Windermere at 10.5 miles (17 km) long is the largest natural lake in England, and is entirely within the Lake District National Park. It runs from Newby Bridge to Ambleside, and is a mile and a quarter across at its widest point, with a depth of up to 220 feet

Steamers and launches operate from Bowness Bay to Waterhead at Ambleside, and Lakeside (Newby Bridge) at the southern end.

The town of Windermere (not actually on the lake side!) was created with the building of the railway line from Kendal in 1847. This made England’s longest lake an easily accessible resort and a new tourist destination, attracting amongst others Beatrix Potter. Many of the hotels and guest houses built then are still serving guests today, as are many of the grand houses built by the wealthy industrialists of the time.

It is probably now the most commercialized of the English Lakes and a tourist magnet, so expect it to get very busy in the summer months!