We love to travel and there are some amazing Lake District adventures to be had. How about learning how to train a sheepdog for example? Or sailing on one of the magnificent lakes? The views from the Ullswater ‘Steamers’ boats are stunning. We boarded our boat at Pooley Bridge, after a full English breakfast at Granny Dowbekins (recommended!). The area around Ullswater is beautiful and we stayed in a fabulous lodge with a hot tub.
Gift Shop at Pooley Bridge
There is a small shop at the beginning of the pier where you pay for your tickets, buy snacks, drinks and gifts. On the pier itself there are lots of picnics tables. The signs said that you are welcome to eat your picnic there (as long as you take your rubbish away). It would make a lovely spot to have a picnic too – but there are also loads of fab looking places to eat and drink in Pooley Bridge so it’s a tough decision! (Go to the cafes in Pooley Bridge!!)
Around Ullswater
The steamers are large and have plenty of seating. You can cruise between various points on Ullswater or stay on and do a complete circuit of the lake. You can pay for single fares between two points and then walk back, or get a day ticket where you can hop on and off all day.
Beautiful Scenery on Ullswater ‘Steamers’
The scenery is beautiful and it’s such a relaxing cruise (unless the kids start moaning that they are bored or cold!). My advice us to take an extra jumper, easy to pack rain jacket and some sketching materials. Master T sketched the boats that we passed, and enjoyed that.
On Board Refreshments
On board the boat there is a bar with hot and cold drinks and crisps and chocolate. There are also a couple of USB charging points if you need to charge your phone. The café is in the bottom of the boat (the galley?) and is inside, so a nice spot to warm up on a cold day.
All Year Service Around Ullswater
The ‘Steamers’ operate an all year service with varying timetable connections between Glenridding, Howtown, Pooley Bridge Piers and between Glenridding and National Trust Aira Force Pier. Cruise times vary from 20 – 120 minutes. Look at the Ullswater Steamers website for prices and timetable. The Lakes are beautiful all year round, and especially in the Autumn.
Visiting The Lake District? Don’t miss my review of the fabulous Lowther Castle, Christmas in the Lake District, or, this post about what to do with three days in the Lake District.
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Also have a look at our list of fab family hotels in the Lake District.
We were invited by Go Lakes and Ullswater ‘Steamers’ to visit, but as ever, all the views expressed are my own.