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Windermere,
at 12 miles long, one mile wide and 220 feet deep,
is the largest natural lake in England, and is fe d
by numerous rivers.
Bowness-on-Windermere,
Lakeland's most popular holiday resort, is an
excellent centre for boating activities, with over
10,000 boats registered. Sailing, canoeing,
windsurfing and water-skiing are all evident.
Windermere is the only lake without a speed limit,
but this is currently under review. Steamers
and launchers operate from Bowness Bay to Waterhead
at Ambleside, and Lakeside at the southern end.
Windermere
Steamboats and Museum have a unique collection
of Lake Windermere's nautical heritage in a
beautiful and tranquil lakeside setting.
Windermere
Lake Cruises is the principal visitor attraction
in Cumbria and is rated amongst the top ten in
England.
A
car ferry still crosses the lake between Ferry Nab
and Ferry House providing an attractive and
convenient approach to the western side of the lake
and the villages of Hawkshead and Sawrey.
Lakeside
Pier is at the southern end of the lake and so
is the Lakeside Station of the Lakeside
and Haverthwaite Railway.
All
of the west shoreline, but very little of the east,
is owned by the National Trust. The Trust also
owns Fellfoot Park at the southern end of the lake.
The
National Park has the highest concentration of
outdoor activity centres in the UK. It is the
birthplace of mountaineering and there is a
tradition of unrestricted access to the fells
together with an extensive network of public rights
of way. Recreational walking can be traced
from Wordsworth's "Guide to the Lakes" to
the guides of more recent writers such as
Wainwright.
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to Northern
England cottage map
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