First ever daily services to new Windermere jetty

Windermere Lake Cruises’ Bike Boat will be using the new Bark Barn jetty near Belle Grange to allow passengers – and their bikes – to access the wealth of cycling on Windermere’s western shore. Although the jetty was officially completed in time for May half-term, scheduled sailings since then have been limited to weekends. So this will be the first time families can make use of the new facility seven days a week.

The Bark Barn jetty, which is also a handy stop-off point for private vessels, is a landmark development for Windermere, aimed at getting people out of their cars and exploring by ‘boat, bike and boot’. A range of organisations have joined together to bring the project to life, including the GoLakes Travel programme, Windermere Lake Cruises, the National Trust and South Lakeland District Council (SLDC).

Windermere Lake Cruises’ Bike Boat is a specially adapted traditional vessel called Sunflower and can carry up to 12 bikes and passengers across the lake and back between Brockhole and both Barn Bark and Wray Castle. Running approximately every 20 minutes, it will offer easier two-wheeled access to Hawkhead, the ancient woods of Claife Heights and the quiet roads up to Beatrix Potter’s Hill Top.

Nigel Wilkinson, Managing Director of Windermere Lake Cruises, says, “Passenger numbers on the Bike Boat’s inaugural sailings to the Bark Barn jetty over Spring half-term were encouraging, so we’re looking forward to welcoming more families onto this new route over the summer. We hope that the jetty will open up new options for visitors to explore the lakeshore and enjoy traffic-free, safe family cycling along the western side of the lake.”

The Bike Boat also links in with the 800 Bike Bus service, run by Stagecoach, which runs the full length of Windermere and carries up to 12 bikes. Joint boat/bus ticketing options are also available to enable people to get around entirely without their cars.

The service will run daily until Sunday 31 August. For more information, please visit the Winderemere Lake Cruises' Bike Boat web page.

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Notes to Editors:

For more information and hi-res images please contact: Heather Sewell, 07795 487003 / hsewell@cumbriatourism.org