Coffin Route-Ambleside to Grasmere
3.7 miles (6 km)
Walk Report by Nick Durgom
The Coffin Route from Ambleside to Grasmere is one of my favourite walks in the Lake District and, for a long time, it was probably the walk I recommended most. It is a relatively easy route by Lake District standards, with only a short climb, but it manages to pack an enormous amount into the journey. I particularly like the fact that you're constantly moving through places with a story, rather than simply following a trail through the countryside. Today the weather was clear and bright, with excellent visibility across the fells, which really showed the landscape at its best. Starting in Ambleside, I followed the A591 towards Scandale Bridge before leaving the road and heading through Rydal Park towards Rydal Hall. The hall and its gardens are well worth taking your time over, especially the pretty Rydal Falls and the little Grot, an 18th-century summerhouse built specifically to provide a view of the waterfall. Rydal Hall is also a handy place to stop for a cup of tea and cake, and I have found the outdoor seating overlooking the water particularly pleasant.
The walk then brings you to Dove Cottage in Grasmere, where Wordsworth and his sister Dorothy lived from 1799 to 1808. Wordsworth wrote much of the poetry he is remembered for during this period, and the cottage and adjoining museum are well worth visiting if you have time. For me, this is one of the things that makes the Coffin Route particularly enjoyable: the scenery is beautiful, but you're also walking through a landscape that is closely connected with some of England's best-known literary history.
The final section takes you past Grasmere lake before arriving in the village itself. The route finishes at St Oswald's Church, where Wordsworth is buried, bringing you back to the reason for the route's unusual name. The path was traditionally used to carry coffins from Ambleside to the churchyard at Grasmere, so although today it is a popular walking route, you're following a very old journey through the two communities.
Once I reached Grasmere, I finished the walk with a visit to Tweedies. It's a good place to sit outside in the large beer garden and relax after the walk, particularly if the weather is good. With Rydal Hall providing an opportunity for tea and cake earlier in the walk, and Grasmere offering plenty of choices at the other end, there are plenty of excuses to take your time rather than rushing through this route.
OpenStreetMap
OpenStreetMap (Mobile GPS)
Interactive Map
Ordnance Survey Map Full Screen>>
OS Map (Mobile GPS)