Bowness-on-Windermere
Windermere's lakeside resort: boats from Bowness Bay, the Jetty Museum, Beatrix Potter's world and the ferry across to Far Sawrey.
Bowness is where Windermere the lake meets the crowds, and it does not pretend otherwise. The town wraps around Bowness Bay, with the piers for Windermere Lake Cruises, rowing boats and self drive motor boats lined up on the shore, and the streets behind full of ice cream, gift shops and pubs. Above it, in the older part of town, St Martin's Church and the lanes around it are quieter and much older than the waterfront suggests.
The reason to come is the lake. Boats run from here north to Ambleside and south to Lakeside, where the steam trains of the Lakeside and Haverthwaite Railway connect. A short walk south takes you to Ferry Nab and the Windermere ferry, which carries cars and foot passengers across to Far Sawrey for Hill Top and Hawkshead. The Windermere Jetty Museum on Rayrigg Road has a superb collection of historic boats, some of which go out on the water.
For families the World of Beatrix Potter Attraction is the obvious draw, and for anyone interested in design Blackwell, the Arts and Crafts house in the hills above town, is one of the finest of its kind in the country. Walkers can take the lakeshore paths or climb Brant Fell for a view over the bay.
Summer weekends are very busy, traffic queues on the approach roads and the main car park by the bay fills quickly. Visit early, late or out of season, or come down from Windermere station on foot or by bus. Evenings on the lakefront, once the day visitors leave, are a different place.
Walks from Bowness-on-Windermere
All walks near Bowness-on-WindermereBrant Fell from Bowness
Easy, 5.6 km, 175 m up, about 1 hour 30 minutes
A short loop from Bowness over Post Knott to the rocky top of Brant Fell, with one of the best views over Windermere, returning on the Dales Way.
Gummer's How above Windermere
Easy, 2.0 km, 115 m up, about 30 minutes
The quickest big view of Windermere: a short climb from a free Forestry England car park to a trig point looking up the whole length of the lake.
Things to do in Bowness-on-Windermere
Windermere Lake Cruises
Boat Trips, Windermere, ££
England's largest lake seen from the water is a different beast entirely. The full-length cruise from Ambleside to Lakeside is magnificent.
Blackwell, The Arts & Crafts House
Cultural, Bowness, ££, dogs welcome
An Arts and Crafts holiday house above Windermere designed by M.H. Baillie Scott for a Manchester brewery owner, with original interiors, changing exhibitions, a tea room and gardens looking across the lake.
Where to eat and drink in Bowness-on-Windermere
All food and drink
Gilpin Lake House
Fine Dining, Windermere, ££££, dogs welcome
Gilpin's six-bedroom Lake House sits in 100 private acres beside its own tarn, with breakfast and afternoon tea served by the water. For lunch and dinner a complimentary chauffeur runs guests to SOURCE and Gilpin Spice at the main hotel.
Hylton's Restaurant
British, Bowness, ££
Hyltons Steak House and Grill sits on cobbled Ash Street in the middle of Bowness, serving 40-day aged Aberdeen Angus steaks, tomahawks to share, burgers and proper fish and chips from noon until 9pm daily.
Porto
Mediterranean, Bowness, ££
An independent, family-run restaurant on a cobbled Bowness street, cooking modern British food with an AA rosette, plus a Sunday roast and a strong gin and wine list.
The Belsfield
Country House, Bowness, £££, dogs welcome
A 4-star heritage hotel above Bowness with sweeping views over Windermere, where the Brasserie serves lunch, dinner and afternoon tea and the Art Deco bar and sunset terrace make the most of the lake.
The Brown Horse
Gastropub, Winster, ££, dogs welcome
A Georgian coaching inn in the Winster Valley with rooms, woodland pods and a well-chosen wine list, named Cumbria's Best Pub and Bar in 2023. Dogs are welcome in the bar.
The Hole in t' Wall
Traditional Pub, Bowness, ££
The oldest pub in Bowness, right in the heart of the village, pouring Robinsons' cask ales alongside a long list of gins and serving hearty pub food all day. Low beams, a heated beer garden and plenty of old stories keep it busy year round.
The Masons Arms
Country Pub, Cartmel Fell, ££, dogs welcome
Perched on Strawberry Bank with views over the Winster Valley that justify the winding single-track approach.
The Wild Boar
Grill & Smokehouse, Windermere, ££, dogs welcome
The Grill and Smokehouse is the main restaurant at the Wild Boar Estate, a woodland hotel on Crook Road a short drive from Windermere. Come for grill and smokehouse cooking, with good vegan and vegetarian choices too.
Where to stay in Bowness-on-Windermere
All places to stay
Gilpin Hotel & Lake House
Luxury Hotel, Windermere, ££££, dogs welcome
A Relais & Chateaux retreat offering garden suites, a private lake house and some of the finest hotel dining in the north of England.
Lindeth Fell Country House
Country House Hotel, Bowness, ££
An Edwardian Arts and Crafts house above Windermere, now a 14-bedroom five-star B&B with its 1909 Restaurant, afternoon teas and Thomas Mawson gardens. It is part of the Storrs Collection and also hosts weddings and exclusive-use stays.
Linthwaite House
Boutique Hotel, Windermere, £££, dogs welcome
A Leeu Collection hotel on a hilltop above Windermere, with 36 individually designed rooms, a private tarn with rowing boats and Simon Rogan's Henrock restaurant serving produce from his own farm.
Macdonald Old England Hotel
Traditional Hotel, Bowness, £££, dogs welcome
This Victorian grande dame commands prime position right on the shores of Windermere, where you can watch steam launches chug past from your bedroom window. The hotel's traditional elegance suits its lakefront setting perfectly. It's the kind of place where afternoon tea feels obligatory and evening drinks on the terrace watching the sunset over England's largest natural lake become a cherished ritual.