The Grot and Waterfall
Nature Reserves, Country Parks & Beaches · Ambleside, Cumbria & the Lake District
No reviews yet
🌳 Outdoor🌲 WoodlandGardens🆓 Free entry
What’s there
- Café on site
- Limited parking
- Dogs welcome
Day parking is available but must be arranged via reception, which can give charges and permits; the venue does not guarantee a space.
Only facilities we’ve confirmed are listed — anything missing here we simply haven’t checked, rather than know to be absent.
The Grot is a small grade II* listed stone building in the grounds of Rydal Hall, built in 1668 so visitors could frame and enjoy the waterfall beside it. Its large window looks down onto a plunge pool and a stone bridge, and the gorge behind frames the falls. It is a short, easy stop within the wider estate, which has about thirty acres of gardens, woodland and sculpture to wander around. Families can walk the paths, look for the falls, and combine the visit with a cafe stop on the same site. Dogs are welcome on a lead. Because the Grot is a historic viewing point rather than a play attraction, it suits children who enjoy walking, nature and waterfalls, and it works well as part of a longer walk in the Lake District.
Stuff to take with you
The things people wish they’d packed for a day out like this one.
Wellies
Refillable water bottleMost places will fill it for free.
Snacks that survive a rucksackCheaper than the café, and buys you twenty minutes.
Wet wipes
Kite- Travel games
Spare shoesOne puddle and the day is decided otherwise.- Picnic blanket
Reusable cutlery
Woolly hat
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Photos: Anna Tesar, CC BY 2.0 · 維基小霸王, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Christopher Michel, CC BY 2.0 · I AM GIFTY, CC BY 4.0 · hazelnicholson, CC BY 2.0
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