Windermere — a ribbon lake gouged out by Ice Age glaciers — is the longest natural body of water in England, stretching about 17 kilometres from Ambleside in the north to Newby Bridge at the southern end. At its widest it is just under 1.5 kilometres across, and at its deepest around 65 metres. Eighteen islands dot the lake, the largest being Belle Isle, the only one in England with a house actually inhabited on it.
Cruises run year-round from Bowness pier under the Windermere Lake Cruises banner, with classic Edwardian-era steamers like the Tern (1891) and the diesel Swan still in service. Three routes — the short Islands cruise, the longer northbound run to Ambleside, and the southbound to Lakeside — cover most of the lake. A 10-knot speed limit since 2005 has put paid to the waterskiing crowds; the loudest sound on the water now is a kayak paddle.