THE CIRCULAR LOUGHRIGG FELL TO RYDAL CAVES WALK: A STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE!
LOOKING TO COMPLETE THE CIRCULAR LOUGHRIGG FELL TO RYDAL CAVES WALK?
CIRCULAR LOUGHRIGG FELL TO RYDAL CAVES WALK: A STEP BY STEP GUIDE!
HOW LONG IS THE CIRCULAR LOUGHRIGG FELL TO RYDAL CAVES WALK?
Starting from Pelter Bridge car park (in Rydal village), our circular Loughrigg Fell to Rydal Caves walk is a total of 4 miles, and takes approximately 2 hours 30 minutes to complete.
Allow for slightly longer to take in the multiple scenic views and spend time exploring Rydal Caves!
HOW DIFFICULT IS THE CIRCULAR LOUGHRIGG FELL TO RYDAL CAVES WALK?
Overall, this Loughrigg Fell to Rydal Caves walk is a fairly moderate Lake District walk for beginners. It is a great option for beginners who want to experience climbing to the summit of a Lake District Fell!
Apart from a very brief uphill climb at the beginning and a slight push at the summit, overall the gradient up is very gradual and at times unnoticeable.
There is a steep, rocky hill back down from Loughrigg Fell summit to Rydal Caves to take care on, and tackle this section with care.
POINT 1
Arrive nice and early to get a space in Pelter Bridge car park, just outside of Rydal village.
As you walk out of Pelter Bridge car park, turn left and walk up the road for few minutes. You will know you are on the right track as you will see a sign for ‘Cote How’ cottage. Walk past this sign and follow the road around the corner.
Once round the corner, you will soon see a lone stone farm house on the left. Come off the road now by taking the obvious path towards the field behind this house (see photo below).
This is the start to your Loughrigg Fell to Rydal Caves walk!
POINT 2
Continue for a minute or so to follow the obvious field footpath up the hill. You will then come to a wooden gate to pass through.
It’s after this gate that the path becomes slightly steeper in the next field, so you may want to take more time.
POINT 3
This slightly steeper path is now trailing the edge of a field and has a stone wall on your right.
Make sure you keep looking right over the stone wall, as you will now begin to see glimpses of Rydal Water lake through the trees!
Marking the end of this rather uphill section is a wooden fence stile to cross. It’s much flatter from here for a while!
POINT 4
As you pass the wooden fence stile, you will walk straight across vast open grassland. The path across is very well-trodden and easy to follow.
Look back for some epic views of Rydal Water, and from here on out, expect the company of a sheep or two!
Follow this section on open grassland for approximately 10 to 15 minutes.
POINT 5
There will be a point where the footpath will dwindle and there will be hills in front of you. Here, bear right and begin to make your ascent up the hill on the right-hand side, not the ones in front of you.
This is where you may wish to follow the guidance of Outdooractive App prompting when following our planned “Loughrigg Fell to Rydal Caves walk from Pelter Bridge car park” route!
POINT 6
After a relatively quick ascent uphill, you will finally reach the hidden hilltop lake on your right-hand side!
Spend some time basking at this wonderful hidden gem deep in the peace and quiet of the Lake District countryside!
POINT 7
Optional: A quick diversion to see distant Lake Windermere. Pass the hidden hilltop lake and head forward a few minutes over the mini hills for Lake Windermere views!
After this, turn yourself back round to the hilltop lake, this time passing by the now left-hand side of the the hilltop lake.
POINT 8
You will now be walking slightly uphill and in the direction of Loughrigg Fell summit, now just under 5 to 10 minutes away!
Heading up to Loughrigg Fell summit is the steepest section so far, however is easily conquered in just a few minutes. Look out for the iconic stone structure marking the summit location!
POINT 9
Reaching Loughrigg Fell summit, you will be spoilt for choice with incredible views – from Loughrigg Tarn in front of you, Grasmere Lake to the right-hand side and Lake Windermere behind you!
Be prepared for it to be very windy at the summit!
POINT 10
When you’re ready, turn straight around and follow the left-hand footpath down to begin your descent round to Rydal Caves.
The majority of the path is again a well-trodden trail on a gradual descent down, with Rydal Water now in clear view!
However, mid-way between Loughrigg Fell summit and Rydal Water, you will arrive at a short but very steep section to walk down. Make your way down very carefully and slowly as it is full of uneven medium-sized rocks.
After this, the gradient begins to ease as we reach lower ground, but still watch your footing and look out for rocks underfoot.
POINT 11
Nearing the bottom, you will see the back of Rydal Cave mounding up from the ground, facing Rydal Water. Follow the footpath round to the left-hand side and begin to see Rydal Caves be revealed!
Spend time to venture into the enchanting Rydal Caves by the quaint stepping stones!
POINT 12
From here, the trail back to Pelter Bridge car park from Rydal Caves is very straightforward and only takes approximately 10 to 15 minutes.
Walk down the obvious woodland path heading away from Rydal Caves. After 5 minutes, you will finally link onto the main footpath on the edge of Rydal Water. Follow the path and skirt the scenic Rydal water for approximately 5 more minutes.
You will then reach a single wooden gate leading you through to another woodland path. Pass through the gate and continue on the path.
Continue to follow this path for another 5 minutes, and you will arrive straight back at Pelter Bridge car park (passing the farm house from the start!)
Psst! If you wanted to do the Rydal Caves walk from Pelter Bridge without climbing to Loughrigg Fell, simply follow Points 11-12 in reverse! This Rydal Caves walk directly from Pelter Bridge car park will only take 10 to 15 minutes on foot!
PARKING FOR THE LOUGHRIGG FELL TO RYDAL CAVES WALK
The best parking location for the Loughrigg Fell to Rydal Caves walk is Pelter Bridge car park, a “Pay and Display” car park located just outside of Rydal village down a short country road.
Pelter Bridge car park is a small circular shape which can hold approximately 20-25 cars maximum, so unsurprisingly Pelter Bridge car park gets full very quickly!
To make sure you bag a space, come here early to beat the crowds, especially in peak times of school holidays & weekends.
HOW MUCH IS IT TO PARK AT PELTER BRIDGE?
Pelter Bridge car park is open 9am-6pm daily, with prices starting at £3.50 for 2 hours, £6 for up to 4 hours and £8 for up to 9 hours. The parking meter accepts both cash and card payments.
LOUGHRIGG FELL WALK PACKING LIST
IN THE WARMER MONTHS
- Loose comfortable clothing. T-shirts, thin activewear leggings / shorts.
- Refillable water bottle!
- Comfortable hiking shoes with good grip and ankle support.
- High factor sun cream.
- Additional sun protective clothing, including a sun cap and sunglasses.
IN THE COLDER MONTHS
- Lightweight day jacket, we love our Regatta jacket!
- Lots of layers of loose clothing to take off / keep on dependant on how cold it is. We would recommend full-length leggings, t-shirts, fleece layer, thick socks, gloves, scarf, bobble hat, etc.
- Refillable water bottle!
- Comfortable hiking shoes with good grip and ankle support.
- A spare pair of normal shoes to change into before you get back in the car! It is likely your boots will get a bit muddy here especially in the Winter months.
WHERE TO STAY IN THE LAKE DISTRICT
⭐ Lodore Falls Hotel & Spa (2 people, premium)
⭐ The Mary Mount Hotel (2 people, premium)
⭐ Lyzzick Hall Hotel (2 people, mid-range)
⭐ Tarn Rigg Cottage (holiday home, 4 people)
LOUGHRIGG FELL TO RYDAL CAVES WALK:
“KNOW BEFORE YOU GO” FAQ’S
WHY SHOULD YOU VISIT LOUGHRIGG FELL & RYDAL CAVES?
Loughrigg Fell (pronounced “luff-rigg”) is a hill located in the central Lake District, and is an incredibly popular Lake District walk due to its amazing views of Rydal Water, Lake Grasmere and distant Lake Windermere at the summit.
It is a great choice for walkers of all levels, as it is a moderate walk with maximum rewards!
Rydal Caves also mustn’t be missed as they are a wondrous landmark, a lsrge cave snuggled within the hills and facing the idyllic Rydal Water.
Step across its iconic stepping stones to explore further inside the caves!
HOW DO I GET TO LOUGHRIGG FELL SUMMIT & RYDAL CAVES?
The Loughrigg Fell summit is atop the Loughrigg Fell hill with (obviously) no vehicular access. The only way to reach it is by walking up the Loughrigg Fell hill.
Rydal Caves are much easier to get to, you can walk directly to Rydal Caves in 15 minutes from the car park in Rydal village.
The step-by-step guide above combines the two in one easy circular route to both Loughrigg Fell summit and Rydal Caves, starting at Rydal village.
IS LOUGHRIGG FELL EASY TO WALK?
The summit height of Loughrigg Fell reaches just 335m at its tallest point, making it one of the easiest fell walks in the Lake District.
The gradient up is predominantly gradual, and there are no sketchy “scrambles” up sheer rock faces like some other Lake District walks!
If you are of a moderate fitness level, this is a great Lake District walk for beginners to complete, rewarding you with brilliant summit views and plenty of things to see along the way!
WHAT IS A FELL?
You will hear the term “Fell” used all across the Lake District, England. A “fell” describes a tall landscape feature, such as a large hill or mountain, usually distinguished when the ground is higher than the common tree line.
Loughrigg Fell is one of the smaller and Fell summits, with its highest elevation reaching 335m from sea level.
WHAT ARE RYDAL CAVES?
Rydal Caves is a large man-made cave, created way back in the 19th century when it was excavated for its high-quality slate, a famous token of the Lake District.
It was one of many working slate quarries at the time, (originally called “Loughrigg Quarry”!), however since then all other quarries have fallen and Rydal Caves is now all that remains!
The slate excavated from Rydal Caves has been used as roofing slate to the towns and villages all across the Lake District!
WHERE ARE RYDAL CAVES?
Rydal Caves are situated in a really scenic lakeland spot, just off the South edge of Rydal Water. There are multiple footpaths (from Rydal village or Ambleside town) that make it possible to walk to Rydal Caves at varying distances, however the shortest walk to Rydal Caves is from Pelter Bridge car park (15 minutes).
IS IT FREE TO VISIT RYDAL CAVES?
Yes! It is completely free to visit Rydal Caves. It is not part of a tourist attraction or anything like that – it’s just sat for all to see against the idyllic Rydal Lake.
There are no time restrictions either, open 24 hours a day, so you can visit Rydal Caves whenever you want!
This blog post was written by Jordie Flain!
Founder of TheFlainsTravel.com
A travel-obsessed Sagittarius creating honest, easy-to-follow guides. Powered by tea, chocolate and a slightly concerning amount of tomato ketchup.
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