Ambleside to Grasmere - 'The Coffin Route'

About

As the A591 winds its way north from Ambleside to Keswick it passes close to the shores of Rydal Water and Grasmere offering glimpses of these two beautiful lakes. For car drivers this can be an exasperating experience as walls and trees obscure some of the views. To get the best of this section of road dump the car and take the bus instead.

A number of buses work this route but the long-standing and much loved 555 is the best bet. The extra height and more relaxed speed of the bus (in summer open top double-deckers run) allow more of the scenery to be taken in.

The A591 however is not the only route that links Ambleside and Grasmere, at a higher-level running through the meadows of Rydal Park and across the slopes of Nab Scar, is a very much older track. It dates back a very long time and is called locally, the Coffin Road, due to the fact that the only consecrated ground for burial in the area was the grave yard at St Oswalds in Grasmere and it was therefore used to convey coffins on their final journey.

Walking the Coffin Road from Ambleside to Grasmere then taking advantage of the bus for the return journey makes an excellent outing. The Coffin Road rises and falls gently along its course and gets you to a whole variety of viewpoints. The scenery in this corner of the Lake District was a strong inspiration for Wordsworth and along the way the route passes two of his homes, Rydal Mount and Dove Cottage. They are both open to the public and with an early start both can easily be visited on the walk.

Also crossed and not to be missed is White Moss Common, it was a favourite spot of Wordsworths sister Dorothy and the views down towards Grasmere village are just stunning. Once in Grasmere it is also worth making a detour around the churchyard of St Oswalds, it's a beautiful and peaceful place and makes a perfect end to the walk. Wordsworth and his family are buried here and an interesting time can be had reading the head stones and viewing the church that in parts date back to Norman times.