Rydal Water

Rydal Water is a small lake in the central Lake District, near the hamlet of Rydal between Grasmere and Ambleside. It lies in the Rothay Valley, fed and drained by the river Rothay which flows from Grasmere towards Windermere. The lake is about 1.18 kilometres long and 350 metres wide at its broadest point. Its deepest point reaches 17 metres and the water surface sits 54 metres above sea level. The southern half belongs to the National Trust, while the northern half is part of Rydal Hall’s estate. Navigation is allowed only for residents of Rydal Hall. The lake is surrounded by walking routes that lead to several literary landmarks. A path circles the water, passing Dove Cottage and Rydal Mount, both former homes of William Wordsworth. Rydal Cave, a former quarry, can also be reached on foot. At the western end, steps climb to Wordsworth’s Seat, a viewpoint he favoured. White Moss House at the northern end was the only house Wordsworth ever bought, purchased for his son Willie and lived in by the family until the 1930s. Nab Cottage overlooks the lake and once housed Thomas de Quincey and Hartley Coleridge, son of Samuel Taylor Coleridge. Close by stands Rydal Hall, an historic building with views across the water. The name Rydal comes from Old English and Old Norse words meaning ‘the valley where rye is grown’. The lake was formerly called Routhmere, meaning ‘the lake of the Rothay’. An 1838 engraving by George Pickering and a poem by Letitia Elizabeth Landon celebrate the scene in art and literature.