I am amazed at how many beautiful and interesting places we have never visited in the 25 years we have lived in Cumbria – it truely is a county which keeps on giving as we discovered at Fell Foot Park.
We were invited to attend the official opening of the newly refurbished boathouse at Fell Foot on the shores of Windermere and it was an opportunity to visit this National Trust site for the first time – and how I wish we had come here before! This is the perfect family day out.
The £1 million investment was more than a restoration project, the work carried out here is improving the accessibility for all – creating the first Changing Places Facilities in the Lake District.
Developed within previously unseen buildings at Fell Foot Park this new changing room provides facilities for visitors with complex care needs, with their carer – including height-adjustable bench, hoists, shower and loo. The modern facilities, where people can take their time to prepare for or change after enjoying one of the many water activities, has been created as part of the three-year national Heritage Lottery Fund project, to restore the five Grade II listed boathouses on the shoreline of Windermere.
Sean Fletcher from the National Trust showed us around before the opening, and he explained how the ethos is to be inclusive and provide facilities and access for all. And the new Changing Places Facility will help families with a member who has complex needs share a great day out together.
Students from a nearby special education school and feedback from visitors has been used to find ways of making the park more accessible.
Sean explained how the steep embankment down to the shoreline was a challenge, yet they are trying out new ramp designs and path surfaces alongside steps to make it easier for wheelchair users to get to the lake and the historic boathouses.
And while the National Trust has one all-terrain wheelchair available at Fell Foot, they are currently fundraising for another, which would enable people to access even more of the park.
Another part of the work which has been carried out at Fell Foot is The Active Base, where for as little as £2 per day you can buy an Active Pass and use the facilities of the Club House and spacious changing rooms with hot showers, and secure lockers. The view from The Active Base Club House across Windermere to the Lakes Aquarium and the Haverthwaite steam railway station is stunning. For a family, this is a great facility if you enjoy a day playing in and buy the lake.
Inside the Club House at Fell Foot Park 
The view from outside the Club House 
The Active Base Club at Fell Foot Park
The largest boathouse, which housed parties on the lakeside in its heyday, is now beautifully restored, and a welcoming cafe.
The cafe was featured in the Telegraph newspaper (July 20, 2019) as it is part of the ‘Chatter and Natter’ cafe scheme which aim to combat loneliness – Chatter & Natter table is where customers can sit if they are happy to talk to other customers.
And for those enjoying the lake further down the shoreline, a mobile stall selling teas, coffees and cakes has been introduced this summer.
The smaller boathouse is a quaint shop, where you can buy practical things for playing in or near the water, and well-chosen NT gifts and books. The interior of the shop has been designed to provide space for wheelchair access.
The five Victorian Gothic boathouses were built to show off the wealth of then-owner Colonel George John Miller Ridehalgh, lord of the manor of Urmston, near Manchester. A keen sportsman, he kept a pack of foxhounds – the Windermere Harriers – and he had a passion for sailing, which he indulged on a grand scale. After the park was passed to Oswald Hedley (who demolished the Georgian villa in the park) it fell into disuse and was donated to the National Trust in 1948. The full history of Fell Foot is on the National Trust’s website.
There is a feeling of space and calm at Fell Foot, with affordable boat hire, and even a pier so you can arrive by or take a trip on the Windermere Lake Cruise Ferry in the season.
The rowing boat, kayak and paddleboard hire at Fell Foot is reasonably priced. Alternatively, you can enjoy a paddle in the lake or follow one of the two gentle walks around the park.
And there are other activities to enjoy, such as the wood-fired oven pizza nights, Saturday morning ParkRun, Little Explorers nature routes and Summer Sports.
The wildflower meadow planting is stunning at this time of year (July/August) with wild poppies and grasses. And for our own Mr Arthur Weasley, Fell Foot Park is dog-friendly, so we will definitely be returning again with him for the day.
Value for money
5/5 Entry to Fell Foot Park Free
Car parking
- National Trust members park free.
- £3 up to 1 hour
- £4 up to 2 hours
- £7 up to 4 hours
- £9 all-day
Active Base Users
- Children under 8 can use the Active Base free of charge.
- Active Pass – Annual Adult £83.00 Child £41.50 Family £191.50
- Active Pass – Daily Adult £2.00 Child £1.00 Family £5.00
- Active Pass – Seasonal (1 April – 31 October) Adult £45.00 Child £22.50 Family £103.50
- Active Pass – Weekly Adult £12.00 Child £6.00 Family £30.00
- Active Base Users – Children under 8 can use the Active Base free of charge.
A family is two adults plus children aged 8 – 17.
For a full list of Active Base passes and prices (including information about group bookings, discounts for two adults and access to jetties, slipways and boat storage) and to download your application form, go to https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/fell-foot/features/fell-foot-active-base
By K
