An open lakeshore
Lawns slope down to a pebble beach where children can paddle safely, with the view running the whole length of Windermere.
David Dixon — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Nilfanion — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Oscar Taylor — CC BY-SA 2.0 · J Scott — CC BY-SA 2.0
At the southern tip of Windermere, England's longest and largest lake, this is one of the few places where you can park the car, walk two minutes and stand at the water with no entry fee, no fence and no private jetty in the way. Much of the shoreline belongs to hotels and private houses, or is jammed with boats as at Bowness; here the lawns simply run down to a pebble beach where children paddle, and the lake stretches away north until it disappears among the fells. All of this was once the garden of a Victorian mansion, pulled down around 1907-08 by an owner whose grander replacement never got beyond its cellars. What survived are the crenellated stone boathouses, one of which is now the Boathouse cafe, serving light meals, cakes and hot drinks from 9.30 until 5. Around the lawns are flat gravel paths that take a pushchair, a playground, toilets and picnic tables under the trees. From April to October the watersports centre hires rowing boats, kayaks and paddleboards, and there are changing rooms with hot showers and lockers for a small daily charge. What lifts the place from 'nice park' to a full day is the little ferry from the jetty beside the cafe to Lakeside pier on the opposite shore, a five-minute crossing that runs daily from 23 May to 27 September for £6 return per adult and £3 per child. From Lakeside you take the steam train to Haverthwaite or the big steamer up to Bowness, come back the same way, and you have combined lake, train and park without moving the car. Be realistic: there is nothing here to 'see'. This is not a castle or a museum but a place to spend a sunny afternoon at the water with children, and in the rain it loses most of its point. Entry is free but parking is pay-and-display, £10 for a full day for non-members of the National Trust, and the car park fills before noon on sunny July and August weekends, so come early. By car it is around twenty minutes south of Bowness on the A592 along the eastern shore, a narrow road but one of the prettiest in the district.
Lawns slope down to a pebble beach where children can paddle safely, with the view running the whole length of Windermere.
Five minutes across the water connects you to the steam railway and the Bowness steamers, making a park-lake-train day.
Rowing boats, kayaks and paddleboards for hire from the watersports centre, with heated changing rooms, showers and lockers.
A592, Newby Bridge, LA12 8NN
With children and a sunny day, yes: the Bowness waterfront is piers and boat queues more than a beach, while Fell Foot gives you an open shore, room to run and boats without the crowds. If it is raining or you have no children and want something to actually see, stick with Bowness or head for a castle or historic house instead.
The park itself stays open all year and entry is free, but the boats and the ferry stop from November to March, daylight is short and the ground is wet, so expect no more than a short walk and a coffee in the cafe.