When you tell people, you live in Cumbria, the first thing they usually mention is the Lakes – followed quickly by the Pencil Museum which has gained iconic status as the place to go on a wet day. However now there is a new visitor venue on the map to go to on wet and sunny days, which is celebrating and preserving the boating history of the county.
I’ve been driving past the building site for the new Windermere Jetty for some time, on every journey to Bowness and beyond, so I was excited to see the finished product – and I wasn’t disappointed.
The £20 million project to create not only a museum but also a restoration and conservation yard on the shores of Windermere has taken four years – and the result is spectacular.
As you pull into the new car park, the black box-shaped building looks unassuming, practical and agricultural – like a barn by the lake. However, as you step over the threshold the magic begins.
The building is so spacious, and as you walk into the entrance hall the floor to roof window frames the amazing boat house, with its opening into the lake itself. This image sets the tone for the visit. Everything is definitely ship shape – the finish on the building itself is first class, and the use of natural light is perfect for bringing these outdoor exhibits to life.
These large windows carry on throughout the building, giving perfect pictures of the scenery, and boats sailing on Windermere.
The first exhibition space has the original ornate wooden and stain glass cabin of a private luxury cruiser, set within the roof space and the walls are filled with sailing artefacts.
Messing about on boats has been a pastime for generations coming to the Lake District. However I’d never thought about their commercial use, especially when the tourists started to visit this special corner of north west England in the 18thcentury. Today people moan about the lack of access to the West coast of the county, poor road and rail network. In the 1900s they put up with bad roads or a dangerous journey across Morecambe Bay to get to Windermere – as the first display explains as you start your journey through the history of boats, steamers and the stories of the people who used them.
The growth of the Lakes as a tourist destination is captured in the exhibits on show, and there is also the history of the people of Cumberland who used the ferries.
One of the most interesting exhibits was the oldest ferry – which was powered by oars – which is situated outside the conservation yard. Plans are being made for how best to conserve this important piece of English boat history.
Within the main hall of the museum is stunning collection of boats, including the 1780 Yacht Margaret, owned by heiress Isabella Curwen and made from pine on oak which was found in a field near Southport in 1934, where it was being used as a hen house – the farmer agreed to exchange it for some corrugated sheets! Today it is too fragile to ever go back into the water, however it is amazing how the conservationists working for the museum have been able to save this wooden vessel.
Though you cannot go into the conservation yard, as it is a working boat yard, you can see the careful work taking place through the large windows. There is also an interactive video display outside which explains how decisions are made to conserve, restore and maintain the boats which come to the museum. Regular talks are given throughout the day by the people working in the yard, giving you an insight into how they bring back to life these important boats – including those which are being put back into use on the water.
Our guide explained how even those boats they know will never take to the lake again, as they are too rare and precious, are still brought back to sailing standards. You don’t have to be a sailor or builder to be fascinated by the important work that is going on here.
One of the boats they were working on when we visited has not been on water since 1966 – yet it will be back on Windermere for the visit of Prince Charles.
I am sure the Prince of Wales will find this royal visit fascinating – especially when he sees the luxurious 50ft steam launch Branksome, the central piece in the museum which he and his father, the Duke of Edinburgh have sailed. It is all set up for a royal guest, with silver tea service set out inside. From this luxury boat to wooden canoes, a sailing boat commissioned by Arthur Ransome to boats built for speed such as The White Lady II – there’s even a plane over head in the dry dock.
The Boathouse is another stunning space, where the SL Osprey lives when she’s not steaming across the lake with passengers from the museum. When we visited, she was busy working, which gave us a great opportunity to see the other boats housed here, including two used in the new film version of Swallows and Amazons.
There is also an art space within the museum which currently has a film celebrating the Windermere Jetty’s opening by (Re)Make, a new dance film by Sara Wookey in collaboration with Camilla Robinson.
After a great visit around the exhibitions it is always nice to have a place to sit and take in everything you have experienced, and the café area is a perfect place to sit and ponder – overlooking Windermere on two sides. The cake and beverages were excellent and reasonably priced – and the view……stunning.
Windermere Jetty is a first-class visitor attraction for all ages – and there’s more to come in the months ahead. Bowness-on-Windermere’s old fair station has been transported to a site adjacent to the main museum and this will be opening to the public, along with a boating pond where visitors will be able to sail their own miniature boats this May. We look forward to returning to experience these additional attractions later in the year.
The original Windermere Steamboat Museum was launched in 1977 by George Pattinson, and closed in 2006, when Lakeland Arts took over and placed the collection in storage and commissioned a site masterplan. These plans have become a reality thanks to a lottery development grant and fundraising which led to a capital grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund in 2013. It has been worth the wait for this new museum to be built and open.
Value for money 5/5
Local interest 5/5
Family day out 5/5
Entry for the day:
- Adult £9
- Under 16 £7
- Under 4 FREE
Family Tickets:
- 1 adult & 2 children £18
- 1 adult & 3 children £18
- 2 adults & 2 children £27
- 2adults & 3 children £27
Location: Rayrigg Road, Windermere, Cumbria LA23 1BN
For more information and to book tickets online visit windermerejetty.org
