right and head for the lake.

7 Keep following the lakeside path but take time to explore some of the wooded areas. This is the place to enjoy a generous helping of natural history. I found lots of oyster fungus and I also watched a green woodpecker, which also lived up to its old name of rain bird. Just as I saw the bird in the grass the rain started again and I dived for the shelter of the trees.

8 The trade now heads away from the lakes and passes the ruins of an old farmhouse and after a gentle climb both Rydal Water and Grasmere can both be seen. The old word was ‘grismere’ and ‘gris’ meant a wild pig. All the wild pigs have long gone but this area is still a naturalist’s paradise.

9 Turn right in front of a footbridge and take time to look out for birdlife, including grey wagtail and kingfisher. Follow the river through yet another lovely area of woodland.

10 Follow across a wooden footbridge and follow the track up to in A591 and the car park.

NB: Restrictions on space mean that this article provides a general summary of the route. It is advisable for anyone who plans to follow the walk to take a copy of the relevant Ordnance Survey map.