Explore Ullswater on the Iconic Steamers

Published on January 1, 2024 at 11:00 am

A popular tourist destination since the mid-18th century when the lake’s shores were haunted by the British aristocracy who were enchanted by its pristine surroundings, excellent sailing conditions, and abundance of fowl for hunting, Ullswater remains today one of the most beloved lacustrine destinations in the UK for those very same reasons. A Z-shaped ribbon lake formed by the melting of three glaciers during the last ice age, it is the Lake District’s second biggest lake and is crowned by Helvellyn, one of England’s tallest mountains. Ullswater is most famous, however, for its heritage steamer ships that attempt to infuse into the lake the essence of yesteryear. One of the most cherished lakes in the Lake District, visit Ullswater for a journey back in time among some truly timeless scenery.

Ullswater and one of its iconic steamer ships.

Summary

The Ullswater Steamers
Walks Around Ullswater

The Ullswater Steamers

A cruise on the Ullswater Steamers is a classic and enduringly chic tourist activity in the Lake District, with the cruise fleet having been launched over 150 years ago and now consisting one of the largest heritage cruise fleets in the world. The cruisers’ original function was manifold: carrying passengers, but also Royal Mail provisions, slate and lead from nearby mines, and even the ferrying of soldiers during World War II to the training grounds at Ullswater Hotel. The fleet’s oldest vessel in the MY Lady of the Lake, dating to 1877 and believed to be the oldest working passenger vessel in the world. The MY Raven, another member of the fleet, dates to twenty years afterwards in 1889 and was temporarily made a royal yacht when Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany visited the lake in 1895.

A journey on the Ullswater Steamers consists of an eight-mile circular around Ullswater during which guests are shown privileged views of some of England’s tallest peaks, with the option to alight at four stops: Pooley Bridge, Howtown, Aira Force, or Glenridding.

Get off at Pooley Bridge to admire a charming Cumbrian fishing village, with two main streets lined by typical greystone buildings and a number of lake-view teashops. Howtown is a quiet hamlet secluded in a natural harbour by the dramatic mountain slopes, while Aira Force gives you access to Aira Force waterfall, one of the most beautiful in the UK surrounded by verdant woodland and allegedly the inspiration for William Wordsworth’s famous poem “Daffodils”. The falls are mentioned explicitly in three more of his poems, most notably in “The Somnambulist.”

“Wild stream of Aira, hold thy course,

Nor fear memorial lays,

Where clouds that spread in solemn shade,

Are edged with golden rays!

Dear art thou to the light of heaven,

Though minister of sorrow;

Sweet is thy voice at pensive even.

And thou, in lovers’ heart forgiven,

Shalt take thy place with Yarrow!”

-William Wordsworth, “The Somnambulist”, 1883.

Final of its stops is Glenridding, a former lead-mining town at the foot of iconic Kirkstone Pass. It is popular as a base camp for summiting Helvellyn, a behemothic, 950m (3,118ft) tall mountain that constitutes the third-highest peak in England, behind Scafell Pike and Scafell.

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YHA Helvellyn

A lovely hostel located in the Cumbrian countryside.

From

£40 /night

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Practical information

Opening times: Ullswater Cruises run 363 days per year, being closed December 25th and 26th. To see cruise schedules, visit the website.

Fares: A one-way trip on the Ullswater Steamer from Glenridding to Pooley Bridge or vise versa costs £13. A return trip costs £7. Tickets can either be bought online or in-person.

Getting there: Ullswater Cruises have four piers providing access to their boats, although the two main pierhouses are at Glenridding and Pooley Bridge. Parking is available at all four piers. For access via public transport, there are Stagecoach services that stop at Glenridding, Aira Force, and Pooley Bridge respectively. Visit the website for more information.

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The Pooley Bridge Inn

A fabulous western-style hotel located in Pooley Bridge, Lake District.

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£121 /night

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Walks Around Ullswater

Dramatic views over Ullswater.

As well as its unique cruisers, Ullswater is known for its dramatic scenery that makes it one of the most popular hiking areas in the Lake District. The Hallin Fell circular is a short circuit walk of about 2km (1.3miles) above Howtown on Ullswater’s eastern fringe, offering formidable views and passage by several interesting landmarks such as St. Peter’s Church and the Hallin Fell cairn. Glenridding to Aira Force is another gentle but popular walk, following a National Trust pathway through scenic woodland along the Aira beck. From Glenridding you can also walk to Howtown for one of the Lake District’s prettiest lakeside walks.

The bordering Helvellyn mountain range offers several more challenging but spectacularly rewarding routes. The thrilling scramble along Striding Edge towards Martindale, a remote valley with a beautiful native red deer population, was a notable favourite of Alfred Wainwright. There are also several routes to the summit of Helvellyn mountain, the most popular being via Striding Edge; via Swirral Edge, another exhilarating scramble that passes an array of valleys and streams; and from Thirlmere, a sizeable reservoir in the shadows of numerous local fells. Along this latter route you will also encounter Dunmail Raise, a famous cairn that is the alleged burial place of King Dunmail, the last medieval monarch of Cumbria.

by Jude JONES

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