Holiday Homes in Windermere

Mention the Lake District and most people picture Windermere. England's largest lake stretches eleven glittering miles through the heart of the national park, and the twin towns of Windermere and Bowness-on-Windermere beside it make one of the liveliest and most welcoming bases you could choose. It is a perfect place for a first visit and a firm favourite with returning regulars, with everything close at hand and the water always near.

Life here revolves around the lake. You can board a cruise from Bowness and sail between wooded islands and grand Victorian villas, cross to the quieter western shore on the historic car ferry, or take to the water yourself by paddleboard, kayak or sailing dinghy. Back on dry land, Bowness buzzes with independent shops, cafés and restaurants, while families make a beeline for the World of Beatrix Potter and the gleaming vintage boats of the Windermere Jetty museum. For a view to remember, the short climb to Orrest Head, the very fell that first captured a young Alfred Wainwright, lays the whole lake out below you.

Windermere is also one of the easiest corners of the Lakes to reach, with a branch railway line running right into the town, so you can leave the car behind if you wish. With cruises, walks, shops and some of the region's best-loved attractions all within reach, a Windermere holiday home puts you at the very centre of it all, ready to make England's favourite lake your home for the week.