Rydal Cave is a man-made cave, it’s located above Rydal Water near to Rydal Town and Ambleside. The cave is located on the site of a former slate quarry and offers stepping stones at the entrance to the cave to access it over the water.
The walk up to the cave offers some seriously impressive views over the stunning scenery of the Lake District.
Below we’ve detailed a walk up to Rydal Cave from one of the car parks however there are multiple walks from multiple surrounding car parks and multiple well sign-posted routes in the area.
The Route:
The route starts at the White Moss Quarry Upper Car Park, if you struggle to get parked here there’s a lower car park further down the road, additionally you can start the walk at Pelter Bridge car park further down the road starting from the other side of the Lake.
To start the walk from the car park cross the road, be careful as it can be really busy, cross directly over to the marked public footpath that heads into the woods. Follow the route through the woods out into an open picnic area overlooking a river coming off the lake.
Keep following this path until you reach the bridge. Cross the bridge and follow the path up through the woods. As you get some way up the hill you will see a gate ahead or a path that goes up to the right with signs for Rydal cave. Follow the path to the right up the hill.
Keep following this path as it winds up the hill being sure to check the map and follow the main path to the cave as other public footpaths along to other walks rather than the cave.
As you work your way along the path it offers stunning scenery of the surrounding hills and the Lake District.
Once you reach the cave, you can enter the cave via the stepping stones and there are a few great spots for some incredible views of the cave.
Once you’ve taken it all in, follow the paths directly in front of the cave down the hill. As you follow these along you get the opportunity to take in a couple of smaller caves and some great views over the lake.
Follow the main path all the way to the Lakeside, then keeping the lake on the right walk back towards the direction of the car park. Eventually you will get to the gate you turned right at earlier, follow this path back through the woods and over the bridge to head towards the car park.
Transport, Refreshments, Parking:
You can get to Rydal via local bus services and by driving.
Once you get there, quite a few car parks are available, however they do all generally charge so be aware of this.
There are refreshments within Rydal itself in addition to nearby Grassmere and Amble. During the walk it’s recommended that you take some water as a minimum as the walk ascends quite high up the side of the hill to reach the cave.
Useful Tips:
The cave is quite a popular spot for people to visit so it can get quite busy, particularly if you’re visiting at times that coincide with other local events. Be prepared for the car parks to be busy, and the routes, and potentially aim to visit during non-peak times to get the very best experience.
The edges of Rydal Water are a beautiful place to stop for a picnic and take in the Lake and there are some great places to sit along the banks.
Summary:
Overall Rydal Cave is well worth a visit, it’s a stunning sight and the walks to the Cave are great. With the location being close to Ambleside it’s a great place to visit alongside the stunning town.
