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Historic building
Bridge House
17th-century house built over Stock Beck in the middle of Ambleside, now owned by the National Trust.
A mini guide to
Ambleside & Grasmere: things to do
Places worth your time in Ambleside & Grasmere
Top places
Things to do in Ambleside & Grasmere
Landmarks, museums, parks and viewpoints in and around the area.
Waterfall
Stock Ghyll Force
Waterfall on Stock Ghyll, the stream that runs from Red Screes through Ambleside to the River Rothay.
Museum
Armitt Museum and Library
Museum, gallery and library on Rydal Road; its website features Beatrix Potter material.
Directions Website Report a problem with Armitt Museum and Library
Roman site
Ambleside Roman Fort
Remains of a Roman fort at Waterhead, dating from the 1st or 2nd century AD.
Lake pier
Waterhead
Bay a mile south of Ambleside where Windermere boats call, with boat hire and cafés.
Writer's house
Rydal Mount
Home of William Wordsworth from 1813 until his death in 1850, now a writer's house museum.
Garden
Dora's Field
Field beside Rydal church, named after Wordsworth's daughter and covered in daffodils in spring.
Lake
Rydal Water
Small lake between Ambleside and Grasmere, reachable by public transport and popular for gentle walks and swimming.
Quarry cave
Rydal Cave
Large cave formed by quarrying, reached by footpath from Rydal Water towards Loughrigg Terrace.
Fell path
Loughrigg Terrace
Path on Loughrigg Fell, a 335 metre fell with wide views over the central Lake District.
Writer's house
Dove Cottage
Home of William and Dorothy Wordsworth from 1799 to 1808, now part of the Wordsworth museum.
Church
St Oswald's Church
Grade I listed church in Grasmere where Wordsworth and his family are buried.
Shop
Grasmere Gingerbread
Gingerbread shop beside St Oswald's churchyard; the National Park Authority highlights Grasmere gingerbread as a village treat.
Directions Website Report a problem with Grasmere Gingerbread
Historic house
Allan Bank
Villa above Grasmere that was Wordsworth's home from 1808 to 1811, now owned by the National Trust.
Lake
Grasmere
Lake with no motor boats, suited to rowing and swimming; boats can be hired in summer.
The Lake District
More areas to explore
16 sights · 16 places to eat
Keswick & Derwentwater
A market town on the shore of Derwentwater, with a stone circle, a theatre and fells on every side
Open the mini guide →
15 sights · 12 places to eat
Ullswater & Pooley Bridge
A long lake with steamers, a waterfall and Helvellyn behind Glenridding
Open the mini guide →
15 sights · 9 places to eat
Coniston & Hawkshead
Ruskin, Beatrix Potter and a boat on Coniston Water, between two small villages
Open the mini guide →Photo credits
- Ambleside & Grasmere (area photo): Bill Boaden, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Bridge House: Oscar Taylor, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Stock Ghyll Force: Christine Matthews, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Ambleside Roman Fort: Bill Boaden, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Waterhead: James Harrison, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Rydal Mount: RachelRodgers, CC BY 3.0, source
- Dora's Field: Jennifer Petrie, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Rydal Water: Anthony Foster, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Rydal Cave: Oscar Taylor, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Loughrigg Terrace: Ian Greig, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Dove Cottage: Sourav Niyogi, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- St Oswald's Church: Brian Clift, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Grasmere Gingerbread: Lewis Clarke, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Allan Bank: Humphrey Bolton, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Grasmere: Gareth James, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Keswick & Derwentwater: Antiquary, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Ullswater & Pooley Bridge: Steve Daniels, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Coniston & Hawkshead: Martin Jeffries, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Wasdale & Eskdale: John260660, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Windermere & Bowness: Anthony Foster, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
Photos from Wikimedia Commons, used under the licences shown. All photo credits
Keep exploring the Lake District