The Wordsworth Way
A literary walking route between Glenridding and Ambleside
© Colin Aldred / Aerial Tours
DISTANCE
22 - 42 km / 14 - 21 miles
TIME / STAGES
1 day or 4 circular stages
DIFFICULTY
Challenging
ROUTE TYPE
Linear | Circular
Walk in Wordsworth’s footsteps
The Wordsworth Way is a 14-mile signed walking route from Glenridding to Ambleside, created to illuminate the life, poetry and landscapes of William Wordsworth, his family circle and friends. Starting from the shore of Ullswater at Glenridding, the route climbs the peaceful Grisedale valley to Grisedale Tarn, before descending towards Grasmere, Allan Bank, St Oswald’s Church and Dove Cottage. From there, the Wordsworth Way follows the historic Coffin Route towards Rydal Mount, before continuing over Pelter Bridge and Under Loughrigg to Ambleside.
Walk the whole route, explore it in sections, or follow it in the opposite direction. However you approach it, the Wordsworth Way invites you to slow down, notice the details in the landscape, and experience the Lakes through the places that inspired Wordsworth’s writing.
“The idea is to get people experiencing the Lakes the way the Romantics did, by slowing down, noticing the details in the landscape, and reflecting on nature”
The route at a glance
From Ullswater to Grasmere and Ambleside
The Wordsworth Way links Ullswater and Ambleside through a combination of one longer linear walk and three shorter circular or linked walks. Use the official guide and GPX files to plan the route that best suits your time, fitness and transport options.
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Ullswater Information Centre, Glenridding → Grasmere
13.4 km / 8.3 milesThe main mountain section of the Wordsworth Way. Starting from Glenridding, this walk follows Grisedale towards Grisedale Tarn before descending towards Grasmere.
Expect a more demanding day with upland paths, changing weather and a real sense of journey between valleys. Highlights include the Grisedale valley, Grisedale Tarn, the Parting Stone and the descent into Wordsworth’s Grasmere.
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Circular walk from Dove Cottage
7.7 km / 4.8 milesA gentler circular walk exploring the landscape around Grasmere, where William and Dorothy Wordsworth made their home at Dove Cottage.
This section is ideal for visitors who want a shorter walk with strong literary connections. It brings together village, water, woodland and the domestic landscape that shaped some of Wordsworth’s best-loved writing.
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Circular walk from Dove Cottage
6.8 km / 4.2 milesThis circular walk continues the story of Wordsworth’s life around Grasmere, exploring places connected with family, friendship and remembrance.
It works well as a companion to Walk 2, or as a shorter stand-alone route for anyone spending time in Grasmere.
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St Mary’s Church, Rydal → University of Cumbria Ambleside campus and return
5.6 km / 3.5 milesThe final walk follows the later chapters of Wordsworth’s life, linking Rydal and Ambleside.
This shorter section takes in places associated with Wordsworth’s later years, his friendships, and Ambleside’s cultural and literary heritage. It is a good option for a half-day walk, especially if combined with time in Rydal or Ambleside.
Route maps and downloads
You’re welcome to download GPX routes for our walks. If you enjoy them, please consider donating to support the work of the Friends of the Ullswater Way.
GPX file for Wordsworth Way Walk 1: Early Life, Exploration and Natural Education
GPX file for Wordsworth Way Walk 2: Home at Grasmere
GPX file for Wordsworth Way Walk 3: Family Connections
GPX file for Wordsworth Way Walk 4: Later Life, Friends and Acquaintances
Buy the guidebook
The official Wordsworth Way guide helps walkers experience the route through poetry, place and landscape. Written by Jade Cookson, with mapping by artist Mark Richards, it highlights locations important to Wordsworth, Dorothy Wordsworth, Samuel Taylor Coleridge and the wider Wordsworth circle. The guide includes extracts from poems, journals and letters, alongside period paintings that invite walkers to see each landscape through time.
The guide is also available from local shops and information centres.
A walk in Wordsworth's footsteps.
The Wordsworth Way celebrates the life of one of Britain's most loved poets.
Trace William Wordsworth's footsteps on his favourite walks.
Be captivated by the mountain scenery that inspired his and sister Dorothy's verses.
Soak in the magic of Grasmere - where the Wordsworths lived 1799-1813 - and pay your respects at their graves in St. Oswald's churchyard.
Walk the path which Wordsworth describes as traversing a "sublime combination of mountain forms".
Visit the Brothers' Parting Stone - a poignant memorial to Wordsworth's brother John, who died at sea in 1805.
Step inside literary history at Dove Cottage and Rydal Mount, and discover personal treasures and archives.
There is something for everyone on the Wordsworth Way. Although 14 miles in length, this Guide also offers four shorter 'section by section' walks.
Plan your walk
Use this section to check travel options, terrain, facilities, accessibility and countryside care before setting out. Always check current maps, timetables and weather, especially outside the main visitor season.
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The route starts at Glenridding, on the southern shore of Ullswater, and finishes in Ambleside. Glenridding can be reached by bus from Penrith and other Ullswater valley locations. Ambleside and Grasmere are well served by Lake District bus routes connecting with Windermere, Keswick and Kendal.
If you are walking one section only, check current bus times before travelling and plan your start and finish points carefully. Services vary by season, and upland walks can take longer than expected in poor weather.
Useful links:
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The Wordsworth Way combines valley paths, village sections, historic places and open fell walking.
Walk 1 is the most demanding section, with a climb from Grisedale towards Grisedale Tarn and a descent towards Grasmere. The other sections are shorter, but still include uneven paths, lanes, fields and stretches that can be muddy or slippery after rain.
Use the route maps, GPX files and guidebook to help plan your walk, and choose a section that suits your experience, fitness and the conditions on the day.
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The section around Grisedale and Grisedale Tarn crosses more exposed ground, where weather and visibility can change quickly. Check the forecast before setting out, wear suitable footwear and clothing, and allow plenty of time for the route.
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Facilities are available in Glenridding, Grasmere, Rydal and Ambleside, but there are long stretches of the route — especially through Grisedale — where there are no cafés, shops or toilets.
Carry enough food and water for the section you are walking. In busy periods, parking in Glenridding, Grasmere, Rydal and Ambleside can fill quickly, so consider arriving by public transport where possible.
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The full Wordsworth Way is not an accessible or all-ability route. Walk 1 includes upland terrain and is unsuitable for wheelchairs, pushchairs or those looking for level paths.
Some lower-level areas around Grasmere, Rydal and Ambleside may offer easier short walks nearby, but check local access information before travelling.
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Ullswater is a living, working landscape.
Please follow the Countryside Code: keep to paths, leave gates as you find them, take litter home, keep dogs under close control and use a lead near livestock or where signs ask you to.
History of the Wordsworth Way
Creating the Wordsworth Way
The Wordsworth Way was created by Friends of the Ullswater Way and collaborators. Rather than creating a completely new path, the route brings together existing rights of way into a meaningful journey through the landscapes where William and Dorothy Wordsworth lived, walked, wrote and found inspiration.
It connects Ullswater, Grisedale, Grasmere, Rydal and Ambleside — places associated not only with William Wordsworth, but also with Dorothy Wordsworth, Samuel Taylor Coleridge and the wider Wordsworth circle.
Jade Cookson, author of the Wordsworth Way guide, introduces the ideas behind the route and guidebook.
Launch of the Wordsworth Way
The Wordsworth Way was officially launched on 7 April 2025, William Wordsworth’s 255th birthday. The launch marked the opening of the route and the publication of the official guidebook, with the final waymarker unveiled at the University of Cumbria’s Ambleside campus.
In this short video, Tim Clarke, Chair of Friends of the Ullswater Way, reflects on the creation of the route and its importance in connecting people, landscape and heritage between Ullswater and Ambleside.
Tim Clarke, Chair of Friends of the Ullswater Way, speaking at the launch of the Wordsworth Way.
Continue exploring
The Wordsworth Way connects naturally with other walking routes around Ullswater and the wider valley. Explore more routes linked by landscape, heritage and place.
Thanks to our collaborators and supporters
The Wordsworth Way was created by Friends of the Ullswater Way in collaboration with Wordsworth Grasmere, the Lake District National Park, the University of Cumbria, Rydal Mount and Inspired by Lakeland. We are grateful to everyone who helped develop, support and launch the route.
