Cruising in the Lake District
National Trust’s Steam Yacht Gondola
With outdoor activities to suit virtually all ages and abilities, the Lake District is one big outdoor adventure playground. Encompassing England’s five tallest mountains and countless beautiful lakes (most of which are actually called ‘tarns’ and ‘meres’), the region offers a fabulous range of things to do.
One is to head out onto one of the lakes for a relaxing cruise and changing views of the surrounding mountain scenery, wooded islands and secluded bays. You can arrange a whole day out, combining a cruise on the lake with stops at some of the famous lakeside attractions, such as the Lakes Aquarium or Lakeland Motor Museum, or head out for a romantic sunset cruise in the early evening.
There are four main bodies of water in the Lake District where you can enjoy a relaxing boat cruise: in the South Lakes there’s Windermere and Coniston Water, while in the North Lakes there’s Derwentwater and Ullswater.
Plan and Book:
The Lakes and Journeys
Windermere
Windermere is England’s largest lake, in the heart of the Lake District. It has been one of the country’s most popular places for holidays and summer homes since the arrival of the Kendal and Windermere Railway’s branch line in 1847. Historically forming part of the border between Lancashire and Westmorland, it is now within the county of Cumbria and the Lake District National Park.
Windermere Steamboat Museum is located on Rayrigg Road in Bowness, and includes a collection of vintage steam boats dating back to 1850, five sailing boats (the oldest built in 1780), two dugout canoes, as well as information about Swallows and Amazons and the history of racing boats. The museum has been closed since 2006 for refurbishment.
The Windermere Ferry, a vehicle-carrying cable ferry, runs across the lake from Ferry Nab on the eastern side of the lake to Far Sawrey on the western side of the lake. This service forms part of the B5285. There are also two summer only passenger ferries that cross the lake. One crosses from Lakeside station to Fell Foot Park at the southern end of the lake, whilst the other links Bowness with Far Sawrey.
Windermere Lake Cruises offer cruises from 45 minutes to 3 hours – or you can even spend all day on and around the lake with our fantastic Freedom of the Lake ticket. No matter where you start your journey, be it Bowness, Ambleside or Lakeside the spectacular voyage gives the traveller magnificent views of mountain scenery, secluded bays and the many wooded islands.
Yellow Crise: This beautiful round trip from Bowness can be taken as a 90 minute non-landing cruise. Alternatively you may disembark at either Lakeside or Bowness Pier and return on a later boat. Each cruise includes a fascinating commentary on the history, attractions and points of interest surrounding Windermere.
Red Cruise: Sail from Bowness to Ambleside or vice versa. This beautiful round trip from Bowness can be taken as a 70 minute non-landing cruise.
Alternatively you may disembark at either Ambleside, Brockhole or Bowness Piers and return on a later boat. Each cruise includes a fascinating commentary on the history, attractions and points of interest surrounding Windermere.
Islands Cruise: Take in the islands of Windermere. A 45 minute circular cruise from Bowness, enjoy contrasting scenery of mountains, wooded shorelines and lovely tranquil bays.
Freedom Of The Lake: Enjoy a full day out on Windermere. Explore the whole of Windermere and enjoy a full day out with a Freedom of the Lake ticket. This best value cruise ticket is valid on all scheduled sailings and is valid for 24 hours from time of purchase or when you exchange your online e-voucher for your ticket at our piers.
Ullswater
Ullswater is the second largest lake in the English Lake District, being approximately 14.5 kilometres long and 1,200 m wide. Many regard Ullswater as the most beautiful of the English lakes; it has been compared to Lake Lucerne in Switzerland and it is a popular tourist destination. It is a typical Lake District narrow “ribbon lake” formed after the last ice age when a glacier scooped out the valley floor and when the glacier retreated, the deepened section filled with meltwater which became a lake.
Ullswater Steamers is an award winning environmentally accredited Lake District attraction celebrating over 150 years of operating cruises on Lake Ullswater. Operating one of the largest heritage vessel fleets in the world, offering visitors an experience they will never forget for 363 days a year. Cruises connect to some of the most famous and iconic walking routes in the National Park, with views of Wordsworth’s Daffodils on the west shore in Spring.
Ullswater runs a serpentine course for eight miles through expansive vistas of Lakeland’s highest mountains. Helvellyn at 3,117ft (950m) crowns Ullswater, at the South-Western end of the valley, standing on a mighty plateau approximately 9 miles (14.5km) in length and 4.5 miles (7km) wide. The Steamers operate an all year service with varying timetable connections between Glenridding, Howtown, Pooley Bridge Piers and between Glenridding and National Trust Aira Force Pier. Cruise times vary from 20 – 120 minutes.
‘M.V Lady of the Lake’
Ullswater Steamers has five heritage vessels in regular service. All vessels have outside open/covered deck areas, indoor saloons, toilet facilities and fully licensed bars serving light refreshments. Launched on 26th June 1877, ‘M.V Lady of the Lake’ is believed to be the oldest working passenger vessel in the world. She was designed by Mr Douglas Henson of Penrith, built at Rutherglen near Glasgow, transported in three sections by rail to Penrith and thereafter by horse drays to Waterside near Pooley Bridge, where she was assembled. In 1889, she was put to the test as her new sister ship Raven was launched for trials between Sandwick and Patterdale. Much to the delight of her crew, Lady of the Lake arrived first.
Coniston Water
Coniston Water is the third largest lake in the English Lake District. It is 8 km long, 800 m wide, has a maximum depth of 56 m). The lake sits in a deep U-shaped glaciated valley scoured by a glacier in the surrounding volcanic and limestone rocks during the last ice age. To the north-west of the lake rises the Old Man of Coniston, the highest fell in the Coniston Fells group.
In the 20th century Coniston Water was the scene of many attempts to break the world water speed record. On August 19, 1939 Sir Malcolm Campbell set the record at 141.74 miles per hour (228.108 km/h) in Bluebird K4. Between 1956 and 1959 Sir Malcolm’s son Donald Campbell set four successive records on the lake in Bluebird K7, a hydroplane. On January 4, 1967, on the return leg of a record-breaking attempt, Donald Campbell was killed instantly on impact when he then lost control of Bluebird, which somersaulted and crashed, sinking rapidly.
Boats can be hired from the lakeside near the steam yacht, with various sizes of boat for hire, from small canoes and kayaks to large personal craft. The steam yacht Gondola tours the lake in the summer months, along with two smaller motorised launches.
Coniston Launch offers regular services on traditional timber launches running on two different circular routes on Coniston Water. Passengers can choose to either stay on the boat for the full trip, or stop off at any of the jetties and catch a later boat back. Again, lots of people combine a boat cruise with a walk around the shore of Coniston Water, on lakeshore footpaths and quiet country lanes. The walks from one jetty to another take as little as ten minutes or as long as 70 minutes, depending on which you choose to stop at. There are places to eat at several jetties, including the Jumping Jenny Coffee House and Restaurant at Brantwood, and the Bluebird Cafe by the Lake at Coniston Boatlandings.
Derwentwater
Derwentwater is one of the principal bodies of water in the Lake District National Park in north west England. Some say Derwentwater is the most beautiful of all the Lake District’s lakes, tarns, meres and waters. It measures approximately 4.8 km long by 1.6 km wide and is some 22 m deep. There are several islands within the lake, one of which is inhabited. Derwentwater is a place of considerable scenic value. It is surrounded by hills (known locally as fells), and many of the slopes facing Derwentwater are extensively wooded.
Located on the lake shore of Derwentwater, close to the market town of Keswick, the Keswick Launch Company offers cruises around Derwentwater, either around the entire lake in one go on a 50-minute trip, or stopping off at any of the seven lakeshore jetties. From many of the jetties you can join local walks such as the one- to two-hour ramble from Keswick Landings to Ashness, taking you past Friar’s Crag and Calfclose Bay.
