At first a boat trip on Lake Windermere did not thrill me. I was not looking forward to being squashed and pushed around on an overcrowded boat with other tourists. So I was feeling very grumpy about the whole idea of a boat tip from Ambleside to Bowness. When we arrived at the boat terminal, I relented as I was the only one of the family who would be left behind and I did not know what I would do for the next few hours. Sandy bought the tickets and then went back and obtained a separate one for me. My grandchildren found it so funny that I was being such a grumpy Grandfather especially as they were the ones who generally were told off for having a strop. We waited at the ferry terminal for the boat to arrive.
Whilst standing at the entrance, I met Doug who worked for the Windermere Lake cruises. We had a lively conversation and my mood started to lift. We boarded the Swan Cruise boat, found some great seats for photographs and off we went. The scenery was stunning and both little and large boats passed us by. The grandchildren loved it.
We disembarked at Bowness and were completely engulfed by crowds of people moving around the Lakeside. Luckily just before my mood started to return, Rob, my son in law, spotted a good place for a drink. The Lake View Bar happened to have excellent views of the lake and provided super photograph opportunities. Why had I been so grumpy about this trip?
Soon it was time to return to Ambleside, so we queued up and as we were at the front we were able to get seats right at the front of the boat. We set off from Bowness passing an armada of small boats darting around the bay. Once again, we saw the beauty of the lake and the shoreline although the clouds were covering the sun. As we reached Ambleside pier, the sun showed itself and I took a quick picture of the scene with the sailing boats lined up on the far shore. The picture was featured by Look North West tonight which was a nice surprise.
We had pre-booked dinner at the Wateredge hotel, a place I would recommend for visiting. The rain had arrived but the hotel had allowed us to use their tipi that was set up next to the lake shore. The hotel is excellent with good food, pleasant staff and excellent service. After a tasty fish and chips accompanied by a local beer, I had forgotten about the reason why I was so grumpy earlier in the day. The photographic record was a bonus and yes I do recommend taking a boat tip on Lake Windermere 🙂
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Links to the complete series of my blogs around our visit to Little Langdale in the Lake District in August 2023.
- Feel the force at Colwith Force, Little Langdale
- Up and down the Old Man of Coniston
- Slater’s Bridge and Cathedral Cave – a circular walk
- Taking the boat on Lake Windermere – Lakehead to Bowness
- The views and memories of Lowfield House, Little Langdale
