Rydal Water and Rydal Cave

The Lake District is famous for many things. One of the less popular of these is the infamous Lakeland weather - rain one minute, bright sunshine the next. Well I was hoping that on our mini honeymoon the weather would be kind, but alas on this recent October excursion, it was the rain that dominated.

With this in mind and the newly purchased "Lake District Wet Weather Walks" by Christopher Mitchell wrapped in a waterproof package under arm, we headed out for a walk around Rydal Water, instead of the planned Central Fells. The guidebook we were using is extremely informative and points out all manner of flora, fauna, minerals and rocks that you pass as you walk. This proved to be a wise decision, as the weather went from a slight drizzle to a constant downpour that soaked right through my recently re-waterproofed jacket, hmmm....

Setting off from White Moss Common car park, the walk started off alongside the turbulent river Rothay, before crossing a large footbridge.

We then entered woodland - first bonus of the wet weather walk guidebook has been noted - and walked among the large trees until we reached a gate that lead us onto the lower slopes of Loughrigg Fell.

The guidebook we were using is extremely informative and points out all manner of flora, fauna, minerals and rocks that you pass as you walk.

This led us to one of the highlights as we approached Rydal Cave. This huge quarry hole is very impressive, with pool and stepping stones inside, or indoors if you prefer. After a brief exploration, the  next surprise was just down the path as we came across a further quarry. It's always amazing to discover how so much of the countryside that looks as natural as can be is the result of man's use of the land.

With the rain coming down harder and harder, at this point we stopped following the guidebook, not wanting to take it out of its waterproof home. We headed downhill until we reached the water's edge. Despite the poor conditions the views of the lake and surrounding fells still had that mesmerising effect.

We faced a small challenge walking back along the waterside when a short section of the path was most definitely underwater, so a short muddy scramble was required.

From here it was a simple route back until we rejoined our path at the woods before crossing the Rothay once again. This was a very pleasant scenic route that meant although the weather didn't exactly encourage taking to the outdoors, we managed a great low level walk. Glad to get back to the car though at the end of it!