Rydal Caves
Rydal Caves - Ambleside
Date of visit - 17/09/2024
We decided to don our walking boots and head back to attempt the walk to Rydal Caves, near Ambleside. We had been through this way, two days before, but both of the main car parks for the walk were full. We managed to get into the Pelter Bridge car park on this occasion. The car park is a very rough surface and could be an problem for those with mobility issues - also to note, there is only one disabled parking space in the car park, but then there are only spaces for 15 cars.
As per most of the other car parks I have found in this area, there is an expectation for blue badge holders to pay for their parking, although there is often a dispensation for allowing extra time "free".
Leaving the car park, and walking away from the bridge, the lower section of the walk is on tarmac road. This road isn't a main thoroughfare, but used as access for the small collection of houses you will pass on the way up.
No vehicles passed us on either the up or down journey.
The path continues through a wide rough track, until you come through a gate, and to the views down to Rydal Water, the path starts to climb more noticeably upwards from here, and becomes quite rocky. We did witness a couple of people lose their footing and fall on this section, so be careful.
As we walked on we could see Rydal Water below, with a few hardy souls in the water. If we come back this way next year, we will definitely have to bring our costumes for a dip!
Continuing on uphill, we came to a cave, which didn't look like the pictures I had seen. The reason for this, was because it wasn't the cave we were heading for.
Rydal Caves are actually man-made, and a result of the slate quarry work that went on in the area, and the caves are a result of those works. Consequently there are several smaller caves.
As we went further uphill we came to a group of people, at the mouth of what was clearly THE cave!
It's cold...
Further up hill several small cascades of water had appeared in the hillside. We tried to get Little One to put his hands into the water, but he shied away and wasn't keen. It's quite funny, for a child who absolutely loves water he is sometimes a bit wary of touching it. He did eventually put his fingers into it, and then straight into his mouth! Another of his sensory things.
Now, the caves aren't drop dead wow, like some others, but the main cave is definitely worth the short, but slightly tiring uphill walk of about 35 minutes from the car park. It can, by all accounts, get very busy and getting a good picture without having interlopers in your shot is quite difficult. I guess if you can get here early doors or late afternoon/early evening, then the numbers will have reduced.
We were there midday on a weekday, in school term time, and there were still quite a few people around.
If you can make your way accross the stepping stones through the water you can get to a sort of beach area towards the back of the cave. The light here is a bit on the dark side, but the echo is great. Little One loved this area and didn't really want to leave.
After exploring around the beach area it was then time to make our way back across the stepping stones. The gaps are quite wide in places and I had to give Little One a helping hand at times, but apart from me getting a wet foot, we made it back safely.
The round walk is about one and a half hours, depending on mobility and speed. Little One managed to walk the whole way up, for the most part on his wrist strap, as there are a few drops to the sides of the path that we wouldn't have wanted him heading towards.
The way down can be a little difficult, as there are quite a few large loose stones to walk over, although in some places, as can be seen in the below video, travellers have gone slightly of the main path and flattened the ground alongside the actual path.
This route may be an easier option for those less able than a mountain goat.
On the day of our visit, we had a welcome surprise at the end of our walk, as an ice-cream van had turned up, a very welcome site for an ice-cream loving wife.
Here's another of those funny things - as a family we all like a '99 whippy ice-cream, save for Little One, as he doesn't like the cold ice cream. However, he LOVES a crunchy cone, so whenever I order our ice-creams I also ask, "could I have just a cone for Little One, as he doesn't do ice-cream". This often confuses the staff, particularly the younger ones, as they don't know how much to charge for an ice-cream, without ice-cream, as that's not on the till! Anyway, on this occasion it was a freebie...!
To sum up. This is a good walk, if you have the mobility, as the terrain clearly isn't suitable for any sort of wheels if you want to get right to the caves themselves, although you could make it to the section with the views to Rydal Water and the small path side cascades.
Parking can be very limited, specially at peak times, mid week visits are definitely the best option.
There are no toilet facilities at the car park, the nearest being back in Ambleside town. Allow yourself a couple of hours, for the walk and to take some pictures.
There are more walks that continue from the caves or from the car park, if going in the opposite direction to the caves, we just happened to chose the short, direct walk, which suited out party!