A great place to sit and enjoy the ambiance with an excellent coffee and an exquisite cake.
Graham’s Guidelines
* Rating (1 to 5)
Coffee
4*
Food
5*
Conversation
3*
People Watching
5*
Grasmere has several excellent cafes and is, thankfully, devoid of corporate establishments.
Mathilde’s is on the same site, and shares the building with the Heaton Cooper Studio which is itself a Lake District icon. It also has the advantage of being on the route for several great walks from Grasmere. It’s right next to Easedale Road which is on the route of both the Helm Crag and the Sourmilk Gill/Easedale Tarn routes.
The decor of the cafe is heavily influenced by the Heaton Cooper artwork with prints on the wall, in the colour pallet of the furniture and even in the print on the light shades.
There’s a good seating area outside, but my favourite seat is right next to a large window with a view across the fells towards Stone Arthur and Rydal Fell.
Mathilde’s is named after the Norwegian wife of Alfred Heaton Cooper the patriarch of the artistic Heaton Cooper dynasty. Mathilde’s Scandinavian roots are also reflected in the menu at the cafe – here can’t be many places in the Lake District that offer smoked trout with the brunch menu. They do also serve Cumberland sausages and bacon.
The cakes at Mathilde’s are exquisite and just right for an end of walk celebration. This isn’t the place for giant slabs of cake, but is the place to possibly experience something a little different.
The coffee is good, serving Carvetii which is roasted in Threlkeld outside Keswick to the north.
Mathilde’s is an excellent place for people watching, particularly if you convince the people you are with to let you have a seat overlooking Moss Parrock, the small square opposite the cafe. Grasmere is a wonderfully eclectic mix of people on most days.
There are the walks, like myself, who are only passing through the village or stopping for a short refreshment break. Many of the walkers are families with plenty of children being chivied along by parents, promising a cafe stop on their return from whichever route that has been chosen.
The village is also a regular on the coach tours frequented by an older clientele. Last time I was sat at Mathilde’s there was a moment when everyone outside appeared to be walking slowly. It was only on closer inspection I realised that it was a squadron of zimmer frames making their way to somewhere in formation.
Grasmere, mainly because of its Wordsworth connections, is also a favourite of groups from more eastern countries. When I see the volume of photographs being taken I do feel sorry for the friends who will have to look through them on their return.
There are many cycling routes that pass through Grasmere making it a favourite of the lycra-clad-two-wheel-gangs.
The area also has a reputation as a great place for a romantic get-away, last time I was in Mathilde’s there was a couple for whom that was the case, although, from the conversation all was not going quite to plan.
Mathilde’s is definitely worth sitting a while.
I’ve marked this one a 3* for conversation, but that’s only because I was in there on my own. Although, having said that, I do quite like talking to myself.
Mathilde’s Cafe, Heaton Cooper Studio, Grasmere, Ambleside LA22 9SX
Areas of the Lake District are famous for different things. The names of the romantic poets, William Wordsworth, Dorothy Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge are synonymous with Grasmere and Rydal. Sister and brother, Dorothy and William lived in several houses in the area including Allan Bank and Dove Cottage (both houses open to the public) and were regularly visited by other poets. William is famous for several poems including: I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud, To the skylark, and The sun has long been set. Dorothy is primarily remembered for her journals which give a fascinating insight into their life and are themselves poetic.
Dorothy, William, and his wife Mary are all buried at St Oswold’s church in the centre of the village. This medieval building occupies land that has housed places of worship since the seventh century.
Next to the entrance to St. Oswold’s you will find the much loved home of Grasmere Gingerbread. The gingerbread is a glorious unique confection, it’s not really a bread having a consistency which is a bit like a cross between a cake and a biscuit, it is delicious. There is regularly a queue stretching down the street, don’t let that put you off, the shop is very small inside.
This walk takes you past the Heaton Cooper Studios where you can view, and purchase, artwork from the famous Heaton Cooper family. The gallery was established by William Heaton Cooper to sell his distinctive landscapes, the cafe Mathilde’s is named after his mother. The distinctive Heaton Cooper style and colouring is most evident in the landscape in the autumn.
The name Grasmere probably means what is says “gras” coming from “gras” the Norse word for “grass” and “mere”; a “mere” being a type of lake. There is some speculation that “gras” could also refer to “grys” which is a young pig, but that feels like overcomplicating something with a more obvious answer.
The Walk
We are starting this walk from the Red Bank Car Park in Grasmere. It’s a smallish car park, but nicely hidden away making it less busy than the main car parks.
There is some uphill to this climb, but there isn’t any climbing, the most complicated part is negotiating the stepping stones around the bog on the way down.
From the car park head down Langdale Road, which is almost opposite the entrance. This will take you past Tweedie and onto Broadgate. Continue past the Heaton Cooper Studio and the left onto Easedale Road.
Just before Easedale Road you will see two of Graham’s Cafes; as part of the Heaton Cooper Studio is Mathilde’s Cafe, on the other side of the road is Lucia’s Coffee and Bakehouse. Both are great places to start and finish a walk, Lucia’s is particularly good for a packed lunch, Mathilde’s is more of a cozy wet winter lunch kind of place. I should note here though that the route that we are going to follow doesn’t come back into the village centre, but it’s only a short diversion to find your way back here.
Returning to our walk, follow Easedale Road until you reach Glenthorne Quaker Center and Guest House where you’ll notice a gate on the right which will take you off the road onto a path running parallel to it up to Goody Bridge.
A short way beyond Goody Bridge the road takes a right-hand turn and there’s a path going straight on over a footbridge.
The footbridge will take you onto a cobbled bridleway which will be your guide all the way to the tarn passing the waterfall of Sourmilk Gill as you go. If you are wondering why it is called Sourmilk Gill it’s likely down to the white frothy appearance of the water as it tumbles over the falls. At the main falls there’s a short path off to the right which takes you to the clear pool at the base and for much of the year you can use the large rocks in the beck as stepping stones. The waterfall pool can be a popular place for a dip in the summer, but the real wild swimmers tend to go in at the tarn. If you are planning a swim it’s worth noting that the tarn is at altitude and quite sheltered making it significantly colder than many other swimming spots nearby.
Continue up beyond the waterfalls to the tarn which has been a popular tourist destination for a very long time. As early as the 1870’s there was a hut alongside the tarn at about the point where you get the first views of the tarn from the path which served “a humble style of refreshments”. The hut continued its service into the 1930’s, but later fell into disrepair. Wainwright sketched its presence and noted “with every passing year the hut loses a few more stones and slates (and gains more autographs)”; its location is barely noticeable as you travel along our route today.
This is a walk of two halves, on the way up you are likely to be alongside quite a few other walker as they too travel this popular path, there will also be plenty of people using the same route to retrace their steps back to Grasmere. We will venture off this main path for our route down and it will feel like a completely different walk with very few fellow travellers and glorious secluded valley views.
We are only going as far as the tarn for this walk, you can use this same route to venture into the surrounding mountains, but I’ll cover those in other walks.
Our route down starts where the beck flows out of the tarn. There are several large stones allowing you to cross the stream onto a path running alongside the other bank. This path follows the stream for a little while and then skirts around a more boggy area. There’s no need to walk in the bog though as the path comprises a set of large flat-topped boulders. The boulders are quite well spaced, but you do have to watch your step.
The only slightly complicated navigation of this walk is just beyond the stepping stones section. It will feel like the natural way down should be to track to the right down the valley along the wall facing you. Thankfully someone has helpfully put a large “GRASMERE” with an arrow underneath it showing the correct direction, which is to the left away from Grasmere for a short while. As you head down you will come to footbridge across the beck, alongside Stythwaite Steps (“thwaite” is another Lake District word of Norse origin meaning clearing.)
The path from here meanders alongside the beck all the way back to Easedale Road. You’ll recognise where you are once to get to the footbridge where you left for Sourmilk Gill.
Rejoin the path alongside Easedale Road just beyond Goody Bridge, but instead of rejoining the road a little further along, continue on this path around the back of Glenthorne and into the grounds of Allan Bank. Follow the lane from Allan Bank until it meets the junction of Broadgate and Langdale Road. Head down Langdale Road to the car park.
Alternatives and Variations
Most of the alternatives and variations to this walk lead on to other walks. The first part of this walk is the same as a popular route up Helm Crag which I’ll cover as part of another guide, likewise for Tarn Crag. If you carry on beyond the tarn you are soon on your way up High Raise.
You can do a circular route around the back of the tarn as a bit of an extension, I’ve only done it once, it was wet and boggy but did give some wonderful views.
Any car park in Grasmere could be the start of this walk, you’ll just have to find your way to Easedale Road, and then back again.
Easedale Tarn (spot the swimmer)Easedale Tarn in the WinterThe Path through EasedaleSourmilk GillSourmilk GillFrom the base of Sourmilk GillThrough Easdale, with Sourmilk Gill in the distanceThe start of Easdale Road (opposite) taken from Lucia’s
We start this walk from the Pelter Bridge Car Park at the southern/easterly end of Rydal Water near to the village. Pelter Bridge is one of the Lake Districts smaller places to leave your vehicle and can often be full. As an alternative I’ve included instructions when starting from either White Moss Carp Park or Rydal Water Car Park. These car parks are bigger but can also get full.
My walking guides tend not to take you step-by-step through your journey, I prefer to give you an outline of where to go, then make the mapping information available. If you just have the words below I can’t guarantee that I haven’t missed something important.
The first part of this walk takes us along the former quarry tracks up to Rydal Cave. Simply head up the road that you’ve just driven on to get to the car park and carry on once you get to the gate at the end. Just after the gate you’ll get your first view across Rydal Water (the header image). You may, at this point, start to feel something poetic building inside you, if you do you wouldn’t be the first. The village of Rydal was the favourite home of the acclaimed poet William Wordsworth, his family, and his sister Dorothy, who deserves far more acclaim than she receives.
Dorothy Wordsworth’s Journals, many written in Rydal and Grasmere, are wonderfully poetic:
After tea we rowed down to Loughrigg Fell, visited the white foxglove, gathered wild strawberries, and walked up to view Rydale. We lay a long time looking at the lake; the shores all dim with the scorching sun. The ferns were turning yellow, that is, here and there one was quite turned. We walked round by Benson’s wood home. The lake was now most still, and reflected the beautiful yellow and blue and purple and grey colours of the sky.
Dorothy Wordsworth
(I don’t know when Rydale became Rydal, other than to note it was at some point after the early 1800s which is when Dorothy was writing.)
You’ll see from this vantage point that there is a path running alongside the lake, we are coming back that way, for now we are going to head up to Rydal Caves keeping left on the higher path.
There is one very famous cave directly on this route which you can go into with ease, but before that there are a few smaller caves which are more challenging to get into. One of the smaller caves used to have a drum kit inside it which sounded amazing. It’s been a while since I’ve been in that cave, as it now requires a rope to get in, so can’t confirm whether the drum kit is still there.
These caves are the result of slate mining and as you work your way along this lane and into the vast cathedral space it is worth remembering that this was a place of noisy, dusty, dangerous toil.
The Lake District is littered with various mines and quarries, the area wouldn’t be the same without them. This is a land shaped by people.
Having stepped inside the large cave and taken in the view and the acoustics, it’s time to carry on along the side of Rydal Water towards Grasmere. I love the views of Nab Scar towering over the diminutive Rydal Water from this elevated position.
As you near the end of Rydal Water there is a fork in the path where you should continue to take the higher option. This path will take you around the corner onto Loughrigg Terrace with elevated views across Grasmere including Helm Crag (also known as the Lion and the Lamb) and Dunmail Riase (remembering the last king of Cumbria who is reportedly buried below the cairn near to the top).
Carry on along Loughrigg Terrace to the end and into the woods. You need to go through one gate at the end of the path and then a slight right through another gate into Red Bank Wood. This is a gentle walk through established trees marking the seasons by their attire.
Eventually you’ll reach a cottage next to the road between Grasmere and Loughrigg Tarn. At the entrance to the driveway for the cottage there is a path to the right which cuts back through the woods heading downhill and on to the lakeside path below Loughrigg Terrace. The beach here is a great place for a swim but can get a bit crowded.
On leaving the beach you’ll come to a wooden footbridge across the stream. You have a choice here, the route I’ve provided takes you along the southern edge of the stream this path can be flooded when the river is high, but rarely. It can also be a bit uneven. If you prefer something a bit more even, you can cross the bridge take a right hand turn on the other side and follow the path along the other side of the river. Both paths meet at a metal bridge.
The metal bridge is where you’d join the route if you’ve parked at either White Moss or Rydal Water car parks.
From the metal bridge head through the woods up the hill until you reach a gate. Through the gate turn left and along the path by the wall. You should be able to see Rydal Water ahead of you. Walk along this path all the way to the other end of the lake. There are several places to swim along this part of the route, it’s also a great place to practice your skimming, there are plenty of flat stones available.
As you near the end of the lake you’ll notice the gate that you came through on your way to the cave higher up on your right. We are going to go through the lower gate. This route takes you through some more woods and along the river where you’ll get views of the boathouse which is a classic Lake District photo opportunity. Soon you’ll come to a footbridge, don’t go over the bridge but head right and up the hill through some woods and onto the car park road. You’ll reach the car park road via a small gate; the car park is down the hill to your left.
There are several variations to this walk:
As hinted a couple of times you can start this route from White Moss Carp Park or Rydal Water Car Park. There are a few reasons why you may choose to do this, the first being parking. The second is access to a toilet which can be found in the woods between White Moss and Rydal Water car parks. The third reason being access to refreshments; there is normally a pop-up coffee van by the side of the stream near to the toilets.
You can extend the walk a bit near the end. Instead of turning right up onto the car park road you can turn left across the footbridge, from there you can cross the road into the village. In the village there are several places of interest.
Almost directly opposite the exit from the footbridge is Dora’s Field which is full of daffodils in the spring. The daffodils were planted as a memorial to one of the Wordsworth’s daughters who died aged 43 of tuberculosis. Dora’s Field has a gate into the church grounds, both the grounds and the church are lovely with even more Wordsworth associations. Up the hill from the church is Rydal Mount where the Wordsworth family lived for a while.
As you go up the hill, before Rydal Mount there is an entrance to the ground of Rydal Hall. The hall is a Christian retreat, but the grounds are open to the public where there are several walks and gardens to explore. Within the ground is one of the Lake District’s most photographed waterfalls with The Grot alongside it. The Grot is a great place to spend some time in quiet. Swimming is not permitted in the waterfall.
Within the grounds of Rydal Hall is the Old School Room Tea Shop which we’ve visited several times and always had great food, but haven’t visited for a while and hence it’s not currently included in Graham’s Cafes.
Another option on this walk is to follow the Coffin Trail along the other shore back to your car, I’m going to cover that route as a whole new guide.
The view across Rydal Water towards GrasmereInside the caveThe view from the start of Loughrigg Terrace towards Grasmere VillageThe view across Grasmere towards Dunmail RaiseA frozen Rydal Water towards Nab ScarThe Daffodils of Dora’s Field
Graham Chastney 