Windermere Lake Cruises facts for kids
 |
|
| Private company | |
| Industry | Passenger transportation Leisure cruises |
| Predecessor | Bowness Bay Boating Company, Ambleside Motor Launch Company, Windermere Iron Steamboat Company, British Rail (Sealink) |
| Headquarters | Bowness-on-Windermere, Cumbria,
United Kingdom
|
|
Number of locations
|
3 |
|
Area served
|
Windermere |
| Services | Cruises and Self Drive Hire boats |
|
Number of employees
|
up to 150 |
| Parent | Winander Leisure Limited |
Windermere Lake Cruises is a boat company that offers fun trips on Windermere. This is England's largest natural lake, located in the beautiful Lake District. The company is based in Bowness-on-Windermere, Cumbria. They help people explore the lake and enjoy its amazing views.
Contents
History of Lake Cruises
Windermere has always been a busy place for boats. For many years, boats carried both people and goods up and down the lake.
Early Steam Boats
The very first steamship on any English lake was the Lady of the Lake. It started sailing on Windermere in 1845. Two years later, in 1847, another company launched the Firefly, followed by the Dragonfly in 1850. These companies later joined together in 1858. They then added more ships, like the Rothay (1867) and the Swan (1869). The Rothay was the last paddle steamer built for the lake. All boats after that used propellers.
Railway Ownership
In 1869, the Furness Railway opened a train line to Lakeside station. This made it easy for people to switch from trains to boats at the south end of the lake. The railway company soon took full control of the boat services in 1872. They even bought a steam barge called Raven in 1871. This boat carried cargo and also helped break ice in winter for the passenger ships.
More boats joined the fleet under the railway's ownership, including the Cygnet (1879), Teal (1879), Tern (1891), Swift (1900), and Britannia (1909).
Changes Over the Years
In 1923, the lake steamers became part of a bigger railway company called the London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS). The LMS built two new motor vessels for Windermere: the Teal (1936) and the Swan (1938). The old Raven was sold in 1927 and is now a museum exhibit.
In 1948, the boats came under government control as part of British Railways. By 1970, the Windermere boat service was known as Sealink Windermere.
Modern Windermere Lake Cruises
In 1984, British Railways sold Sealink. The Windermere operations went back to using an old name: Windermere Iron Steamboat Company. Then, in 1993, a local company called Bowness Bay Boating Company bought the Windermere Iron Steamboat Company. They already had many boats on the lake. After this merger, the combined company was renamed Windermere Lake Cruises. A brand new Swift boat joined the fleet in 2020.
How the Cruises Work
The main office for Windermere Lake Cruises is near the ferry pier in Bowness-on-Windermere. The boats are repaired and kept at a special slipway in Lakeside and a dry dock in Waterhead.
The company has 17 passenger boats. Four of these are larger ships, often called "steamers" even though they now run on diesel or electricity. There are also many smaller boats called "launches." You can also rent self-drive boats.
They offer many different trips:
| Name | Route | What it's like |
|---|---|---|
| Yellow | Bowness-on-Windermere – Lakeside Station – Bowness-on-Windermere | Runs all year; mostly uses the big "steamer" boats. |
| Red | Bowness-on-Windermere – Windermere Jetty - (Brockhole National Park Visitor Centre) – Ambleside – Bowness-on-Windermere | Runs all year; uses both steamers and launches. Only launches stop at Brockhole and Windermere Jetty. |
| Green | Ambleside – Brockhole National Park Visitor Centre – Wray Castle – Ambleside | Runs from March to October; uses smaller launch boats. |
| Blue | Bowness-on-Windermere - 45 Minute Circular Tour of the Islands - Bowness-on-Windermere | Runs all year; uses launches, with one trip per day on the Swift in summer. |
| Bike Boat | Brockhole National Park Visitor Centre – Bark Barn at Claife – Brockhole National Park Visitors Centre | Runs from May to September; uses a launch specially made to carry bicycles. |
| Ferry | Bowness-on-Windermere – Ferry House at Far Sawrey – Bowness-on-Windermere | Runs from March to October; uses launch boats. |
| Ferry | Lakeside Station – Fell Foot Park – Lakeside Station | Runs from March to September; uses launch boats. |
| Self Drive | Bowness-on-Windermere / Ambleside Waterhead | You can rent electric motor launches and rowing boats for yourself for most of the year. |
The Fleet of Boats
Windermere Lake Cruises has a fantastic fleet of boats, from historic "steamers" to modern launches.
The Big "Steamers"
These are the largest boats, often called steamers because of their history, even though they now use diesel or electric power.
| Name | Built | About the boat | Image |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tern | 1891 | The Tern was built in 1891 as a steam yacht. It was changed to run on diesel in 1956. It is about 44 meters long and can carry up to 350 passengers. It's a very old and important boat, part of the National Historic Fleet. | .jpg) |
| Teal | 1936 | The Teal was built in 1936. It was brought to Lakeside in pieces by train and then put together. It is about 43 meters long and can carry up to 533 passengers. It got new engines in 2020-2021 and is also part of the National Historic Fleet. |  |
| Swan | 1938 | The Swan was built in 1938, just like the Teal, and assembled at Lakeside. It is also about 43 meters long and can carry up to 533 passengers. It has two diesel engines and is another important boat in the National Historic Fleet. | .jpg) |
| Swift | 2020 | The Swift is a modern boat with three decks. It can hold 300 passengers. It was built in 2020 and uses a special diesel-electric system, making it very easy to steer. It's also fully accessible for wheelchairs and started carrying passengers in October 2020. |  |
The Launches
These are smaller, faster boats that offer different types of trips around the lake.
| Name | Built | About the boat | Image |
|---|---|---|---|
| Muriel II | 1935 | The Muriel II was built in 1935 right here in Windermere. It is about 13.7 meters long and can carry up to 57 passengers. It's also recognized as a historic ship. | .jpg) |
| Sunflower II | 1949 | The Sunflower II was built in 1949 in Windermere. It is about 13.7 meters long and can carry up to 57 passengers. It's another boat listed by National Historic Ships. | |
| Queen of the Lake | 1949 | The Queen of the Lake was built in 1949. It is about 15.2 meters long and can carry up to 84 passengers. | .jpg) |
| Princess of the Lake | 1950 | The Princess of the Lake was built in 1950. It is about 15.2 meters long and can carry up to 84 passengers, just like the Queen of the Lake. | .jpg) |
| Silverholme | 1969 | The Silverholme was built in 1969. It is about 16.2 meters long and can carry up to 84 passengers. | .jpg) |
| Miss Cumbria I-IV | 1974-1988 | There are four "Miss Cumbria" boats, built in the Netherlands. Each is about 20 meters long and can carry up to 128 passengers. The image shows Miss Cumbria III. | .jpg) |
| Miss Lakeland I | 1985 | The Miss Lakeland I was built in the Netherlands in 1985. It is about 20.4 meters long and can carry up to 173 passengers. | .jpg) |
| Miss Westmorland | 1988 | The Miss Westmorland was built in Bristol in 1988. It is about 18.3 meters long and can carry up to 128 passengers. |  |
| Venture | 1966 | The Venture was built on the shores of Windermere in 1966. It is about 10.6 meters long and can carry up to 45 passengers. In 2017-2018, it was changed to run on electricity, so it produces zero carbon emissions! | .jpg) |
| Miss Lakeland II | 1992 | The Miss Lakeland II was built in the Netherlands in 1992. It is about 20.3 meters long and can carry up to 156 passengers. |  |
