The South Lakes Area of the Lake District

Go to : Places to Stay

Ambleside has a population of about 2600, and is beautifully situated in the Rothay valley one mile north of the head of Windermere lake. One of the major centres for climbing and walking, it is a good central point for the ordinary visitor and has routes to most parts of the Lake District.

Bowness-on-Windermere is a sprawling tourist town on the shore of Windermere, about halfway along the length of the lake between Waterhead at the North end, and Lakeside at the South end.

See our great new 2020 guide to the South Lakes, or Windermere area, which covers the area within a 20 minute drive of the 10.5 mile long Windermere lake shore. Main pages are:

• • Places to stay: hotels, b&b, holiday cottages, lodges, holiday parks, glamping, hostels and camping. Visit here >>

• • Places to visit: family attractions, boat trips, museums, historic houses and gardens open to the public. Visit here >>

• • Activities: water sports, bike and boat hire, adventure activities. Visit here >>

• • What’s On: from annual festivals to live music in local inns. Visit here >>

• • Towns and Villages of the South Lakes. Visit here >>

• Transport and Parking: including the Mega Map of car parks in the South Lakes. Visit here >>

Ambleside The Armitt Bridge House Hayes Garden Centre St Mary’s Church Stock Ghyll Force Waterhead Pier Galava Roman Fort Stagshaw Garden Grasmere Village Grasmere Lake Dove Cottage/Wordsworth Museum Allan Bank Wordsworth’s Grave Loughrigg Tarn Rydal Rydal Water Rydal Hall Garden Rydal Mount Dora’s Field Windermere (lake) Bowness-on-Windermere Windermere (village) Steamboat Museum Windermere Lake Cruises World of Beatrix Potter St Martin’s Church Blackwell Brockhole Bowness Ferry Troutbeck Townend House Jesus Church Holehird Gardens Kirkstone Pass Brothers Water

Great Langdale Elterwater Blea Tarn Little Langdale Cathedral Cave Hodge Close Quarry Little Langdale Tarn Colwith Force Slater Bridge Wrynose Pass Hawkshead Beatrix Potter Gallery Hawkshead Old Grammar School Wray Castle Hawkshead Courthouse Grizedale Forest Near Sawrey Hill Top Esthwaite Water Claife viewing station Coniston Coniston Water Brantwood Coniston Launch The Ruskin Museum Steam Yacht Gondola Tarn Hows Yew Tree Tarn Yew Tree Farm Newby Bridge Lakeside Pier Fellfoot Park Aquarium of the Lakes Graythwaite Hall Gardens Lakeside & Haverthwaite Railway Stott Park Bobbin Mill

• Other pages of interest in the area.

• Churches in the area.