Rydal Water

Rydal Water, which bears the nickname 'skaters pond' was once referred to as 'Rothaymere'. The lake is one of the smallest and shallowest but prettiest of the sixteen lakes and is smaller in area than some of the tarns. The lake is joined to Grasmere , which lies to the west, by the River Rothay.

Rydal Water

Parts of Rydal Water, which lies at the heart of the English Lake District, are owned by the National Trust. It is only three quarters of a mile long, a quarter of a mile wide and but fifty feet deep in parts. Rydal Water was formed by the action of glaciers, glacial deposits, known as drumlins, formed the small wooded islands which enhance the lake.

Rydal Water from the south bank

Rydal Water boasts many literary connections and was the inspiration for such writers as William Wordsworth, Samuel Taylor Coleridge and Sir Walter Scott. Nab Cottage, which overlooks the lake, was once home to Thomas Quincey (1785 - 1859) and Hartley Coleridge (1796 - 1859), the son of Samuel Taylor Coleridge. The characterful farmhouse dates from 1702.

Woods at Rydal Water

A dramatic rocky outcrop at the western end of Rydal Water, reached by steps, is as known as 'Wordsworth's Seat' and commands superb views over the lake, it was once a favoured spot of the poet.

Boathouse at Rydal Water. Click to enlarge

There are numerous footpaths around the lake, but that which traverses the southern shore, passing Rydal Caves is perhaps the most attractive. Over 200 years ago, Rydal caves was a busy working quarry supplying the local villages with stone. The larger cave is a well known landmark of surprising size.

The lake from the south bank

Dorothy Wordsworth, sister of the poet, described Rydal Water as 'a place made for all kinds of beautiful works of art and nature…miniature mountains, alps above alps'. A picnic site has been provided by the National Trust at White Moss Common at the western end of the lake. Rydal offers the visitor a wide range of wildlife, including sandpipers, siskins and long-tailed tits.