Prior to my recent family trip to Ambleside I had decided that a trip to the Lake District would not be complete without actually going on a lake. I had looked up all of the details about lake cruises and then left them in London. So, it was pure luck that during a not very pleasant walk we ended up at Brockhole Visitors Centre where we discovered that it would be much easier to take a boat across the lake rather than battle with traffic and lack of pavements.
We boarded the boat at Brockhole where we were greeted by two very friendly people. Not having planned the trip we didn't know much about where we were going or how much the boat was going to cost but the staff could not have been more helpful. They made sure that we got a good deal with the ticket price and told us a little bit about our destination.
Windermere Lake Cruises have several different kinds of boats. On the way to Bowness we took one of the Traditional Launches. I absolutely loved this. I have done my share of travelling by boat, I love being on water so I always take the chance to take cruises if I can. The thing that made this cruise stand out was how old fashioned the boat was. It's there in the name, it's traditional and tradition for me is a big part of the attraction to the Lake District. It seemed fitting that the boat should be like this.
Before getting on the boat I had worried that it would be an unpleasant journey because the boat didn't look very modern but I found that it was quite the opposite. There was a permanent vibration that was a little bit unpleasant but for the most part it was quite a smooth ride. My sister did start to feel a little bit queasy towards the end of the journey but she is pregnant so that could be why.
The staff did give a little bit of information about the lake. For me personally I would have liked to hear more but this isn't a tour boat so I wasn't expecting it and the information that they did give us was interesting. In some ways it was nice just to be able to relax while we slowly made our way across Windermere. The scenery is breath taking and I think the best way to see it is from the lake. You just get a completely different perspective.
We sat outside on the boat but there is space inside for people to sit. The day we did the cruise was the only day that it wasn't raining and it was actually very sunny. I'm not good in the heat and sun for too long but the journey wasn't that long and I enjoyed sitting out in the sun, taking in my surroundings and just being peaceful. It gave me a real sense of tranquility. The wooden benches are even surprisingly comfortable!
On the way back we took the Swan and Teal boat. I wasn't particularly impressed with this boat and didn't enjoy the journey. The boat was just too big and it felt more like it was purely for transport rather than an enjoyable trip across the lake. It wasn't overly crowded and there was plenty of place for people to sit so it wasn't as bad as normal public transport but it felt like public transport all the same.
Overall I had a really good experience with Windermere Lake Cruises. I didn't realise at the time that they had five different kinds of boats, if I had I would have wanted to try them all! As it is I can recommend the traditional launches, I had a very enjoyable, tranquil trip on one of them but I found the Swan and Teal to be less pleasant, although an efficient way to travel.
Prices vary depending on how many trips you plan to take and where you are departing from and going to. I believe the prices are changing soon so the best thing to do would be to visit the website.
http://www.windermere-lakecruises.co.uk/fares.cfm
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Sounds like something that would suit hubby and me just perfectly in a few weeks time, erm, even though it's rather cold... I'm going to bookmark this for when I visit the Lakes. x
Oct 19th, 2009
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