Last week, to make the most of the glorious weather we were having and the fact that it was supposed to be 26 degrees, I decided to head up to the Central Lake District for a day on Lake Windermere. As a general rule I would usually prefer to head up to the Northern and Western Lake District because the Central Lakes is just sooooooo busy, and it doesn’t really seem to have an “off” season, but it’s undeniable that it is exceedingly beautiful place (there’s a reason for all of those visitors!). I also spent a lot of time there as a child, spending weeks at a time in Ambleside staying with family friends. It was somewhat quieter then, but could still be pretty chaotic at times. Being in this beautiful place is a privilege, no matter how crowded it is, but if you do go up to Lake Windermere, do be prepared to deal with crowds, and also “captive market” prices. If it’s possible for you, I would recommend going outside of the UK school holidays, or during the week, as it might be slightly less crowded for you.

“[The Lake District] has a permanent population of 40,000, but a temporary tourist population of more than 19 million.” – UNESCO

Anyway, mum and I headed to Lakeside early. It’s about an hour’s drive from where we are, but in the middle of week and outside of school holidays the traffic wasn’t too bad. They must have known we were coming as there was a disabled space free just in front of the ticket booth, meaning mum didn’t have too far to walk (note: as the car park is privately owned, blue badge holders pay for parking).

We bought two Freedom of the Lake tickets for a slightly discounted price as we bought them before 10.30am, and waited for the next boat. We’d decided we were going to go up to Ambleside for some lunch. The boat trip goes via Bowness on it’s way to Ambleside. Lakeside to Bowness takes about 35 minutes, and then Bowness to Ambleside is another 25 minutes after a short stop. If you stayed on board for the whole round trip Lakeside to Lakeside, it takes about three hours.

There is a 10mph speed limit for boats on Lake Windermere, implemented in part to preserve the Lake District’s UNESCO World Heritage site status, and reduce the amount of noise pollution around the Lake (and also slightly ironic because, as anyone who knows the area can attest, the army/RAF frequently use the Lake District for flight path practice, dramatically increasing the noise levels!). The lake cruisers are beautiful vessels, fully equipped with comfortable seats both inside and out, toilets, and cafe & bar. It’s worth noting that the newer of the ships has a disabled bathroom on the main deck whereas in the two older ships (Swan & Tern), the bathrooms are down steep stairs.

The English Lake District is the world’s largest World Heritage site, and has inspired poets, artists, and writers for centuries. The area was also instrumental in changing the way people relate to natural landscapes and their protection.

It was gorgeous out on the Lake, and I definitely caught the sun. I was glad I had my sun cream on that day (although I wish I’d remembered my own hat)! It’s a bit deceptive because there’s often a nice breeze on the lake, and it can lull you into a false idea of how strong the sun actually is.

Upon arriving at Ambleside we wandered up the busy quay to a little café for some lunch. It’s about a mile from the edge of the lake into Ambleside itself, which is too far for mum to walk, although there is a small shuttle bus that runs from the quay every so often if you do want to go. We decided not to go up to town, and instead stay by the water for a bite to eat, and catch a boat back after about an hour. We enjoyed some lunch, followed by a short walk up the quay, before getting back on the boat to Bowness.

In Bowness we hopped off again to have an ice cream (some delicious English Lakes Ice Cream), whilst we waited for the boat back to Lakeside. The return journey down the West side of the Lake is really beautiful, as it’s the less developed side of the lake. Apparently the woodland found on the western shore is one of the largest continuous stretches of native woodland in England (which is both awesome and a little bit sad because it’s not really that large!). The western shore is more protected from development, but one of the things that is there is the largest YMCA centre in Europe, which runs youth activities such as canoeing, climbing, paddle-boarding, sailing etc. for more than 13,000 people a year.

Lake Windermere and the surrounding area is stunningly beautiful, and the views from the Lake itself are unparalleled. If you head out in summer, remember your sunscreen, but the boats run 364 days a year and it’s a great trip to do on any clear day. I did it about a decade ago when there was snow on the mountaintops, and whilst I had to wrap up against the elements, the vistas were gorgeous. You can buy tickets for Lake District cruises on the Windermere Cruises website.

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