Bowness-on-Windermere Tourist Information

Bowness-on-Windermere situated in a spectacular lakeside setting on the eastern shore of Lake Windermere, is Cumbria’s most popular destination. The town is busy for much of the year, with people who come to enjoy the facilities of the lake for sailing, fishing and watersports, also those who come just to relax and enjoy the atmosphere of the area and the town’s delightful setting.

Lake Windermere has been a water highway for centuries and is the headquarters of the Royal Windermere Yacht Club. It is the greatest centre in the district for cruising, water-skiing, underwater swimming and yachting. The lake is constantly busy with ferries, yachts and speedboats and interestingly Windermere is the only lake in the Lake District, which has no speed restriction for water traffic. Take a stroll around the shoreline which is a fascinating place, where boat builders and repairers can be seen at work.

Victorian and Edwardian buildings are evident throughout Bowness, but for those who are interested in its earlier history a walk to Lowside, behind the church will prove rewarding. The houses and little narrow streets in this area of the town give a picture of Bowness before the advent of the railway.

St. Martin’s Church the parish church of Windermere, stands on a site which has been a religious foundation for over 1,000 years. The original structure was burnt down and rebuilt in 1484, and restored in 1870. The east window contains 15th century stained glass, depicting red and white stripes and three stars, the arms of John Washington who was an ancestor of George Washington, the first president of America.

Bowness-on-Windermere was well known to the poet William Wordsworth: The White Lion, now the Royal Hotel was patronised by him and mentioned in 'The Prelude'. Wordsworth was a regular user of the ferry, which crosses Lake Windermere. He wrote, 'I bounded down the hill shouting amain/ A lusty summons to the further shore/ For the old Ferryman'. A car ferry still crosses the lake between Ferry Nab and Ferry House providing an attractive and convenient approach to the western side of the lake and the villages of Hawkshead and Sawrey, where you can visit the home of Beatrix Potter at Hill Top.

All the family will want to visit 'The World of Beatrix Potter', which is situated in the centre of Bowness-on-Windermere. This is a magical recreation of Beatrix Potters books, where you can meet Peter Rabbit, Jemima Puddle-duck and all the characters in the famous stories.

The Windermere Steamboat Centre in Rayrigg Road, houses a unique collection of historic steamboats and motorboats. Special events throughout the season include the British Classic Motorboat, model boat and steamboat rally.