Windermere

Windermere is the largest natural lake in England and the surrounding towns and villages are among the most popular holiday destinations in the UK.

Luxury bed and breakfasts with spa suites and hot tubs in Windermere are one of the most popular types of holiday accommodation in the Lakes.

Windermere first started to attract tourists when the Kendal and Windermere Railways were opened in 1847 and many wealthy Victorians flocked to the Lakes to buy holiday homes.

Within Cumbria and the Lake District National Park, Windermere is 10.5 miles long and 220 ft deep at its deepest point.

The word ‘Windermere’ is said to translate as ‘Winand or Vinand’s Lake, suggesting that Old Norse was once a living language in the area.

Formed 13,000 years ago, during the major ice age by two glaciers which melted, Windermere is a ribbon lake, which now attracts 16 million visitors a year to its scenic shores.

Bowness-on-Windermere is the only town or village that directly touches the lakeshore and is home to a tourist information office, a wide choice of traditional country pubs, bars, restaurants and cafes.

Luxury bed and breakfasts with spa suites and hot tubs in Windermere are one of the most popular types of holiday accommodation in the Lakes.

The lake contains 18 islands, the largest of which is Belle Isle, opposite Bowness (40 acres).

Passenger ferries run regularly from Bowness and offer one of the best ways to get around the Lake District. Visitors can hop on and off the ferries at points of interest, including Brockhole, the Lake District Visitor Centre and the Lakes Aquarium. Some vessels only operate part of the lake, while others run the whole distance.

Luxury bed and breakfast suites with hot tubs and spa baths are perfect for a romantic weekend or a midweek break in Windermere.

Four of the largest boating clubs include: the Windermere Motor Boat Racing Club, the Lake District Boat Club, the Royal Windermere Yacht Club and the Windermere Cruising Association.

Power boat racing and water-skiing were once popular sports on Windermere until the year 2000 when controversially the Lake District National Park Authority controversially introduced a byelaw setting a 12mph speed limit for all powered craft on the Lake. The new speed limits were enforced in March, 2005.

Famous former residents of the Lake District include poet and author, William Wordsworth and children’s author, Beatrix Potter who wrote and illustrated some of her most famous books while living in the Lakes.

Luxury bed and breakfasts with spa suites and hot tubs in Windermere are one of the most popular types of holiday accommodation in the Lakes.

Wordsworth’s former home, Dove Cottage, is open to the public and is situated in Grasmere. Hill Top House, the former house of Beatrix Potter in Sawrey was left to the National Parks Trust, on the condition that it was left as it was and opened to the public. Many features of the house are exactly the same as Potter left them.

The Great North Swim takes place in Windermere every June and involves up to 10,000 amateur and professional swimmers over courses running 2 miles, 1 mile and half a mile.

The 3 Lakes Challenge is not for the faint hearted! It involves swimming the length of Loch Awe in Scotland (25 miles), driving to the Lake District and swimming the length of Windermere (10.5 miles) and driving to Wales to swim the length of Llyn Tegid (4 miles).

Luxury bed and breakfasts with hot tubs in Windermere are one of the most popular types of holiday accommodation in the Lakes.

Wherever you decide to stay in the Lake District you will find a wide choice of spa hotels and luxury cottages to choose from.