Ambleside to Grasmere
4 miles / 1 hr 30 mins
Of all the wonderful walks on offer throughout the Lake District, this will always be one which sticks out in my mind, as it was the first I ever did. This walk will take you via the beautifully still Rydal Water and to Rydal Mount. This really is one of the best walks to consider if you’re a Wordsworth fan. By the time you’re in Grasmere, you’ll have had the chance to visit both of his houses and his resting place, the graveyard at St Oswalds church. While you’re there, pop into the Grasmere Gingerbread Shop: a tiny shop set in a 1630’s school stocking rum butter, fudge, mint cake and “the world’s best gingerbread”.
Red Screes and Middle Dodd
9 miles / 4 hrs
This is another, albeit more challenging, walk you can tackle starting from Ambleside. After a while walking from here, passing grazing cows, with stunning views through the valley, the walk’s barely begun. The route eventually joins the aptly named “Struggle”: a road winding steeply up to the highest pub in the Lakes, the Kirkstone Pass Inn. Stop here for some delicious lunch and an even tastier view – which is only going to get better – before scrambling up to Red Screes. While you get your breath back and congratulate yourself on reaching the top, bask in the amazing views of Windermere Lake off in the distance past Ambleside, to which you’ll now make your gradual descent.
Octavia Hill at Brandelhow Park, Derwentwater
3.6 miles / 1 hr 20 mins
If it’s just an easy amble you’re after through some beautiful parkland, you’ll want to check out this easy, dog-friendly walk. Taking only 1 hour 30 minutes and running alongside Derwentwater, this circular will take you past a number of jetties and through Brandelhow Park, where you can see the Memorial Stone commemorating the first National Trust acquisition in the Lake District.
Words by Sam Howell, Digital Content Executive at kate & tom’s
