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Current Service Status: amber
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Cross Lakes, bus and Hill Top

A combined ticket for boat and bus travel including entry to Hill Top - Beatrix Potter's former home.

A map showing Bowness to Ash landing route on Windermere

Travel direct from the heart of Bowness village to Hill Top - Beatrix Potter's former home.

This combined boat/bus/attraction ticket is the best way to travel to this fascinating National Trust property and gets you guaranteed entry into Hill Top.

Your ticket price includes:

Ash Landing

🛳️ Return boat travel between Bowness and Ash Landing.

(Operates every day)

A shuttle service from Bowness to Ash Landing offers a convenient way to access the western shore. Enjoy stunning views of woodlands, historic houses, and beautiful gardens along the way.

🕑 The journey takes about 20 minutes.

Mountain goat

🚌 Return bus travel between Ash Landing and Hill Top.

(Not on Fridays unless peak school holidays)

The Mountain Goat 525 bus conveniently picks you up from Ash Landing Car Park - only 100 metres from our pier. From there, the bus takes you up the hill to drop you off at Hill Top.

🕑 The journey takes about 15 minutes.

Hilltop

🎫 Guaranteed entry into Hill Top - Beatrix Potter's former home

(Not open Fridays unless peak school holidays)

Step into the enchanting world of Beatrix Potter by visiting National Trust property Hill Top, her cherished home and the birthplace of her beloved stories.

Brimming with her favourite things, this historic cottage is where Beatrix found inspiration for her tales and nurtured her love for the Lake District.

This ticket also includes return bus/boat travel to Bowness - valid at anytime.


How this ticket works:

An image depicting the journey to Hill Top including 1) a 20 mins boat ride 2) and 15 mins bus ride and then 3) visit to Hill Top

  • With spaces on this ticket limited, you must pre-book the day before to ensure space on the bus and at Hill Top. If space is available, you may also buy tickets on the day from Bowness Pier ticket office.
  • Select a departure time from Bowness Pier 3 - 9:50, 10:35, 11:25. 12:15, 13:50, or 14:40. The full journey from Bowness to Hill Top takes around 40-45mins.
  • Show your booking at the pier ticket office, when boarding the awaiting bus at Ash Landing and entrance to Hill Top.
  • You can return on any bus and boat back from Hill Top on the day. The last bus departure from Hill Top departs 16:30, getting into Bowness at 17:00 - This will be shown on your e-ticket
    Take a copy of the timetable with you (PDF)

A photo of a lady outside Hill Top Farm with a national Trust logo. Image courtesy of Punktoad on Creative Commons Flickr

  • Find out more about Hill Top on the National Trust website
  • Photo: Thanks to PunkToad on Creative Commons CC 2.0 on Flickr

Standard Ticket Prices (valid from Saturday 5th April 2025 until Sunday 2nd November 2025)

AdultsChildren
£31.40£19.50

Additional Information

  • Dogs are welcome on board the boats and bus. They are allowed in the garden of Hill Top only.
  • Booking on the day? Just buy from the pier ticket office.
  • Valid for any return bus and boat journey when you're finished at Hill Top.
Cross Lakes Shuttle & Hill Top - the former home of Beatrix Potter

Cross Lakes Shuttle & Hill Top - the former home of Beatrix Potter

Gallery of images

Timetable

This cruise departs from Bowness Pier and is time specific.

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  • Child prices are valid for children aged 5-15 years old.
  • Infants (Under 5s) who can sit on a parents knee travel free.

Today's sailings from Bowness

Depart BownessArrive BownessVessel type
09:5017:00Traditional Launch
10:3517:00Traditional Launch
11:2517:00Traditional Launch
12:1517:00Traditional Launch
13:5017:00Traditional Launch
14:4017:00Traditional Launch

Service Status

amber

Warning Image

Change of timetable - Friday 13 June to Monday 16 June

Due to the Great North Swim and Windermere Marathon over the weekend of 13-15 June, we have a change to our advertised timetables.

  • Friday 13 - Sunday 15 June - running a regular Red Cruise/Green Cruise timetable with extra shuttle boats for the sporting events.
  • Monday 16 June - no boats will call into Brockhole and the ticket office will be closed

    The area around Ambleside, Brockhole and Bowness will be busy this weekend (13-15 June). Please leave extra time for your journey and to find parking

Today's Service Status

🔴 RED CRUISE Bowness → W'Mere Jetty Museum →Brockhole → Ambleside Waterhead → Bowness

⚠️ No/Limited access to Brockhole

🟡 YELLOW CRUISEBowness ↔ Lakeside

✔️ Services OK

🔵 ISLANDS CRUISE

Bowness → Bowness

✔️ Services OK
🚤 MOTOR BOAT HIRE from Bowness
Bowness Beach / Bowness Dock ↻

✔️ Services OK

🚤 MOTOR BOAT HIRE from WaterheadWaterhead (near Ambleside) ↻

✔️ Services OK

🚤 MOTOR BOAT HIRE from LakesideLakeside ↻✔️ Services OK
🟤 YELLOW CRUISE & STEAM TRAINHaverthwaite ↔ Lakeside ↔ Bowness

✔️ Services OK

🟢 GREEN CRUISEAmbleside → Wray Castle → Brockhole → Ambleside

⚠️ No/Limited access to Brockhole

🚶 WALKERS TICKETBowness → Brockhole → Wray Castle → Walk → Car Ferry→ Bowness⚠️ No/Limited access to Brockhole
🚣 ROW BOAT HIRE from BownessBowness Beach / Bowness Dock ↻

⚠️ Too windy

🚣 ROW BOAT HIRE from WaterheadWaterhead (near Ambleside) ↻

✔️ Services OK

CROSS LAKES SHUTTLE

Bowness ↔ Ash Landing✔️ Services OK
FELL FOOT FERRYLakeside ↔ Fell Foot

✔️ Services OK

🕑: We are now running to our peak season timetable.

Route Map

Load Map

Access and Facilities

♿ Disabled Access

This service is one of the least accessible routes we offer and is operated by tradiational launches:

  • Not recommended for customers with limited mobility

Please visit our Accessibility section for more information.

Wheelchair users are strongly advised to call us to confirm which vessel is operating on which service, particularly in poor weather conditions. As on rare occasions, the vessels operating each route can change.


Upgrade This Cruise

Did you know that you can make more of your cruise by upgrading it? Why

not combine your cruise with a local attraction, or enjoy a full day on

Windermere with the Freedom of the Lake.

Freedom Of The Lake ®

Freedom Of The Lake ®

Unlimited boat travel for 24 hours on all routes | ⚓ See the full lake on this ticket: Lakeside ↔ Bowness ↔ Ambleside in 🕘 over 3 hours

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