Grasmere, Cumbria – Village on the Cumbria Way

Valley Paths, Meadow Tracks, and the Lake District National Park

Grasmere is a village in the central Lake District on the Cumbria Way, set between Borrowdale and Ambleside within the Lake District National Park. The route passes directly through the village after descending from the higher fells to the north, linking open valley paths and riverside tracks with village streets before continuing across the valley floor toward Rydal.

Approaching from Borrowdale, the trail crosses the high ground of Greenup Edge or the Stake Pass area and descends through Easedale and surrounding valley paths toward the floor of the Grasmere valley. Walking here shifts from exposed fellside terrain to enclosed pasture, stone walls, and woodland, with the village appearing gradually ahead.

The Cumbria Way threads through Grasmere itself on minor lanes and footpaths close to the centre, making shops and cafés easy to reach directly from the route. From the village, the trail follows paths beside the River Rothay and open meadows, creating mostly level, steady walking between water, pasture, and low wooded slopes.

Grasmere provides useful services despite its small size. There are pubs, cafés, food shops, and accommodation throughout the village, making it a practical place to stop, resupply, or stay overnight between the quieter valleys to the north and the busier towns further south.

Beyond Grasmere, the Cumbria Way continues toward Rydal and Ambleside through fields and woodland at the edge of the valley, leaving the village behind as the route returns to open countryside.