Grasmere

Why base here

Grasmere is the village where William Wordsworth and his sister Dorothy moved in December 1799, taking Dove Cottage on the edge of the village for £5 a year; they stayed until May 1808, and the Wordsworth Trust has kept the cottage open to the public since July 1891. The hills are the other reason. Helm Crag closes the valley a mile to the north-west, and Loughrigg Fell sits between Grasmere and Rydal Water. It is a smaller place than Ambleside, with fewer shops and a quieter evening, and the better base for anyone who would rather start a hill from the village street than from a town.

On foot versus by car

Helm Crag starts in the village itself, on Easedale Road near the youth hostel, so no car is needed for it. Loughrigg Fell does not: its easiest route starts from White Moss Common car park on the A591, around 2.7km south of the village centre by straight line, which is a short drive or a longer walk beside Rydal Water. The Langdale Pikes start from New Dungeon Ghyll in Great Langdale and need a car or a change of bus in Ambleside. The Fairfield Horseshoe is an eight-top ridge circuit that starts and ends at the Rydal Road car park in Ambleside rather than here.

Practicalities

Windermere is the nearest railway station, and the village is reached from it by the Stagecoach 555 Lakeslink, which runs Lancaster, Kendal, Windermere, Ambleside, Grasmere and Keswick, and the 599, which runs Kendal, Windermere, Bowness, Ambleside and Grasmere. Historic Houses lists both as running direct to Grasmere year-round, with a stop metres from Dove Cottage. By car, the A591 passes straight through; the National Park Authority’s Stock Lane car park is the most convenient for the village and Dove Cottage and takes payment between 8am and 8pm every day. Check current charges and payment methods with the operator before you travel.