Things To Do in Windermere and Bowness

There is regular steamer service around Windermere, the largest of the lakes (about 17km/11 miles long). It's also possible to take a steamer on Coniston Water, a small lake that Wordsworth called "a broken spoke sticking in the rim." Coniston Water is a smaller and less heavily traveled lake than Windermere.

Launch and steamer cruises depart from Bowness daily throughout the year operated by Windermere Lake Cruises Ltd. (tel. 01539/443360; www.windermere-lakecruises.co.uk). Round-trip service is available among Bowness, Ambleside, and Lakeside at rates ranging from £12 to £14 for adults and £5.80 to £7 for children; it's £32 to £35 for a family ticket. There is a 45-minute "Island Cruise" for £6.60 for adults, £3.30 for children, and £18 for a family ticket.

At Lakeside, you can ride a steam train to Haverthwaite. A combination boat/train ticket is £12 to £19 for adults, £6.60 to £9.35 for children, and £35 to £52 for a family ticket.

An attraction at Lakeside, near Newby Bridge, is the Aquarium of the Lakes (tel. 01539/530153; www.lakesaquarium.co.uk), with an exhibit of fish and wildlife. The aquarium is open November to March daily from 9am to 4pm, and April to October daily from 9am to 5pm. Combination boat/admission tickets from Ambleside are £22 for adults, £12 for children, and £62 for a family ticket; from Bowness, tickets are £20 to £25 for adults, £11 for children, and £59 for a family ticket. Aquarium-only admission is £8.35 for adults, £5.40 for children 3 to 15, and £20 to £24 for a family ticket (two adults and two children).

Directly south of Windermere, Bowness is an attractive old lakeside town with lots of Victorian architecture, much of it dating from Queen Victoria's day. This has been an important center for boating and fishing for a long time, and you can rent boats of all descriptions to explore the lake.

Drive a short distance south of Windermere to Cartmel Fell, situated between the A592 and the A5074, and you'll find a pub-lover's dream. The Mason Arms, Strawberry Bank (tel. 01539/568486), is a Jacobean pub with original oak paneling and flagstone floors. Sturdy, comfortable wooden furniture is spread through a series of five rooms in which you can wander or settle. The outside garden, attractive in its own right, offers a dramatic view of the Winster Valley beyond. The pub offers so many beers that they have a 24-page catalog to help you order, plus a creative, reasonable menu that includes several tasty vegetarian options. Beer prices start at £2.50.

Southeast of the village, off the A5074 in Crosthwaithe, the Punch Bowl (tel. 01539/568234) is a 16th-century pub; the central room features a high-beamed ceiling with upper minstrel galleries on two sides. Outdoors, a stepped terrace on the hillside offers a tranquil retreat. Theakston's Best Bitter, Jennings Cumberland, and Cocker Hoop are available on tap.

Established in 1612, the Hole in t' Wall, Lowside (tel. 01539/443488), is the oldest pub in Bowness, a real treasure for its character and friendliness. The barroom is decorated with a hodgepodge of antiquated farming tools, and there's a large slate fireplace lending warmth on winter days plus a good selection of real ales on tap. The menu, determined daily, illustrates real ingenuity in an eclectic mix of vegetarian, seafood, and local game dishes. A small flagstone terrace in the front encourages lingering on warmer days and evenings.