HOLIDAYS  BUYING  HELPLINE Great escapes: Lake District 6 Steam ahead Steam power brought the first tourists to the Lakes back in the 19th century. Lovingly restored boats and trains will take you back in time Steamboats have played a vital part in the recent history of the Lakes. At the height of the industrial revolution they were used to carry coal, slate, timber and lime to nearby railway terminuses and to the houses and hotels that began to line lakes such as Windermere and Coniston. Later they became the ultimate form of entertainment among the well-heeled, and weekends would see many of the lakes busy with the traffic of fashionable pleasure cruisers and floating tea parties. The popularity of the steamboats was closely linked to the arrival of railways in the Lake District. When steam trains reached the area, in 1848, William Wordsworth prophesied doom, arguing that they would bring rafts of tourists with them and ruin the whole spirit of peace and solitude that the area had come to mean to him. It's an argument that still rages today, but that first railway led to the creation of the town of Windermere, now the premier base from which holiday-makers enjoy all that the Lakes have to offer. 1. Steamboat Centre Starting from Holgates Caravan Park near Carnforth, turn left out of the site, left again, and follow the unclassified road past the Lakeland Wildlife Oasis to the A6 at 3.2 miles. Head north on the A6, left onto the A590 at 6.3 miles, then right onto the A5074 at 7.6 miles. Arrive in Bowness-on-Windermere at 15.4 miles, then bear left onto the Rayrigg Road, arriving at Windermere Steamboat Centre at 16 miles. Windermere Steamboat Centre is a fascinating collection of steam-powered launches from the Victorian and Edwardian eras, all lovingly restored, maintained and moored in a covered wet dock. Prime among the exhibits here is Dolly, a Windermere boat from about 1850 that sank in Ullswater and lay forgotten until divers raised her in 1962. She was brought to Windermere for restoration, and remarkably her engine still works with its original piston rings. Perhaps the ultimate in refined steamboats is the TSSY Esperance, built in 1869 and best known as Captain Flint's houseboat in the BBC television adaptation of Arthur Ransome's novel Swallows and Amazons. Best of all,though, is the chance to take a 50-minute cruise around Belle Isle in a steam boat. We boarded the Swallow, which was built in 1911 but still has its original engine. One of the highlights of the cruise was the opportunity to sip a cup of tea brewed by our captain, George, using the famous Windermere steam kettle, which can boil a gallon of water in just ten seconds. The steamboat's peaceful trip across the water is the epitome of grace. Admission to the Centre costs £3.40 for adults and £2 for children; family tickets costs £8.50. Additional tickets for the steamboat cruise, which must be bought at the Centre, cost £5 for adults, £4 for children aged 5-16 and £1 for children under 4 years. 2. By steam on land and water It's just half a mile back to Bowness for ticket sales and launches for Windermere Lake Cruises, whose larger steam boats also tour the lake. Follow Lake Road to the long-stay car park at Braithwaite Fold, which has some 600 spaces. Whether or not you opt to take the cruise at the Steamboat Centre, don't miss the opportunity to combine a lake crossing and a trip on a steam engine. Windermere Lake Cruises have a range of ships that make the crossing. These include three steamers – the Tern, the Teal and the Swan – which once delivered cargo to the railways. A trip on one of these grand old boats is more enjoyable than on the newer models (above), so be sure to make your preference clear when buying your ticket. They depart every half hour. 3. Getting the train The Windermere cruise connects at Lakeside with the Lakeside & Haverthwaite Steam Railway (pictured below), a revival of a tradition established in 1868 by the Furness Railway as part of the first attempts to encourage mass tourist to the Lakes: along with its normal cargo from Ulverston, the train would also bring passengers to Windermere. The popularity of the service peaked just before World War I, but then began to decline until it was finally closed in 1967. Happily, a section of the service was re-opened in 1973 by rail enthusiasts and has operated ever since. It now makes for a delightful trip through rugged countryside alongside the River Leven to Haverthwaite. A return ticket for a combined boat and train trip from Bowness to Haverthwaite costs £9.60 for adults, £4.80 for children (5-15 years) and £25.60 for a family. 4. Lunch time Take the A592 south alongside the water and at 22.5 miles turn right onto the A590. At 26 miles turn right onto the A5092, then right again onto the A5084 at 27.5 miles. At 33 miles turn right onto the A593 for Coniston, arriving in the town at 35.2 miles. Just over the hump-backed bridge which greets you as you enter Coniston, and at the foot of one of the Lake District's best-known peaks, the Old Man of Coniston, sits the Black Bull, an old coaching inn that has hosted travellers for over 400 years. Bar food is served all day here and includes sandwiches and toasties, ploughman's lunch and Cumberland sausage, while beers include Coniston Old Man, Opium and Blacksmiths as well as Bluebird, named after Donald Campbell's famous boat. 5. A gondola on the Lakes Back-track a few hundred yards, turn left down Lake Road leading to Beck Yeat, looking out for a brown signpost for Boat Landing, Launches, Gondola. Launched in 1859, the steam yacht Gondola was originally a luxury cruiser used as a regular ferry service. First Class passengers travelled in her plush forward saloon, while Third Class were seated in the sparse rear saloon. She retired in 1936 but made a return in 1945 as a houseboat until she was beached in a storm in the 1960s. It wasn't until 1977 that the National Trust set about rebuilding the cruiser and her grand interior, but since 1980 visitors to Coniston Water have once again been ableto take a step back in time to the splendour of the Victorian era (pictured, below). The delightful round trip takes in Ruskin's home at Brantwood and lasts about an hour. Tickets: adults £4.80; children (under 15 years) £2.80; family (two adults and up to four children) £14. Return to Holgates along the route that you came, which is more scenic than driving straight back on the A590. HOME PAGE | TOP OF PAGE GREAT ESCAPES   Western Lakes  Eskdale  Loughrigg Fell  Cycling the fells  A family stroll  Steaming along  Literary interlude  BACK TO ARCHIVE PLANNING Distance 72 miles Time 8 hours Start/finish Holgates Caravan Park, near Carnforth Suitable for All the family Refreshment Black Bull Tel 01539 441335 Attractions Windermere Steamboat Centre Tel 01539 445565 Windermere Lake Cruises Tel 01539 443360 Gondola Tel 01539 463856 Information Bowness-on-Windermere Tourist Information Centre Tel 01539 442895 Coniston Tourist Information Centre Tel 01539 441533 HOLIDAYS  BUYING  HELPLINE Contact Practical Caravan Best viewed in screen resolution 800 x 600 using I.E.4 or Netscape 4 or later.