Exploring Cumbria's Two Langdales
Drive Through Two of the Lake District’s (almost) Lake-free Valleys
Jun 12, 2008
Grasmere
From the bustling tourist centre of Ambleside, the A591 road leads north past the small lakes of Rydal Water and Grasmere. On the way, one can make short detours to visit Rydal Mount and Dove Cottage, where William Wordsworth spent most of his life and wrote the bulk of his poetry.
A side road leads into the beautiful, slate-built Grasmere village, where the purchase of a packet of Grasmere gingerbread would be worth considering. In addition, the studio of artist, the late W Heaton Cooper is well worth a visit to admire some of the most evocative paintings to capture the spirit of the lakes and mountains of Cumbria.
Great Langdale
The narrow road running west out of Grasmere follows the lake shore, then twists up the steep Red Bank. Near the top, the right fork passes High Close beyond which the view opens out abruptly at the top of the pass. Ahead is the wild beauty of Great Langdale valley, dominated at the far end by some of the highest mountains in England, including the Crinkle Crags, Bowfell and the very distinctive Langdale Pikes.
On the journey down into Langdale, one can stop at a number of convenient roadside spaces to gaze at the view over Elterwater, the smallest and most contorted of the lakes, which lies at the very mouth of the valley. Also visible, though well camouflaged by trees, are the slate quarries from which the building materials of the surrounding towns and villages have been extracted.
At the bottom of the hill, the more direct road continues through the narrow confines of Walthwaite and Chapel Stile. It follows the contour above the valley floor, with wonderful views of the enclosing mountains and the craggy outcrops on which rock climbers frequently exercise their skills.
Nestling beneath the Langdale Pikes are the Old and New Dungeon Ghyll Hotels, separated by the Stickle Barn. At any of these hostelries, one can refresh oneself in a truly magnificent setting.
Little Langdale
Beyond the Old Dungeon Ghyll Hotel, the road swings south and rises steeply again to Blea Tarn and another justifiably famous view back toward the Langdale Pikes. It then sinks into Little Langdale, with its own tarn occupying the marshy valley floor.
Tarns
The Lake District contains fewer than twenty lakes, but well in excess of a hundred tarns. These tarns are small and generally situated at higher altitudes. Yet they have a quiet and often bleak beauty that is in stark contrast to that of the more illustrious lakes. The name 'tarn' is derived from the Viking 'tjorn', meaning 'teardrop' - an appropriate description of these often tiny pockets of water. The word 'Langdale' is also, like many other Cumbrian place names, of Viking origin.
At the next road junction, turn right and continue up the short hill, then turn left onto the A593 road, which leads to Skelwith Bridge. Here one can pause to look at the workshops where slate is fashioned. It is only a short walk farther along a footpath to the waterfall of Skelwith Force. The main road from Skelwith Bridge leads back into Ambleside.
For those travelling without a car, a bus service runs several times each day from Ambleside to the Old Dungeon Ghyll Hotel, returning by the same route.
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