Windermere, Bowness and Ambleside in Lake District

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The town of Windermere is, as its name suggests, alongside Lake Windermere and next to Bowness on Windermere, which is actually on the side of the lake. The Lake itself, measuring about 10 miles in length, is the largest in England and has always catered for most of the water sports activites in Lakeland, most of which can be enjoyed from Bowness.. Until as recently as 2005 there were no speed restirctions but, in 2005, a 10mph limit was imposed. Thousands of boats are registered for private use on Windermere but visitors can hire rowing, boats, canoes and 'electric boats, or take a cruise on one of the launches that take tourists cruising around the beauty spots of the lake.

At the southern end of Windermere is Newby Bridge and at the northern end is the aptly named Waterhead and Ambleside. Bowness, on the eastern side of the lake, is the most popular resort for tourists who want to take advantage of the water sports and activities that Lakeland has to offer, whether you want to actively participate or sit back and enjoy watching others being energetic.

There are 18 islands, of varying sizes, within lake Windermere. The largest is the privately owned Belle Isle, which lies opposite to Bowness and is about 1km in length. At the other end of the size-scale is the tiniest island, Maiden Holme, which supports just one tree.

Getting from one end of the lake to the other is no problem. You can take a boat from the Lakeside Railway Station, at the southern end of the lake, on the 'Lakeside and Haverthwaite heritage steam railway and travel up to Waterhead at the northern end. If that seems like a contradiction in terms, taking a boat from a railway station, it's because the service was once operated by British Rail, in the days of the Furness Railway. To get from one side of the lake to the other, with your car, you can take a ferry from Ferry Nab on the eastern shore to Far Sawrey on the western side. In the summer, passenger ferries also operate, one from Lakeside station to Fell Foot Park and another from Bowness to Far Sawrey.

There is always plenty of boating activity to see on the Lake and, with three large sailing clubs based on Windermere, there are frequent events to watch. A new water speed record was set in 1930 on Lake Windermere and then later again, in the 1950s. Windermere has always supported power boating and water ski-ing activites but speed limits were introduced in 2000 which became enforceable in 2005. The speed limits have been a source of bitter controversy from their inception as organisations supporting conservation, safety and tranquility issues came into conflict with sports enthusiasts and the local businesses that depend on those sports.

For most of us, though, a trip to Windermere, whether for a day, a week or even longer, is the opportunity to find good places to eat, to walk along the lakeside enjoying the natural beauty of water and landscape and also to visit places of interest and browse around the many craft shops and galleries that can be found in all the villages.