Close Attractions

5 mins walk from Storrs Gate House  Windermere ferry  carries vehicles, bicycles and foot passengers across Windermere from Ferry Nab in Bowness to Far Sawrey.

The ferry runs throughout the day and the journey takes around 10 minutes, one way. The ferry can carry up to 18 vehicles (depending on their size) and over 100 passengers.

If you miss the ferry, there is approximately a 20 minute wait for the next one. During British Summer Time demand can be high, so vehicles may queue for longer.
When you get off the ferry you will find wonderful walks, especially to Wray Castle, Beatrix Potters original house or Hawkshead.

this is normally priced at £1.20p per person.

Website (Click here)

Hill Top Farm

Location
Near Sawrey, Hawkshead, Cumbria

Public transit access
Bus/Ferry from Windermere 4.5 mi (7.2 km)

Listed Building – Grade II*
Designated
25 March 1970
Reference no.
1087304
Hill Top is a 17th-century house in Near Sawrey near Hawkshead, in the English county of Cumbria. It is an example of Lakeland vernacular architecture with random stone walls and slate roof.[1] The house was once the home of children's author and illustrator Beatrix Potter who left it to the National Trust. It is a Grade II* listed building.[2][3] It is open to the public as a writer's house museum, shown as Beatrix Potter herself would have known it. The address is Hill Top, Near Sawrey, Hawkshead, Ambleside, LA22 0LF.

Website (Click here)

Perched overlooking lake Windermere, this Grade I listed building is a masterpiece of artistic design. Architect Mackay Hugh Baillie Scott designed Blackwell as a holiday home for Manchester brewer Sir Edward Holt, Lady Holt and their five children in 1901.

When you visit you can sit and soak up the atmosphere in Blackwell’s fireplace inglenooks and inviting window seats while enjoying stunning Lake District views.  Explore the house, join a talk or meet the Holts through our digital augmented realities to learn about life in the late Victorian period.

Discover original decorative features by leading Arts & Crafts designers, including a rare hessian wall-hanging in the Dining Room, leaf-shaped door handles, ornate window catches, spectacular plasterwork, stained glass and carved wooden panelling.

The inviting Tea Room offers quality, locally-sourced Cumbrian produce. There is plenty to choose from with a  menu of freshly prepared lunches, delicious homemade cakes, alcoholic drinks, teas and coffees
Eat inside or out on our wonderful terraces during the summer.

Website (Click here)

The World of Beatrix Potter Attraction can be found in Windermere. The attraction as won a number of awards and is One of the Top Ten most Popular Visitor Centres and the attraction  is a great place for all the family Young and Old. With or without children.   Within the centre you will discover Peter Rabbit, Jemima Puddle Duck and all their friends in a magical indoor recreation of Beatrix Potter classic tales, with the sights, sounds and also the smells of the countryside. You will be able to see Mrs. Tiggy-winkle in the Kitchen, go past Jeremy Fisher's Pond and even walk through Squirrel Nutkin's Old Oak Tree? Also at the centre you will be able to learn more about Beatrix Potter's life in the Hidden Beatrix Potter's presentation and video wall. Take a break in the Tailor of Gloucester Tea Rooms and then a visit to shop where you can browse and purchase top quality Beatrix Potter merchandise.

Website (Click here)

Wray Castle is a Victorian neo-gothic building at Claife in the English county of Cumbria. The house and grounds have belonged to the National Trust since 1929, but the house has only recently opened to the public on a regular basis. The grounds, which include part of the shoreline of Windermere, are open all year round and are renowned for their selection of specimen trees - Wellingtonia, Redwood, Ginkgo biloba, Weeping lime and varieties of Beech.

Between March & October, Windermere Lake Cruises operate a passenger boat service from Ambleside and the Brockhole National Park Visitor Centre to Wray Castle.

Wray Castle also have a lovely little Tea shop.

Website (Click here)

Be wild and try something new, soar through the sky on a treetop adventure, or splash out on the water. Take in the beauty of our awesome mountain views, taste the best of local food and ale. Brockhole is the ultimate start to make your lakeland escape memorable.
House and gardens
The Brockhole grounds cover an area of 30 acres, with 10 acres of formal gardens.

Timeline of the house
1896: William Gaddum purchased the site.
1897: The Gaddum family had Brockhole built. Architect Dan Gibson designed the house for William Henry Adolphus Gaddum, a silk merchant from Manchester, who wished to have a ‘summer house’ in the newly fashionable Lake District. 
1899: William, his wife Edith Potter (cousin to Beatrix Potter) and two children, Jim and Molly, moved into the house. Beatrix Potter was a frequent visitor to the house, and she refers to the house in her Journals.
1946: The family sold the house when William Gaddum died. 
1948: Merseyside Hospital Board purchased it and converted it into a convalescent home.
1966: The Lake District National Park Authority (LDNPA) purchased Brockhole 
1969: LDNPA opened Brockhole as the UK’s first National Park Visitor Centre.  In its first month (June) it had 40,000 visitors. 
1998: We carried out a major refurbishment with Heritage Lottery grant funding. 
Today: We are looking to refurbish the centre once again, with a particular emphasis on restoring the gardens.
The gardens
Thomas Mawson designed the gardens, working closely with Dan Gibson who designed the house. Mawson is internationally known as a key influence in the design of gardens during the Arts and Crafts movement.

Website (Click here)

From mountain-top to Morecambe Bay the award-winning Aquarium of the Lakes takes you on an amazing voyage of discovery. More than 30 spectacular, naturally-themed habitats bring the natural history of the Lake District vividly to life. Enjoy close encounters with hundreds of amazing creatures including trout, eels, pike, perch, giant crabs, rays and many more. Come face to face with playful otters in their riverbank home, discover the mysterious life of a river after dark and take a closer look at Lakeland life in AquaQuest's educational activity centre. Then enjoy the ultimate underwater thrill as you stroll along a recreated section of Windermere's lake-bed surrounded by surrounded by gigantic carp and the amazing diving ducks.

Windermere Jetty: Museum of Boats, Steam and Stories is a museum on the eastern shore of Windermere between Bowness-on-Windermere and the town of Windermere in Cumbria, England. It reopened in March 2019 after 12 years' closure and redevelopment work.
The sights, smells and sound of life on the lake. A spectacular new museum and stunning cafe on the shores of Windermere. Arrive by boat, road or foot.
Steam launches, sailing yachts, motor boats and record-breaking speed boats are exhibited in the boathouse, on the water and in our exhibition galleries, while our live conservation workshop will be open every day where you can see our collection of histroic boats as they are painstakingly restored.
open daily 10.00am - 5.00pm

Website (Click here)

In the village of Bowness-on-Windermere you will find Windermere lake Cruises, Enjoy a cruise around the islands of buy a Freedom of the Lake ticket to sail to Ambleside, Wray Castle, Brockhole and or Lakeside. 
(We have a 10% off ticket for the boats at our reception in Storrs Gate House )
Jazz Cruises
Enjoy a freshly prepared buffet, a relaxed atmosphere and a unique viewing point for some of the Lake District's most beautiful scenery.
Our resident band 'Trickle Charge' will be playing a selection of Latin rhythms, mainstream jazz and tasteful pop as you cruise the entire length of Windermere.
This popular two and a half hour cruise includes a quality two-course cold buffet, a fully licensed bar (includes draught ale and lager) and a dance floor later in the cruise.
This elegant cruise is a great way to spend a summer evening and are always extremely popular - make sure you book your place early to secure your place. 

Website (Click here)

This is a lovely walk from Storrs Gate House to Claife Viewing Station ( 25 mins walk ) but you must stop at the beautiful little coffee shop with lots of homemade treats.
The walk includes a crossing on the Windermere Ferry ( £1 per person ) over to Sawrey on the western shore. You will then walk up to the Claife Viewing Station, a Victorian tourist attraction, with an amazing view of Windermere. 
Walk in the footsteps of the original tourists to the Lake District and ponder at the concept of a purpose built monument to view the landscape of Lake Windermere.
Happy Walking. Only 1 mile.

Storrs Gate House
Longtail Hill, Bowness-on-Windermere LA23 3JD

Head north-west on Longtail Hill/B5285 towards A592
 
39 ft

Turn right onto A592
 
427 ft

Turn left onto B5285
 
0.3 mi

Take the Far Sawrey - Bowness-on-Windermereferry
 
0.3 mi

Continue straight onto B5285 
Destination will be on the right
 
0.2 mi
Claife Viewing Station and Windermere West Shore
Windermere west shore, Far Sawrey LA22 0LW

Website (Click here)

Hire:
Canoes
Kayaks
Stand-Up-Paddleboards
E-Bikes 
Mountain Bikes
Canoe / Kayak / Paddleboarding (SUPs)
Launch straight onto Windermere from our boathouse.  Explore the lake, its islands and wildlife.  Great with friends or for family adventures.

Bike hire
Follow scenic, traffic-free trails right from our doorstep.  We offer a choice of bikes, suitable for all ages and abilities.
Demo / Buy
Our shop is stocked full of the latest boats, SUPs, paddles and helmets and we have a selection of demo boats for you to try.

Ferry Nab, Bowness-on-Windermere,
Cumbria  LA23 3JH

Daily 9am to 5pm
Contact
Email: office@windermerecanoekayak.com 

Call: 015394 44451   Tweet: @WindermereCanoe

For try before you buy information

Website (Click here)

Holehird
Holehird Gardens in November - 3 things to look out for when you visit:
Autumn colour lingers well into November at Holehird.  Leaves may be falling but the colourful foliage still delights whether framing the view of the surrounding hills or forming a colourful carpet underfoot.  Brightly coloured berries are also prominent this year.  The Holly Bed next to the viewpoint has wonderful specimens ranging from red, of course, through yellow and black.
Next to the Holly Bed, the Grasses Bed offers a surprising range of colour, shape and texture at this time of year.  On a sunny autumn day, highlights of contrasting gold and silver are seen in plants such as Miscanthus sinensis 'Yaku-jima' while closer inspection reveals deeper greens and reds in specimens such as Panicum virgatum 'Squaw'.
While other parts of the garden are preparing for winter, the National Collection of polystichum ferns continues to thrive. These soft-shield ferns are wintergreen, which means this year's fronds only die back after next year's have appeared, providing year-round interest.  In the main fern border, planting is in raised banks, mimicking the conditions in which they grow in the wild. Look out for polystichum x dycei, easy to identify by its gold label highlighting it as one of the plants chosen by the Holehird volunteers to feature in our 50th anniversary publication "Gardeners' Choice".
The Lakeland Horticultural Society
Patterdale Road
Windermere
Cumbria
LA23 1NP
015394 46008

Website (Click here)

A fascinating collection of some 30,000 exhibits which trace the development of road transport throughout the twentieth century - motor cars, motorbikes, cycles and automobila.

Explore our fascinating collection of over 30,000 exhibits that trace the development of road transport throughout the twentieth century - cycles, motorbikes, motor cars and automobilia.

Housed in a converted mill in the heart of the Lake District, we’re minutes from Lake Windermere and offer joint tickets with Windermere Lake Cruises and other local attractions.

Much more than just a motor museum, our local history and period shopping displays, authentic recreations and picturesque riverside cafe makes it a great day out for the whole family.

OPEN TODAY 9:30am to 4.30pm
We're open every day except Christmas Day

Website (Click here)