Parking
Start at Broadgate Meadow Car Park in Grasmere (LA22 9TA). Stock Lane Car Park has toilets; the A591 lay-by is an alternative access. These are alternate starts, not part of the stored route.
Overview
About Grasmere Riverside
Why go
- Level riverside path with bridges and birdlife
- Wordsworth's grave adds a clear historic finish
Heads up
- Very short if you want a substantial hike
- Short road sections and a marked tricky surface
A short low-level walk that strings together river, bridges and village in one loop, with the churchyard and Wordsworth's grave as the obvious highlight. Good if you want scenery and a bit of literary history without a long day out.
Parkwolf’s verdictThe payoffMap & elevation
The route
Loading the Lake District map
Full mapElevation68–79 m
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Best time to go
Safety
8 active Lake District alerts
- ClosureChapel Stile footpath closed for retaining-wall riskPart of Footpath 543030 between Chapel Stile and Baysbrown campsite is closed because a retaining wall beside the path could collapse and material it supports could fall across the footpath.Official details
- ClosureStanley Ghyll Lower Falls footpath closed for rockfallThe section of Footpath 408037 leading towards Stanley Ghyll Lower Falls is closed because severe rockfall damage has made the path unstable and further rockfall remains a danger.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Lake District Tour Guide
Your drive to Grasmere Riverside, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Lake District National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
Recorded for this trailhead
Grasmere: Riverside, Gingerbread and Lake0:00 / 1:20
“You're nearing Grasmere village, where you can combine a walk beside the River Rothay with a stop for the local gingerbread.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Lake District Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Easedale Tarn: Waterfalls from Grasmere
- Wordsworth Grasmere: Inside Dove Cottage
- Mill Bridge: Seat Sandal and the Grasmere View
- Rydal Water and Cave from White Moss
- 298 audio storiesacross Lake District’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Red Deer, Eurasian Otter, Osprey, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 265 trails, 89 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Trail guide
Hiking Grasmere Riverside
What this isThe Broadgate Meadow circular version of official Miles without Stiles Route 10 in the Lake…
The Broadgate Meadow circular version of official Miles without Stiles Route 10 in the Lake District National Park. It is a circular loop, and the official figure of 1.75 km / 1.09 miles covers the complete circuit, not a there-and-back leg. Official duration is 1 hour, which is a gentle strolling pace with stops.
The sequenceStart at Broadgate Meadow Car Park and cross the footbridge by the route board.
Start at Broadgate Meadow Car Park and cross the footbridge by the route board. Follow the River Rothay, cross another bridge, and carry on to the Millennium Bridge. From there the route joins the village road, passing the gingerbread shop, then enters St Oswald's churchyard through the lych-gate to reach William Wordsworth's grave. Retrace to the starting area by either the riverside or the village.
Difficulty, surface and accessLow-level and designated for all users.
Low-level and designated for all users. Surfaces are mostly level paved or fine gravel, with short sections on village roads. The official map marks recurring road crossings and one tricky-surface point, so take those slowly and keep an eye out if you are pushing a chair or buggy.
Wildlife and dogsAlong the river, look for ducks, dippers, wagtails and kingfishers.
Along the river, look for ducks, dippers, wagtails and kingfishers. Dogs are allowed on a leash, which is sensible anyway given the road crossings.
Parking and starting pointsBroadgate Meadow Car Park is the natural start.
Broadgate Meadow Car Park is the natural start. Stock Lane Car Park has toilets if you need them first. The A591 lay-by works as an alternative start.
Want something longerThe separate Grasmere Lake Circular is about 6.0 km / 3.
The separate Grasmere Lake Circular is about 6.0 km / 3.7 miles and gives you a fuller lakeshore walk. Do this loop for a relaxed hour, that one for a fuller lakeshore outing.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Lake District
81 sightingsRed DeerMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
13 sightingsEurasian OtterMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
76 sightingsOspreyMost seen around 8 AMSighting map
51 sightingsEuropean BadgerMost seen around 8 PMSighting map
233 sightingsMute SwanMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
176 sightingsGrey HeronMost seen around 7 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Lake District. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
