Under Loughrigg

A pleasant walk on a sunny early May bank holiday afternoon. We set off from our B+B and, after some confusion, headed through the church yard to Rothay Park. The church is a great landmark in the town and a useful gauge of how far you are from home when weary and footsore at the end of a long day. We stopped and ate our lunch in the park, surrounded by bluebells and aged trees melting into the rocks. After lunch we crossed Miller Bridge, watching carefully for trick-track-troll-fol-de-rolls and then headed right along a narrow lane (Under Loughrigg). There were bluebells everywhere; this was to be a theme in most of our walks, each wood appearing to try and outdo the last. We passed some spectacular gates to a house called Fox How and mused on who had lived there.

After walking up the lane for about a mile we crossed the stepping stones over the River Rothay, managing not to fall in. We walked to the site of the Old Rydal Hall and lay in the sun under an oak tree, listening to the blackbirds singing and watching the leaves opening. We recrossed the river and headed on up the lane to Pelter Bridge.

After Pelter Bridge we followed the lane as it became a track to Rydal Water. The path split and we took the high road up to the first of the Rydal Caves. Paul felt the need to monkey around, scrambling up as far as he could. From here we walked to a second, more spectacular quarry cave. We entered the cave, crossing a clear pool containing many small fisheses. The cave was wonderfully echoey so we sang away to ourselves for a bit and then tried to open non-existent dwarven doors by speaking 'friend'. Looking out of the cave, we seemed to be inside a giant toothy mouth, albeit one that framed the scenery beautifully. We were amused by the splash landing and subsequent quacking echoes of a solitary male mallard.

From here we walked on to the head of Grasmere through yet more fields of bluebells (with eyes squinted, they looked like fields of French Lavender). We had splendid views of both Grasmere and Rydal Water and tantalising glimpses of paths heading off up the fells.

We walked back along the shore of Rydal Water, watching ducks, geese and swans in the water, and a small boy learning to ride his bike on the path (his parents having bribed him with the promise of cake). We rejoined the lane at Pelter Bridge and then retraced our steps back home.