Sunday 4th October 2026
Distance: 6.5 miles (10.3km)
Duration: 4 hours
Led by: Mosaic Outdoors with Professor Corinne Fowler
Discovery and connection
Join us for a special guided public walk around Grasmere and Rydal, inspired by Corinne Fowler's ‘Our Island Stories’ and her East India Company Walk linking Wordsworth and the Lake District. Starting from YHA Grasmere, the route will take in Grasmere village, landscapes associated with Dove Cottage and the wider Wordsworth world, and paths around Rydal Water.
Along the way, we will reflect on the Wordsworth family's connections to empire, including John Wordsworth's role as an East India Company captain, and consider how the Lake District can be understood not only as a picturesque rural space but also as a landscape shaped by wider global histories. Through walking and conversation, we will explore questions of memory, race, belonging and what stories are made visible in the countryside.
This guided circular walk includes a moderate ascent of 246m. Please bring appropriate footwear, weatherproof clothing, water, and lunch or snacks.
Professor Fowler’s ‘Our Island Stories - Ten Walks through Rural Britain and Its Hidden History of Empire’ will be available for purchase on the day.
This event is part of YHA's Festival of Walking - view other social walks.
Sunday 4th October
Start: 10:30am
Starting point: YHA Grasmere Butharlyp Howe
It’s free to sign up for this event. We’re encouraging participants to make a voluntary donation to support our Breaks Programme, helping groups of young people and families facing challenging circumstances to access life-changing adventures in our hostels.
Meeting room(s)
24-hour access after check-in
WiFi
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