Windermere Jetty Museum: Boats, Steam, and Stories
The Windermere Jetty Museum, located on the eastern shore of Lake Windermere, opened in 2019 following a £20 million redevelopment of the former Windermere Steamboat Museum. With over 40 historic boats, ranging from steam launches to motorboats and sailing yachts, the museum provides a detailed history of boating on England’s largest lake. It is also a stop on the Windermere Lake Cruises Red Cruise, allowing visitors to arrive by water.
Historic Boats and Collections
The museum houses a significant collection of boats, many with connections to important moments in Windermere’s history. Among the highlights is the SL Dolly, built in 1850 and recognised as the oldest mechanically powered boat in the world, still operating with its original engine. The Branksome (1896), one of the best-preserved Victorian steam launches, and the Esperance (1869), a vessel connected to Arthur Ransome’s Swallows and Amazons, both form part of the UK’s National Historic Fleet.
Other notable boats include the Mary Anne, a 40ft rowboat ferry from the early 1800s, and Beatrix Potter’s small wooden rowboat, which reflects the author’s connection to the region. Visitors can also see the original sailboats Swallow and Amazon from the 2016 film adaptation of Arthur Ransome’s classic novel.
A separate exhibit explores the history of the water speed record, showcasing boats that made Windermere central to the development of high-speed watercraft. These include vessels used by Sir Henry Segrave, among others, marking the lake’s role in advancing aquatic engineering.
Interactive and Family-Friendly Activities
The museum provides a range of engaging activities for visitors of all ages. Daily at 11:30 a.m., the “Conservation Conversation” allows visitors to learn from staff about the detailed process of restoring and maintaining historic boats. Conservation work can also be seen live in the museum’s workshop, offering insight into the skills required to preserve these vessels.
The old Windermere ferry Mary Anne(1799 – 187)
Children can participate in the “Raise Dolly” adventure, solving puzzles and finding clues to help “raise” the historic SL Dolly. For creative activities, the cardboard boat-building workshops let children construct and decorate their own boats.
Heritage boat tours are available on two restored vessels, the Osprey (1902) and Penelope (1930), offering visitors the chance to experience Windermere’s beauty while aboard historic boats.
The museum has an extensive programme of family activities and trails, especially during school holidays. You can find their seasonal events in our What’s On in Windermere pages.
Exhibitions and Displays
The museum’s main exhibition gallery presents the history of Windermere’s boating heritage, covering developments in steam, sail, and motorboat technologies. Exhibits explore the impact of steamboats on tourism and industry during the 19th century and highlight the craftsmanship behind these vessels.
The collection also includes personal stories about the people who built and sailed the boats, connecting visitors to the lives and communities shaped by Windermere’s maritime history.
Outdoors, the museum’s model boating pond invites visitors to bring their own miniature boats or simply enjoy the activity of local model boat enthusiasts.
Facilities and Visitor Information
The Windermere Jetty Café offers a variety of meals, snacks, and drinks throughout the day. With large windows overlooking the lake, the café provides one of the best vantage points to enjoy Windermere’s scenery while dining.
Did you know that…?
The unique collection of historic steamboats and motorboats include the SL Dolly of 1850 – the oldest mechanically powered boat in the world, with its original engine still in running order.
Mrs Howarth of Langdale Chase commissioned a 50 foot teak coal fired launch, ‘The Lily’, later renamed ‘Branksome’, which is now at Windermere Jetty. Branksome carried HRH Prince Philip on his tour of the lake, during his visit in 1966, and HRH Prince Charles in 1977.
There is also the recently restored TSSY Esperance, the model for Captain Flint’s houseboat in Arthur Ransome‘s Swallows and Amazons. It was owned by Henry Schneider, chairman of the Barrow Steelworks, who lived at what is now the Belsfield Hotel overlooking Bowness Bay. Every morning he left home, travelling on the Esperance, on which he had breakfast on his way to Lakeside. There he would travel by train in his private carriage (he owned the railway too!) to his job in Barrow.
The Building and Sustainability
Windermere Jetty is the first contemporary building on Windermere lake shore for over 50 years. It was designed by internationally recognised architects Carmody Groarke, working with engineers Arup, who were involved in the design and construction of the Sydney Opera House.
The Museum is a subtly impressive structure, hugging the lake shore with its black-oxidised copper clad walls and large cantilevered overhangs. Just as noteworthy is the energy efficiency and climate change resilience at the foundation of the design.
Image reproduced by kind permission of Arup
Visit Windermere Jetty
Opening hours 2025
April to October: Museum & Café 10.00 am to 5.00 pm
November to March: Museum 10.00 am to 4.00 pm | Café 10.00 am to 4.00 pm
Admission 2025
Adult £12 | Child (under 16) £6 | Student £9 | Family (1 + 2 or 1 + 3) £20 | Family (2 + 2 or 2 + 3) £30 | Under 4 free | Annual passes available
Heritage Boat Trip
(April to October) Adult £12 | Child (under 16) £6.00 | Under 4 free | Exclusive Trip (up to 12 people for 75 minutes) £200 to £325
Getting here
- Address: Windermere Jetty, Rayrigg Road, Windermere, LA23 1BN
- Car Parking: FREE for visitors to the café and museum. When you pay for Museum admission or purchase in the café you’ll be given a voucher to tap into the parking machine on exit.
- Bus: from Bowness and Ambleside. View timetable
- By boat: some free mooring spaces are available to visitors to the museum and café. Maximum stay 3 hours. You must notify Windermere Jetty on arrival and provide contact details and SLDC boat registration number
- Windermere Lake Cruises: Red Route. From Bowness to Windermere Jetty only, no return available.
- Taxi services
Contact Windermere Jetty
- Tel: 01539 637940
- Email: info@windermerejetty.org
- Website: windermerejetty.org
In 2007 the Windermere Steamboat Museum was taken over by the Lakeland Arts Trust, a local charity, in order to restore the collection and redevelop the site. Lakeland Arts also runs Abbot Hall Art Gallery, the Museum of Lakeland Life and Blackwell: The Arts & Crafts House.
Related pages
- The Big Windermere Guide
- Museums
- What’s On in the Lake District
- Places to Stay around Windermere
- All Lake District Accommodation
Popular pages:
Grid Reference: SD 402978
Planning a visit to Windermere Jetty Museum? See location marker below and enter your dates to see available accommodation nearby on a handy map
Archive photos of Windermere Steamboat Museum
All the below images were taken in the old Windermere Steamboat Museum before the construction of the new Windermere Jetty Museum. All of the vessels are being, or have been, restored and / or preserved and can be seen at the new Museum, as well as many more interesting and historic craft.
All photos below by Julian Thurgood for Visit Cumbria
S.L Branksome (1896) Image circa 2003.
TSSY Esperance (1896) Image circa 2003.
SL Swallow (1911) Image circa 2003.
Beatrix Potter’s rowing boat. Image circa 2003.
