How To Visit Rydal Cave, The Lake District

Last Updated on 4th March 2025 by Sophie Nadeau

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Despite its appearance, Rydal Cave is not a natural wonder but rather the traces of human quarrying that were created over 200 years ago, collecting slate for nearby homes. Today, this disused site makes for a beautiful walk through the Lake District where you can see nature reclaiming back the space. Here’s how to visit Rydal Cave!

Where is Rydal Cave?

Rydal Cave is a large cavern located on the north side of the slopes of Loughrigg Fell, above Rydal Water in the Lake District.

A brief history

In the 19th century, at the site of Rydal Cave, there were several busy working quarries which extracted ore and slate, using the natural resources for building homes in the local area. Rydal Cave, formerly known as Loughrigg Quarry, is the result of manmade activity that took place here over 200 years ago.

The path leading up to the caves was carved out to enable workers to more easily transport the slate mined from the quarry to the main road for transport.

However, after a time the quarry fell into disuse and was left abandoned for many years, with nature slowly taking back the space and forming a beautiful spot for walkers to explore. Stepping stones lead in to the cavern which is filled with water and if you spy closely, you’ll be able to see the small fish that now inhabit the cave.

Today, Rydal Cave, along with the other sights to see on the walk, make for one of the greatest free things to do in the Lake District!

How to get there

There are multiple walking routes to reach Rydal Cave, you can access it from Grasmere Village, Ambleside or most popularly, White Moss Car Park.

We ended up driving to White Moss Car Park. There are free toilets to use in the car park, and it’s also pay and display so be sure to purchase your ticket and display it in your car! I highly recommend paying for a little more time than you think you might need as the parking is monitored by cameras and they will charge a hefty fine if you overstay.

From White Moss Car Park the route is well signposted and will take you on a fairly flat path towards Rydal Water. Over the years the Lake District have been trying to make paths more accessible for people with limited mobility, which means there are many trails to explore easily.

Unfortunately, the walk up to Rydal Cave itself isn’t accessible for all, but Rydal Water can be easily reached via the flat path, where beautiful scenic views can be soaked up.

Once at Rydal Water, there are signs which will lead you along the waterfront before heading up to Rydal Cave, after this there’s pretty much no signage so just keep following upwards.

Along the way you’ll see a smaller cave known as Cathedral Cave, though it’s beautiful, don’t be fooled as Rydal Cave is still a little further up the slope, so you’ll need to keep walking to get there.

You’ll see an enchanting trail of stepping stones that lead into the darkness of a cavern, that’s how you’ll know you’ve reached the right cave. Rydal Cave is partially filled with water and if you look down closely, you may be able to see tiny fish swimming around.

In total, the walk is around 2 miles, so you might expect it to take just over 1 hour there and back depending on how many times you stop for photos and breaks.

Things to see on the walk to Rydal Cave

Rydal Water

Rydal Water is a small and serene lake that is one of the shallowest of the Lake District with a depth of just 55 ft (17m). It’s for this reason that, if you are brave enough to go wild swimming, Rydal Water is the perfect spot to try it out!

Not only is the lake easily accessible from the nearby path, but thanks to its shallow depth, Rydal Water is one of the first bodies of water in the area to get warm enough to swim in during the summer months.

Cathedral Cave

Cathedral Cave takes its name from the 40 ft high chamber that is reminiscent of a grand basilica. Also known as Cathedral Quarry, you’ll come across this small cave before reaching Rydal Cave, which is similar in that it is also part of the small network of inter-linked quarries that were once in use.

Grasmere Village

The walk from Grasmere Village to Rydal Cave is around 50 minutes one-way.

Grasmere is a quaint village of the Lake District that is most famously known as being the home to William Wordsworth, an English romantic poet, for over 14 years. Wordsworth once described the village as “the loveliest spot that man hath ever found.”

Just on the edge of the village is the humble Dove Cottage where Wordsworth lived from 1799-1808. The cottage is open to the public offering visitors the opportunity to step into another century and experience the very place so many poems have been penned.

The River Rothay gently runs through the heart of Grasmere and there’s a small pedestrian bridge you can walk over, as well as the beautiful 14th-century St Oswald’s Church.

The beloved Sarah Nelson’s Grasmere Gingerbread shop is tucked away behind the church. Sarah Nelson was a Victorian baker who sold her spicy-sweet, chewy delights to the local villagers from a tabletop on a tree stump outside her front door. Today, her established shop still sells her recipe and it has become a highlight of any visit to those who pass through the village.

Ambleside

The bustling town of Ambleside is another point from which you can walk to Rydal Cave, from here the journey on foot takes around 50 minutes one-way.

Ambleside is one of the most popular towns in the Lake District, a charming town that sits at the northern end of Windemere Lake, the largest body of water in the district.

Filled with traditional stone houses and cosy cafés, one of the most popular things to see in Ambleside is the National Trust owned property, Hill Top, Beatrix Potter’s House.

This hilltop home is a time capsule of the child author’s life where visitors can explore both the house and garden, which feels so untouched that it’s almost as if Beatrix Potter just popped out for a walk!

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