Little Boats of the Lake District

Settle into your hotel and join your tour manager for a welcome drink before dinner. D

Following breakfast, we invite you on board your pleasure vessel for a cruise along Windermere, the largest lake in England.

As you travel from Bowness to Ambleside, look out for otters, red deer, osprey and red kites. You will spend some time at leisure in Ambleside, within which you can find ‘Bridge House’ a 17th-century house built on a stone bridge. It is truly a charming image of rural Lake District life.

This afternoon, take a walking round trip from your hotel. B, D

In 1939, Sir Malcolm Campbell attempted to break the water speed record on Coniston Water by successfully reaching 141 miles per hour. His son, Douglas, continued his father’s daredevilry with his iconic hydroplane ‘Bluebird’.

Today, you will be travelling across Coniston considerably slower. While perhaps a little less exciting, your slower speed will allow full appreciation of your surroundings. On calm days, the woodland and hillscape are wonderfully reflected in the mirror-like water. Included in your tour is a visit to Brantwood, a 250-acre estate consisting of garden trails that wrap around a museum house, once home to John Ruskin, a prominent Victorian art critic.

Spend the afternoon at leisure. B, D

When William Wordsworth spotted daffodils growing on the shores of Ullswater, felt inspired to write his poem 'I wandered lonely as a cloud'.

During your cruise, we hope that you too will understand the romantic connection that the poet has to nature, illustrated by the rolling hills that flow down to the water’s edge. Enjoy the area’s seclusion and capture the breathtaking scenery on your camera before making a stop in Pooley Bridge where you can spend time at leisure. See the new bridge that replaces the one washed away by flooding in 2015. B, D

Leave the Lake District behind after breakfast, perhaps with a camera filled with stunning landscapes and plenty of happy memories. B