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Bowness-on-Windermere

It is from this attractive, but seasonally very busy town right on the edge of Windermere that most of the lake cruises operate. Lasting between 45 and 90 minutes, the cruises operate daily and provide connections to the Lakeside & Haverthwaite Steam Railway, the Fell Foot Country Park and the Visitor Centre at Brockhole. This centre (also easily reached by road) is idyllically situated in 30 acres of gardens and grounds and has two floors of interactive exhibitions. There are evening wine/champagne cruises
during the summer months, and rowing boats and self-drive motor boats available for hire all year round. Curiously, Windermere is the only lake in the Lake District that has no speed restriction for water traffic.

Not only is Windermere the largest lake in Cumbria, but it is, at 11 miles long, the largest in England. Across from Bowness, the lake is almost divided in two by Belle Island which is believed to have been inhabited by the Romans. During the Civil War, it was owned by Colonel Phillipson (the Royalist supporter who disgraced himself by riding into Kendal Parish Church). His family had to withstand an 80-day siege, successfully, while the Colonel was away on another campaign. In 1774, the island was bought by a Mr English, who constructed the round house, which, at the time, caused such consternation that he sold the property and the island to Isabella Curwen, who planted the surrounding trees.

Fishermen, too, find great enjoyment practising their skills on this well-stocked lake. Once considered a great delicacy in the 17th and 18th centuries, the char, a deep-water trout, is still found here, though catching it is a special art.

Away from the marinas and car parks is the old village where St Martin's Church is of particular interest. It has a magnificent east window filled with 14th and 15th- century glass, and an unusual 300-year-old carved wooden figure of St Martin depicted sharing his cloak with a beggar.

On the lake shore just to the north of the village the Windermere Steamboat Centre is currently undergoing a major renovation so it is sadly not possible to see its unique collection of Lake Windermere's nautical heritage. The exhibits, mainly Victorian and Edwardian craft, include Dolly, the oldest mechanically powered boat in the world, and Beatrix Potter's rowing boat. As we go to press, there is no firm date for re-opening.

Just down the road from the Steamboat Museum is the Old Laundry Visitor Centre, the home of The World of Beatrix Potter, one of the most popular visitor attractions in the country. Here you can enjoy fascinating re-creations of the Lakeland author's books, complete with the sounds, sights and even smells of the countryside. Visitors can also call on Jemima Puddle-duck in a woodland glade, visit Mrs Tiggy-winkle in her kitchen and follow in Beatrix Potter's footsteps with virtual walks.You can also enjoy lunch or afternoon tea in the Tailor of Gloucester Tea Room or outdoors on the garden terrace where you can admire The Enchanting World of Beatrix Potter sculpture, unveiled in the presence of Renée Zellweger who played the authoress in the 2006 film Miss Potter.

About a mile-and-a-half south of Bowness, Blackwell is a treasure trove of the Arts and Crafts Movement. Completed in 1900, it is the largest and most important surviving masterpiece of the architect MH Baillie Scott (1865-1945). Inspired by Lakeland flora and fauna, he designed every last detail of this outstanding house, creating a symphony of art nouveau stained glass, oak panelling, intricate plasterwork and fanciful metalwork. From the gardens there are wonderful views of Windermere and the Coniston fells.