We drove to Haverthwaite station and caught the steam train up to Lakeside on the banks of Windermere. It was a rather disappointing train journey of only 17 minutes and the train never really got much above 10 mph.
Lakeside Station is right on the pier so we walked through and boarded The Swan for a cruise to Ambleside. The Swan has three decks and at full capacity can hold 533 passengers. It was built in 1938 by Vickers of Barrow. The sections of boat were transported by rail to Lakeside and assembled. The M.V. Swan is 142ft long weighing 251 tonnes. On board it is manned by a crew of seven and can reach a speed of 10 knots with its 2x 6 cylinder Cummins diesel engines and 2 x auxiliary generators. On the way to Ambleside the boat stops at Bowness.
At Ambleside pier it was a 20 minute walk into the town centre. We had a bite to eat at The Apple Pie Cafe, right beside The Bridge House, before walking back to the pier to catch the last boat back that would connect with the last Train back to Haverthwaite. We sailed back on The Tern, a boat with two levels and at full capacity can hold 350 passengers. The M.V Tern was built by Forrest & Son, Wyvenhoe, Essex in 1891, as a steam-powered yacht. This was converted to diesel power In 1956. The Tern is 145ft in length and weighs 121 tonnes. On board, it is manned by a crew of 4 and can reach a speed of 10 knots with its 2 x 6 cylinder Cummins diesel engines, 2 x auxiliary generators and bow thruster.
On arrival back at Lakeside we got straight on the train back to Haverthwaite station and on to the caravan.
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