Village guide · Southern Lakes · LA23
Windermere
England’s largest natural lake and the busiest tourist destination in the Lake District. That is not necessarily a criticism. Windermere handles the crowds better than most places and there is genuinely a lot to do here. The trick is knowing what is worth your time.
Town postcode
LA23 1AQ
Lake length
10.5 miles
From London (2.5 hrs)
Direct train
Open for visitors
Year-round
Windermere Town and Bowness
Bowness-on-Windermere
The lakefront settlement. The piers, the boat hire, the ice cream, the Windermere Steamers. Noisier than Windermere town but closer to the water. The promenade and waterfront restaurants are the centre of activity.
Windermere Town
The ridge above the lake, about a mile from the shore. Has the train station — the only railway into the national park. Quieter, more residential, with good cafes and restaurants. If you arrive by train, you start here.
The Victorian tourism boom defined both. The railway arrived in 1847 and brought middle-class visitors from the industrial cities of the north. The infrastructure built for that trade is still visible in the hotels and guest houses that line the main streets. Windermere town and Bowness are effectively one settlement, a mile apart, connected by the B5360 and a steady flow of tourists in summer.
The Lake
Length
10.5 miles
England’s longest natural lake
Max depth
67 metres
Deeper than it looks from shore
Steamers
Year-round
From Bowness, Ambleside, Lakeside
Windermere Lake Cruises
Services from Bowness pier (LA23 3HQ), Waterhead at Ambleside (LA22 0BB), and Lakeside (LA12 8AS). A day ticket covers unlimited travel the length of the lake. The cruise from Bowness to Ambleside (35 minutes) gives the best view of the western shore.
Water Activities
- • Kayak and paddleboard hire from the Bowness foreshore
- • Electric boat hire — no licence required
- • Wild swimming at Millerground (LA23 1QF)
- • Ferry crossing to the quieter western shore
Do not skip this
Orrest Head
Alfred Wainwright first saw the Lakes from Orrest Head in 1930 and it changed his life. The view from the summit takes in the full length of Windermere with the Coniston Fells and central Lake District peaks behind. 45 minutes return from Windermere station. 238 metres above sea level. Not difficult.
Windermere Jetty Museum
Worth 90 minLA23 3HQ, entrance charged. Houses the national collection of historic boats from the lake, including Dolly, the world’s oldest mechanically powered boat, built in 1850 and recovered from the lake bed in 1962. The architecture by Carmody Groarke is controversial locally but genuinely interesting.
Worth 90 minutes if you have any interest in engineering, design, or social history. The cafe gives views over the lake.
Where to Eat
The Porthole
Best overallAsh Street, Bowness, LA23 3EB
Italian-influenced, locally sourced, good wine list. One of the better small restaurants in Bowness. Book ahead at weekends.
Francine's
Evening mealMain Road, Windermere, LA23 1DX
Consistently good for an evening meal in Windermere town. Modern British with local ingredients. Better value than the Bowness equivalents.
The Royal Oak
Best pubMarket Square, Windermere
Reliable and unpretentious pub food in Windermere town. The pubs here are generally better than the Bowness equivalents for food quality.
Jetty Museum Cafe
Best cafeBowness, LA23 3HQ
Better than the average museum cafe, and the setting gives views over the lake. Worth knowing about for lunch.
Getting There and Parking
By Train
- • London Euston, change at Oxenholme (approx. 2.5 hours)
- • Manchester Piccadilly via Oxenholme (approx. 1.5 hours)
- • 555 bus from Windermere station to Bowness and Ambleside
Parking
- • Braithwaite Fold (LA23 3LH) — large, 5 min walk from Bowness
- • Rayrigg Road (LA23 1DG) — smaller, closer to waterfront
- • Fills by 11am on summer weekends. Go early.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to do in Windermere?+
Lake cruises on the Windermere Steamers. Walking — Orrest Head for the classic view, or the Windermere Way around the lake. Good restaurants and pubs in both Windermere town and Bowness. The Windermere Jetty Museum for lake history.
Is Windermere a town or a lake?+
Both. Windermere town sits on the ridge above the lake, about a mile from the shore. Bowness-on-Windermere is the lakefront settlement. The two are effectively one place. Most visitors end up in Bowness; Windermere town has the train station.
Where should I stay in Windermere or Bowness?+
Windermere town is quieter and has good transport links — the Windermere station is on the branch from Oxenholme. Bowness is on the lake, louder, with more hotels. Both have a wide range of accommodation from B&Bs to full hotels. Book ahead in summer.
How do I get to Windermere without a car?+
The Windermere branch line runs from Oxenholme on the West Coast Main Line. Regular services from London Euston change at Oxenholme. Trains also run from Leeds and Manchester via Oxenholme. The station is in Windermere town, about a mile from Bowness and the lake.
What is the Windermere Jetty Museum?+
The Windermere Jetty Museum is a boat museum on the lake shore in Bowness (LA23 3HQ). It houses a collection of historic wooden boats from the lake's history, including some of the oldest mechanically powered boats in the world. The building itself is architecturally interesting. Worth an hour or two.
