Windermere

Windermere is a town of 4,800 people (2021) in Cumbria. Tourism is popular in the town, owing to its proximity to the lake and local scenery. Boats from the piers in Bowness sail around the lake, many calling at Ambleside or at Lakeside where there is a restored railway.

Understand

Unless you are local, the town is often confused with the lake, with which it shares the name.

Get in

Car

A591 leads from the main M6 north-south motorway.

Train

Windermere is at the end of a branch line from Oxenholme on the main West Coast route from London to Scotland. Trains run every hour or so.

The 1 Windermere train station is above the town, a few minutes walk from the centre. The station forecourt has bus stops with frequent service into the town and to Bowness-on-Windermere and Ambleside, and a taxi rank.

Bus

There is one coach per day to and from London. Local bus services run to and from Kendal, Lancaster and Keswick as well as to destinations throughout the Lake District.

Get around

The town is small enough to walk around easily. Buses run to the adjoining town, Bowness-on-Windermere, on the Windermere lake front (or you can walk there in around 20 minutes).

See

Windermere has the largest lake in England.

• 1 Holehird Gardens, Patterdale Road, LA23 1NP, ☏ +44 1539 446008, enquiries@holehirdgardens.org.uk.  
• Hill Top House, ☏ +44 1539 436269. 
• 2 Stott Park Bobbin Mill, ☏ +44 1539 531087.  
• 3 Townend, Troutbeck, LA23 1LB (3 miles north of Windermere), ☏ +44 1539 432628, townend@nationaltrust.org.uk.  
• Lake District Visitor Centre. 

Do

• 1 Treetop Trek, Brockhole, Lake District Visitor Centre, Windermere LA23 1LJ (Off the A591). 
• 2 Windermere Steamboat Museum, Rayrigg Road, Windermere LA23 1BN. Daily: Mar-Oct 10AM-5PM; Nov-Feb 10:30AM-4PM; closed 25 and 26 December; last admission to the museum is one hour before closing. A collection of boats comprising two dugout boats dating from between 1200 and 1320; five yachts charting sailing on the lake from the 18th century to late 20th century; an 1870 Windermere ferry boat and copper ore barge; ten steamboats ranging in age from 1850 to 1907; seven rowing boats and a group of canoes; seven motor boats and six speed boats. The museum is housed in a new building which opened in 2019. Heritage boat trips cost an extra £10. adult £9. (updated Apr 2019)
• 3 Blackwell House, ☏ +44 1539 446139.  
• 4 Orrest Head.  
• Fell Foot Park. 

Buy

• 1 Booths, Victoria St, LA23 1QA (near the railway station). M-Sa 8AM-9PM, Su 10AM-4PM. Medium sized upmarket supermarket, in the former station building. 

Eat

• 1 The Hideaway Restaurant, Phoenix Way, Windermere LA23 1DB, England, ☏ +44 15394 43070. 

Drink

• 1 The Queens Pub & Restaurant, Victoria Street, Windermere LA231AB, England. 

Sleep

Hotels

• 1 Low Wood Bay (English Lakes), Low Wood Bay, LA23 1LP, ☏ +44 15394 33338. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: 11AM. Low Wood Bay is a 4-star resort hotel on the lake shore of Windermere. Featuring its own leisure club and beauty salon including a 50-foot swimming pool and jacuzzi. £49-98 pppn. 

• 2 Miller Howe, Rayrigg Road LA23 1EY, ☏ +44 15394 42536. 
• 3 Broadoaks, Bridge Lane, Troutbeck LA23 1LA, ☏ +44 1539 445566. Gorgeous hotel in 19th century country house, great dining. Open Feb-Dec, no children under 4. B&B double £160. (updated Jul 2020)

Bed and breakfast

• 4 Holbeck Ghyll, Holbeck Ln, LA23 1LU, ☏ +44 15394 32375. 
• Windermere Manor. 
• 5 Gilpin Hotel, Crook Rd, Windermere LA23 3NE (B5284 three miles east of lake), ☏ +44 1539 488818. Stylish upscale hotel with 31 rooms, plus Lake House and spa half a mile away. No children under 7. B&B double £300. (updated Jun 2020)
• 6 Linthwaite House, Crook Rd, LA23 3JA, ☏ +44 15394 88600. 
• 7 Hillthwaite, Thornbarrow Rd, LA23 2DF, ☏ +44 15394 43636. 
• 8 Nanny Brow, Nanny Brow Clappersgate Ambleside LA22 9NF, ☏ +44 15394 33232. 
• 9 The Samling, Ambleside Rd, LA23 1LR, ☏ +44 15394 31922. 
• 10 Cedar Manor, Ambleside Rd, LA23 1AX, ☏ +44 15394 43192, info@cedarmanor.co.uk. Check-in: 4pm, check-out: 11am. A family-owned small, boutique hotel. (updated Jul 2022)
• 11 Beech Hill, Newby Bridge Road, LA23 3LR, ☏ +44 844 502 7587. 
• 12 Storrs Hall, Windermere, LA23 3LG, ☏ +44 15394 47111. 
• 13 Ivy Bank, Holly Road LA23 2AF, ☏ +44 15394 42601. £32-£45 pppn. 

Self-catering

• 14 Limefitt Park, Troutbeck, Cumbria LA23 1PA. Caravans and Cottages in a holiday park. 

Go next

• Bowness-on-Windermere is about a mile away on the lake and can easily be reached on foot.
• Ambleside is a few miles north on Lake Windermere
• Hawkshead and Coniston are to the west
• Kendal is to the east and provides road and rail connections