Loughrigg Fell and Rydal Water

This was a walk I had wanted to do for some time, but usually when in the Lake District I would be in the company of friends doing pre-planned walks of longer distance requiring higher effort. My visit to the Lakes this time was no different, but at least I had the opportunity to squeeze in a shorter walk when arriving in Rydal in mid-afternoon ahead of a high-fell trek the next day.

Loughrigg Fell had eluded me once before when I took a walk from Ambleside to Loughrigg Tarn; I missed it simply because I hadn't planned in advance and wasn't aware of it. This time, I wasn't going to make the same mistake again!

I started my walk from the roadside near Rydal Mount beside the church (though nowadays parking is available at Pelter Bridge). Crossing the A591 briskly, I left the roadside footpath opposite the Badger's Bar pub and crossed a footbridge over the River Rothay.

A steep woodland climb led me to Cote How, from where I zigzagged up toward Brant Brows and Rough Intake wood. A friendly blue tit kept me entertained along the way, hopping between fallen branches and ground rocks as I paced up the fellside.

Walking by Rough Intake, I was captivated by the brilliant green moss blanketing the drystone wall. Emerging onto the wide-open fell, I expected to look down toward Rydal Water, but low cloud had rolled in quickly, thickening as I climbed and giving the landscape an eerie, atmospheric feel.

Meeting a dog-walker who mentioned the clear blue skies from earlier that morning had vanished into cloud two hours prior, I checked my map and GPS frequently against the maze of intersecting paths. Loughrigg Fell is a wonderful labyrinth with small rills, rocky crags, and scattered copses.

Near the summit, I encountered several walkers and micro-mapping students who had lost their way in the mist, including a young lady looking for a quick escape route to Ambleside and a group of American tourists who resolved to follow me off the fell.

Descending north toward Ewe Crag, I suddenly dropped below the cloud base and was transfixed by a view of treetops and Grasmere Lake immediately below. It was an awesome moment!

Stepping down onto Loughrigg Terrace, I passed the Americans resting on a seat and continued along the path as the cloud slowly lifted. Passing an ingenious kissing gate fashioned from flat vertical stones and wood, I approached the shores of Rydal Water.

Rydal Water was a favourite haunt of William Wordsworth at nearby Rydal Mount, and the tranquil setting made it easy to see why.

Ambling alongside Rydal Water, I watched geese and waterfowl bustling around Heron Island and Little Isle. Walking past Jobson Close and into the small woodland at Steps End, the intricate moss-sheathed tree roots branching across the path provided a wonderful final woodland stroll before heading back across the footbridge to Rydal Mount.