It is a small cluster of houses, a hotel, and St Mary's Church, on the A591 road midway between Ambleside and Grasmere.

Historically part of Westmorland, Rydal is significant in the history of English Romantic literature.

Dr Thomas Arnold, notable headmaster of Rugby School, had a summer home at Fox How in nearby Under Loughrigg.

[1] Rydal is often a starting point for the Fairfield horseshoe, a hillwalking ridge hike.

The primary service, numbered 555, operates a route passing Keswick, Grasmere, Ambleside, Windermere, Kendal and Lancaster.