Climbing up through the Cumbrian hills is something I have a great fondness for, the views along the way are truly spectacular, especially in autumn when the most beautiful array of colours sweep across the valleys.
The Coffin Route is about an eight-mile round trip from Ambleside to Grasmere and back. The walk offers amazing views of both Rydal water and Grasmere Lake. Even with low cloud, the misty atmosphere adds something special to the trail.
Although the ‘Coffin Route’ may suggest killer climbs and tough terrain, it couldn’t be further from the truth. Up until about 1821 the trail was used to carry coffins from Ambleside to Grasmere, allowing people to be buried in St. Oswald’s church, as there were no graveyards in Ambleside itself. The land is relatively flatIt is also the final resting place of English poet William Wordsworth. (Note: It is well worth visiting Wordsworth’s house, Dove Cottage, on your travels. For more information about parking and admission prices
click here).
The land is relatively flat, there is a small amount of strenuous climbing but nothing my 60-year-old granddad couldn’t manage, and can just be a very pleasant Sunday afternoon stroll. There are large flat stones placed along the way for the coffin bearers to rest on, they would prop the casket up on the stone and rest before continuing along the route. So if you’re feeling particularly warn out, there is a rest point every mile or so where you can sit and soak in the unique landscape.
There are plenty of cafés and pubs on route, including the Rydal Hall Tea Room, which serves scones with clotted cream, and not to mention the most amazing raspberry jam you’ll ever taste! A pot of tea costs just £1.20 in the quaint self-contained retirement village – IMPORTANT this is not to be taken lightly. It makes about 3 cups so make sure you pop to the loo before you set off again, because it’s a good hour and a half before you reach Grasmere.
Once you arrive in Grasmere (home of the famous Grasmere Gingerbread), the village is littered with pubs and cafés for lunch. The Lamb Inn is particularly good for a delicious jacket potato, especially if it’s on the chilly side. They also serve a selection of guest ales, you can eat and drink for around £7 p/p.
On the second leg of the journey, the track drops down to the shore of Grasmere Lake, which has been a hotspot for painters over the years. Just a little further along the trail holds ‘Rydal Cave’, an old slate mine that has now been cordoned off due to a series of roof collapses. At one point you could walk inside these majestic man made quarries, and see the beautiful slate that was collected to make the trademark Cumbrian houses. However visitors now have to settle with the murky blue water and slight glimpses into the cave.
There is a bit of a steep decent after the caves, but then it levels out leaving a brisk walk along some duckboards back into Ambleside. It is a lovely way to spend an afternoon and highly recommended.
Grasmere Lake 2010
