Bowness & Windermere in the English Lake District

The English Lake District
Day Trips from Manchester in the Northwest of England

Aerial photograph of Bowness on Windermere © Webb Aviation

Windermere is the largest natural lake in England. It has been one of the country’s most popular places for holidays and summer homes since 1847, thanks largely to the arrival of the railway at Windermere town.

Windermere and Bowness or two separate townships, though the name 'Bowness-on-Windermere' often confuses visitors, who, believing that they have visited Windermere, have actually just spent the day in Bowness.

Bowness-on-Windermere is probably the most popular tourist destination in the English Lakes. Located on the shore of Windermere, midway between Waterhead at its northern limit, and Lakeside at its southern. It developed after the opening of the railway line from Oxenholme and Kendal to Windermere in 1847. Bowness was the nearest accessible point on the lake.

Bowness is busy throughout the year, not only for sailing and watersports, but for its English "seaside" atmosphere and pleasant lakeside paths. It is only about 1½ hours drive from central Manchester and is thereby very popular as a day trip for for the family.

This is a busy, bustling town that boasts hundreds of shops, eating and drinking establishments and many fine cultural and historical attractions. The views from Bowness out across the lake and up to the mountains are some of the finest in the Lake District.

The 15th century church of St Martin is set back from the main street in a leafy enclave. The lakeside town is popular with all ages, with a bustling focus on the lakeshore at Bowness Bay.

Many leisure activilites abound here, ranging from rowing boat hire for a short foray out onto the lake itself, to sailing on the 'steamer' taking visitors further out across England's longest lake (about 11 miles long). Bowness also boasts "The World of Beatrix Potter Attraction", as well as the collection of sailing craft at the Windermere Steamboat Museum, just a mile uphill from the village centre.

Boats from the lakeside piers in Bowness sail around the lake, many calling at Ambleside or at Lakeside where there is a restored railway.

Readers of Arthur Ransome's "Swallows and Amazons" and will recognise Bowness as the lakeside town of 'Rio'.

The township of Windermere is actually about half a mile away from the lake after which it was named. Although the town does not touch the lake, it has now grown together with the older lakeside town of Bowness-on-Windermere, though the two retain distinguishable town centres - essentially, Bowness is at the bottom of the hill and Windermere is at the top, about a half hour's walk away. There are a number of museums, but the town has few tourist attractions as such, but does have a mainline railway station. The town offers a most beautiful view of the surrounding mountains.

Windermere town was known as Birthwaite prior to the arrival of the Kendal and Windermere Railway, which stimulated its development. Windermere station offers train and bus connections to the surrounding area, Manchester, Manchester Airport, and the West Coast Main Line.

Regrettably, there is no longer a Tourist Information Centre in Bowness or Windermere - the nearest is at either Ambleside or Coniston.

See Also: Lakes Tourist Information Centres