Windermere Christmas Celebration: Get there by boat and by goat!

A highlight of The Lake District’s Christmas schedule returns to Windermere this coming weekend, when it’s hoped visitors will leave the stress of driving behind and instead use alternative travel methods to get there; specifically, by boat and by ‘goat’.

The Windermere Christmas Celebration is being held on December 8 & 9 on High Street, Victoria Street and Cross Street, with an estimated 10,000 people expected to attend, based on last year’s figures.

As the popularity of the event continues to grow, two local transport providers are stepping in to do their bit to keep the traffic flowing as freely as possible.

Windermere Lake Cruises’ team is working alongside Mountain Goat bus tours to help visitors have a stress-free day and to reinforce its position as not just one of England’s most popular ‘paid for’ visitor attractions, but a valuable transport provider.

By stopping off at four different jetties around the lake, market organisers hope to attract Christmas shoppers from all sides, arriving in Windermere by catching boats from Lakeside and Ambleside before disembarking at Bowness. From there, a shuttle bus service, free of charge, will be laid on by Mountain Goat to get passengers onto the market in Windermere.

For visitors who can’t avoid using their cars, parking will be available at The Glebe in Bowness as in previous years.

Jennifer Cormack, Windermere Lake Cruises’ Sales & Marketing Director, says, “It’s a common misconception that Windermere Lake Cruises is purely and simply a tourist attraction. We understand how useful we can be to help people get around the Windermere area, not just visitors, but residents too. Whether you’re coming from the north end of the lake or the south, we can get you right into the heart of the market by boat and then by ‘goat’!”

Windermere Lake Cruises will operate ten daily services between Bowness and Ambleside on the days of the Christmas market, with a further four daily serves between Bowness and Lakeside for people visiting from Furness and surrounding areas.

The Windermere Christmas Celebration will feature live music all weekend, a visit from Father Christmas, activities for children and local festive food & craft stalls, between 11am-7pm on December 8, then again between 10am and 4pm on December 9.

• Full details are online at www.windermerechristmas.co.uk, and on Facebook

Shuttle Bus Departures

The shuttle bus departs every few minutes from outside Bowness Pier ( 1 minute walk to boat services and 5 minutes walk from all Bowness car parks) and Ellerthwaite Square (5 minutes walk from Windermere Christmas Celebration). It is FREE.

Timetable:

• Saturday 8th December - 11am - 7pm
• Sunday 9th December - 10am - 4pm