These notes are prepared and produced by Alex Booth and Rory Carty.
Windermere is largely recognized as the entrance to the Lake District. Situated just one mile away from Bowness (and the Lake) it has a real character which obviously appeals to tourists. Most of the buildings around the centre are Victorian in design and are quite attractive. Windermere Lake is famous because it is the largest natural lake in England.

The area is always busy with new faces from miles around who have come to see the many sights which this area has to offer. The people are friendly and helpful. There is a wealth of natural talent which is shown in some of the shops (pottery, etc).

Windermere has grown up in the last hundred years from just a few farm houses to a busy, bustling, fairly large village. It was built due to the railway and the growing local industry such as quarrying and mining. All the houses were built to home the incoming workers that were working in the mines and quarries.

Windermere has now opened up to more modern industry such as shops and tourism. Also Windermere has now stopped expanding because the industry prefers to be situated in bigger areas with a higher population numbers and better accessibility.

Windermere is a renowned area for tourism and is busy all year round, especially in the summer when the traffic in Bowness and Windermere gets very congested. The lake becoms busy due to the steamers taking people on rides up and down the lake. Overall the area is becoming busier all year round.

Traffic and Accessibility
This town lies on the main route through the Lake District, however, Windermere still suffers from poor traffic flow and access problems.

You can reach Windermere by car, as most people do, or by bus, which provides a regular service everyday. There is even a railway service you can use to get right into the town which has seen scores of tourists since it was built over one hundred years ago.

With these forms of transport and access the town is reached fairly easily, the problems arise when hundreds of people try to drive through the town and park. The town centre is the only area that has the shops and tourist attractions, therefore it is the area of the town that sees the most traffic. Unfortunately, the town centre is old, certainly pre-car, and the buildings are laid out in a very Victorian fashion. This leaves little scope for new modern day traffic, meaning that traffic must squeeze round narrow and winding streets and wrestle with obscure controls and restrictions.

Another problem is that there is very little shop access for business, there are daily trains of lorries and trucks strung out along either side of the main road supplying the shops with their produce. This provides obstruction in the traffic flow and often the the flow comes to a total stand still, but there is no option of simplifying the congestion without demolishing the old central buildings of Windermere town centre, which we doubt will happen.

You also pass the Steamboat Museum which is very interesting and informative and houses a host of old steam driven vessels which used to cruise the lake. The largest pier is at Bowness where you can get off and enjoy the local village.
Bowness has a wide selection of shops and activities, ranging from 'The World Of Beatrix Potter',a museum dedicated to the Lakes great author and artist, to 'The Porthole' eating house. The small village bustles with activity, as it was the inspiration for 'Rio', the town in many of Arthur Ransomes 'Swallows and Amazons' novels.
From Bowness The Lake Cruise then goes down the panoramic 'South basin' of the lake, ending up at Lakeside with the train station and the 'Aquarium of the Lakes'. This museum shows the journey of a Lakes river, from its mountain spring, through the lake and down to its estuary in Morecambe Bay. It features the 'walk under the lake' tunnel, a glass tunnel under a mock up lake with real fish and ducks and the amazing plantlife. It also features a wave machine where YOU control the tide. There are many different tickets on the cruise, like the Freedom of the Lake ticket, allowing you unlimited travel over 24 hours.

Freedom of the Lake Tickets offer the very best value. Available from Lakeside, Bowness and Ambleside.

A 24 hour freedom of the lake Ticket allows unlimited travel on all scheduled services betwwen Lakeside, Bowness and Ambleside, and the enchanting island cruise from Bowness. Passengers may also use the hourly launch service which sails between Ambleside and the Lake District National Park visitor Centre at Brockhole, or the Fell Foot ferry from Lakeside. Whichever pier you sail from the spectacular voyage gives the traveller magnificent views of mountain scenery, secluded bays and the many wooded islands. Add to this the opportunity to break your journey at the various stops and you and you have the makings of a perfect day out.

Freedom tickets are valid for a period of 24 hours from time/date of issues which give options of using them more than once over 2 day period.

Strictly not transferable.

ON-BOARD REFRESHMENTS

Our on-board coffee shops sell a variety of mouth-watering refreshments including freshly cut sandwiches, scones, crisps, confectionery, tea, coffee and soft drinks. The Bar stocks a comprehensive range of draught and bottled Beers, Wines and Spirits. Coffee shops and licensed Bars are available on our 'steamers' and larger launches.

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