Full steam ahead as Windermere Lake Cruises launches seasonal timetable

Windermere Lake Cruises’ seasonal timetable has been launched, with services continuing right throughout the autumn, winter and spring on three of the lake’s most popular routes.

The attraction’s fleet of steamers and electric boats will continue to operate between Bowness and Ambleside (Red cruise, taking in Brockhole), Bowness and Lakeside (Yellow cruise) and the Islands Cruise (Blue cruise) every day apart from Christmas Day.

Among the vessels operating through the autumn, winter and spring months are the ‘sister’ boats, MV Teal and MV Swan - along with the heated electric boats including Miss Cumbria, ten times per day between Bowness and Ambleside.

Four sailings will take place each day between Bowness and Lakeside, apart from between January 7 and February 1, when services on that route will operate at weekends only.

Windermere Lake Cruises Managing Director, Nigel Wilkinson, says, “Cumbria is an all-year round destination and without doubt the same can be said about Windermere Lake Cruises; as we sail every day apart from Christmas Day!

“Whether you want to breathe in the clear winter air while sitting out on the open deck, or prefer the cosy experience of sipping a hot chocolate, or even a brandy coffee, while you enjoy the scenery from the heated cabin of a Windermere launch, there’s a variety of ways you can enjoy Windermere, in the heart of the Lake District World Heritage Site.

“Autumn, winter and spring are the favourite times of year for many people, a sentiment certainly shared by our crewmembers; and it’s not hard to see why. We think the only real way to see the Lake District is from the water, and the best way to enjoy Windermere is from one of our fleet.”

Meanwhile, taking turns in a rota-style system, each of the attraction’s three largest and most iconic vessels are brought out of the water every three years for a comprehensive programme of checks and engineering work.

This year, it’s the turn of the attraction’s longest boat, the MV Tern - which will be hauled out of the water for maintenance work in the coming days, expected to take around six weeks to complete.

Passengers on the Lakeside and Haverthwaite Railway will be able to catch a rare glimpse of Tern’s out-of-water experience as their train passes-by the vessel by the water’s edge at Lakeside. Daily procedural work will also continue on the vessels which are running during the winter, by engineers on early morning shifts.

Chief Engineer Alex Williamson, says, “With daily sailings commencing from 9.45am every day between now and summer, you could be forgiven for thinking we roll in to work each day at around 9am – but you’d be wrong! We’re here from 6am every day here in the workshops at Bowness and for engineering at Lakeside to make sure the colder months don’t take their toll on our services.”