Windermere – England’s Largest Lake: What to See & Do
There’s a moment that happens to almost every guest who visits Windermere for the first time. They arrive expecting a pretty lake.
What they get — that first glimpse of water stretching eleven miles into the fells, the light shifting across the surface, the Langdale Pikes framed in the distance — stops them in their tracks.
We’ve been hosting visitors at Kents Bank Holiday Cottage in Grange-over-Sands for well over a decade, and in that time, we’ve pointed hundreds of guests towards Windermere.
We’ve had the post-holiday messages, the repeat bookings, and the occasional phone call that begins: “We went to Windermere and we want to move to the Lake District.” We understand. We felt the same way ourselves.
This guide isn’t a list scraped from a tourist board. It’s what we actually say when guests ask us, over breakfast or by text the morning before they set off. We hope it serves you just as well.
A Town Born of the Railways
Windermere wasn’t always here. Very much a product of the Victorian railway age, it grew up around the village of Applethwaite after the opening of the line from Kendal on 20th April 1847.
Unlike stations such as Carnforth, which developed as a working railway junction, Windermere emerged in a similar way to Grange-over-Sands and Morecambe — as a leisure destination for holidaymakers arriving by train from the industrial towns of northern England.
Like Morecambe, which took its name from the bay, the new town took its name from its most prominent geographical feature — the lake.
Ambitious plans to extend the line further into the Lakes had already been defeated.
Opposition led principally by William Wordsworth successfully blocked the railway from reaching Ambleside and continuing on to Keswick, leaving Windermere as the terminus and, as a result, the gateway to the Lake District.
Growth was rapid. Within a decade, two hotels and numerous lodging houses had appeared. The population of Applethwaite tells the story clearly: just 343 inhabitants in 1801, and exceeding 2,000 by 1901.
Among the newcomers were wealthy industrialists who commuted first class to Manchester on a daily basis.
For working people, a social institute was established in 1872, but it failed to gain the support of those it was intended to serve and closed after only a few years.
The best time to visit Windermere
Windermere is worth visiting in any season — but not all seasons are equal. Here’s our honest take:
Spring
Bluebells on the shoreline, quieter roads, and the fells still dusted with clarity. The lake feels like it belongs to you.
Spring is our personal favourite. The bluebells along the eastern shore at Millerground come into bloom, the crowds haven’t arrived in force, and there’s a freshness to the air that’s genuinely hard to describe.
If you can visit in late April or early May, do.
Summer
Buzzing with energy, long evenings, watersports in full swing — but book everything early and expect company on the paths.
Insider tip
If you’re visiting in high summer, midweek is a completely different experience to a Saturday. The same views, the same lake — but without the traffic queues on the A591 and the scrum for car parking in Bowness.
Autumn
Golden colours and low mist on the water in the mornings. Arguably the most dramatic the lake ever looks.
Winter
Frosty, peaceful, and almost eerily quiet. A completely different lake — and the accommodation prices reflect that
Our number one piece of advice: go early
We tell every single guest the same thing: whatever you do, get to Bowness early.
This isn’t vague advice about “beating the crowds.” It’s practical. The car parks fill up. The lakefront becomes a sea of visitors by 11am in peak season. The ice cream queues get long.
But arrive at 8.30 or 9am, and Bowness belongs to you.
The lake is glassy, the light is extraordinary, and you can get a table at a café without waiting.
By mid-morning you’ll have already had the best of it — and you can spend the afternoon somewhere quieter while everyone else is still stuck in traffic on the way in.
The place most visitors go straight past
Millerground
If you ask us where to go around Windermere — the one place we’d send our own family — it’s Millerground.
It sits between Windermere village and Bowness, right on the eastern shore, and almost everyone rushes past it on their way between the two towns without stopping.
That’s their loss. Millerground offers some of the finest uninterrupted views across the lake towards the Langdale Pikes, an easy shoreline walk suitable for all ages, and a genuine chance of spotting red squirrels and deer in the surrounding woodland.
It’s not a car park with a view. It’s a proper, peaceful stretch of lakeside that feels nothing like the busier spots.
We never tell guests to skip Bowness entirely — it has its own energy and there’s a reason people love it.
But Millerground is where you go when you want Windermere to feel like it still holds a secret.
Top things to do at Windermere
Take the lake cruise
Windermere Lake Cruises run steamers the full length of the lake.
One couple who stayed with us described it as the highlight of their entire holiday — and they’d been to the Cotswolds the week before.
The views from the water simply can’t be replicated on land. Combine it with a walk back along the shore for a brilliant half-day out.
Walk to Orrest Head
A short but steep walk from Windermere station that changed Alfred Wainwright‘s life when he made it in 1930.
The panorama from the top — Langdales, Grasmere fells, Coniston, and on a clear day even Morecambe Bay — is one of the finest viewpoints in England. Worth every step.
Explore Millerground at leisure
See above. Flat, family-friendly, gloriously quiet. Allow an hour and bring binoculars if you have them.
Cross on the Windermere Ferry
The car ferry runs roughly halfway up the lake between Bowness and Far Sawrey.
Ten minutes, a few pounds, and an experience children in particular absolutely love. It also opens up Wray Castle and the western shore without a long detour.
Visit Wray Castle
A neo-Gothic National Trust property on the western shore, often overlooked in favour of busier attractions.
The grounds are open freely, the lake views are extraordinary, and the interiors are genuinely fascinating.
Try watersports
Kayaking, paddleboarding, sailing — Windermere has operators for all of it. A brilliant way to experience the scale of the lake from the water rather than the bank.
Stone skimming at Fell Foot Park
The southern end of the lake, close to us in Grange, hosts an annual stone skimming championship here. Even outside the event, the park is a lovely, relaxed spot for families.
Where to eat and drink: our one reliable recommendation
We’re deliberately cautious about restaurant recommendations because places change — but one we’ve been sending guests to for years, and that consistently delivers, is The Hole in’t Wall in Bowness.
It’s the oldest pub in the town, full of genuine character, with low beams, real ales, and a warmth that the newer lakeside bars can’t manufacture. If you’re in Bowness for lunch or an early evening drink, this is where to go.
A word on the Arctic charr
You might notice “potted char” on menus around Windermere and wonder what it is.
The Arctic charr is a remarkable fish — similar to a trout, it was effectively stranded deep in the cold waters of Windermere when the glaciers retreated around 15,000 years ago and has been here ever since.
It was considered a delicacy in the 17th century, preserved in spiced butter and shipped to London.
Overfishing dented the population, but a handful of local fishermen still use traditional long lines and spinners from rowing boats today. If you see it on a menu, it’s worth ordering — there’s something quite extraordinary about eating a fish with that kind of story.
Why we think Grange-over-Sands makes a better base than Bowness
We’re obviously not impartial here — but we do genuinely believe it, and guests who’ve stayed in both tend to agree.
Bowness and Windermere town are wonderful places to visit. They’re not always the most relaxing places to stay.
In high season they’re busy, parking is stressful, and the accommodation prices at the lake itself tend to reflect the demand.
More practically: once you’ve done the lake, you want somewhere to come back to that feels like the real Lake District — unhurried, local, quiet.
Grange-over-Sands is about thirty minutes from Windermere by car.
It’s a charming Edwardian town on the shores of Morecambe Bay with its own mile-long promenade, independent shops, and a pace of life that reminds you why people come to the Lake District in the first place.
From Kents Bank Holiday Cottage you can reach not just Windermere but Cartmel, Coniston, and the lesser-visited southern fells with equal ease.
After all these years, what still gives us that ‘wow’ feeling isn’t the lake itself — it’s seeing guests come back year after year because they fell in love with it. That never gets old.”
— Kents Bank Holiday Cottage, Grange-over-Sands
Windermere draws people from all over the world — families, couples, walkers, cyclists, people who’ve never been to the Lake District and people who’ve been coming for forty years.
It has that rare quality of offering something different to every single person who visits. We’ve never met a guest who came back unmoved.
If you’re planning a trip, we hope this guide helps you find your own version of it.
Staying nearby? Kents Bank Holiday Cottage is 30 minutes from Windermere
Located just 30 minutes from the lake, Lothlorien – Kents Bank Holiday Cottage provides an excellent base for exploring Windermere, Cartmel and the wider South Lakes.
If you are looking for a Lake District holiday cottage with easy access to Windermere, ring 07785944194 or click here.
How to Book Lothlorien – Kents Bank Holiday Cottage
Booking Lothlorien – Kents Bank Holiday Cottage is quick and simple. Just visit our website at kentsbankholiday.co.uk or give us a call on 07785944194. We’re always happy to answer your questions and help you find the perfect dates for your stay.
Our friendly team makes the whole process easy, so you can focus on looking forward to your relaxing pet-friendly holiday near Windermere.