Our Lake District
The linked towns of Windermere and Bowness are at the very heart of the Lake District, with beautiful Lake Windermere, England’s longest lake, right on their doorstep and breathtaking scenery wherever you look.
Windermere grew around the railway station, about a mile and a half from the lake, and Bowness is Cumbria’s most popular destination, boasting a cosmopolitan mix of shops and restaurants, and a large choice of accommodation to suit all pockets. The countryside around Windermere and Bowness, including the Lyth and Bowness-in-Windermere PierWinster valleys, is rich in gourmet pubs and country house hotels offering fine dining second-to-none.
There are things to do in and around Windermere and Bowness whatever the season. Come to explore Lake Windermere, host of the Great North Swim, for sailing and watersports, or just to relax and enjoy the atmosphere of the area. You can take a lake cruise all year round. Ghyll scrambling, rock climbing and paragliding are all close at hand. You can walk along the lakeside and enjoy panoramic views of the lake and mountains from several viewpoints. A short walk from Windermere takes you to Orrest Head, an outstanding viewpoint and the first summit in Lakeland visited by Alfred Wainwright.
There is plenty to see and do in Windermere and Bowness, with attractions from The World of Beatrix Potter in Bowness to Blackwell, overlooking the lake, one of the finest Arts and Crafts houses in the country.