BOWNESS on WINDERMERE

Bowness on Windemere is a small town situated on the banks of Lake Windemere.

The, better known, town of Windemere, with a station, is actually adjacent to Bowness on Windemere. While Windemere is full of hotels and bed and breakfast establishments it is Bowness which has the night life with far more pubs and restaurants. It is also Bowness that is On the lake and from which the lake cruises sail from.

As well as pub food Bowness has restaurants to suit all tastes and prices. It also has many specialist shops with the nearest to a chain store, apart from those selling outside activity gear, being a Tesco Express and Co-op.

Windemere does have some pubs and restaurants and good shops. Windermere has pubtrail page of its own.

Tourist info Lake cruises Lake District

Most people will enter Bowness on Windemere from Windemere by going down the A5074 which leads to Lake Road. The first drinking establishment (apart from those in Windemere) being about 20 minutes walk from the station. This is a hotel called The Craig Manor. Continue down the left-hand side (we will come back up the other side)

A few minutes down Lake Road hill (and it is a hill) is The Westmorland Inn. Continuing down the hill to the bottom and you are now into the centre of the town with The Albert at the roundabout.

Crossing the road coming from the right there is The Flying Pig and, next door, Ye Old John Peel. Once there you can walk back without crossing the road and turn right down the small road opposite The Albert.

Go down this small road and the back wall of a car park has New Hall Inn on it and there is a Robinson's sign on the wall where you can turn right on to St Martin's Parade and view the patio area for The Hole in t' Wall, which is in fact the New Hall Inn. After here, you go back to the corner, but continue straight, and there is a white wall with The White House (closed) written on it. This leads to the garden area for this pub/restaurant and beyond that on the next corner is Churchill's Wine Bar (closed). These three premises, and the corners, mentioned are practically on top of one another.

Going up the short hill from Churchill's and then going along the lane to the right, with a church on the left, there is The Stags Head Hotel. Just along from here is The Old England Hotel.

You can now walk down to the lake and along the shore line. After the cruise boat embarkation area there is a large building with The Lakeview (looks like it has reopened) upstairs. A little further along is The Ship Inn. From there walk along the lakeside going along the path as the road turns left. This is a pleasant walk and it looks like you can now stop at a new bar called Boaters Bar which looks attractive then walk on until you reach a road at the marina. Turn left up here and The Boat House is through a carpark and overlooking the marina on the right.

Leaving here walk up to the main road and turn left and walk along for a bit. After the road curves round and the lake is in sight again there is a road turning off to the right. At this corner is a sweeping driveway up to the Burnside Hotel and up this driveway and past the main entrance to the hotel, you will see The Pub.

Coming back down to the main road walk along on the right and as you turn up to leave the lakeside there is The Lake View Garden Bar. Further round the corner is The Village Inn. Continuing up the hill away from the main road there is a Y-junction either side of which will take you to The Arts Bar & Grill and next door, The Royal Oak.

Leaving these places walk down the far-right pavement and at the corner is The County Hut quickly followed by the Sol/Bodega Tapas bars as the road becomes pedestrianised.

Continue along the pedestrian area and turn up the hill at the roundabout. At the right on the next corner you cannot miss The Angel perched on top of a terrace garden. Continue up the hill out of town and eventually reach Beresford's restaurant with its downstairs pub (limited opening Thursday to Sunday afternoon).

Other Lake District Pubtrails

Windermere

Windermere is small down with the railway station for Lake Windermere. A compact town centre and lots of hotels and B & Bs.

WINDERMERE
Ambleside

Ambleside is a centre for walking and camping. It is also on Lake Windermere and you can sail to here from Bowness on Windermere.

AMBLESIDE
Keswick

Keswick is a market town in the northwest of the Lake District close to Derwent Water.

KESWICK

Craig Manor Hotel

Craig Manor Hotel, Bowness on Windermere

Craig Manor Hotel, Bowness on Windermere - beer garden

Craig Manor is a large hotel and restaurant open to non-residents. The small bar is to the left of reception or straight ahead if the door in the middle of the building is open. The bar is mainly to cater for residents and diners but there is a lot of armchair and sofa seating through to the right. the hotel also has an extensive outside beer garden.

Have a half pint here

Real ale : Hawkhead Bitter
Bitter : Tetley's Smoothflow
Lager : Stella, Carlsberg
Cider : Gaymers Guinness

Pub Jukebox:

Alcohol themed music to listen to while you browse.

you & tequila - Kenny Chesney

The Westmorland Inn ★ ❤

The Westmorland Inn, Bowness on Windermere - seating going downstairs

The Westmorland Inn, Bowness on Windermere - downstairs restaurant

The Westmorland Inn, Bowness on Windermere - beside the servery

The Westmorland Inn, Bowness on Windermere - looking out through front lounge

The Westmorland Inn (formerly Ruskin’s), a small gem on the road out of/into Bowness, is a very traditional pub on the ground floor. A central door to the front room with seating and tables to left and the sides. The opened up back room has the servery at the back right and fireplace seating to the left. To the right of the front door are stairs down to a landing with two couch seating areas and a TV. One of these small areas overlooks the restaurant reached by a further set of stairs. The restaurant expands underneath the landing area. Food is advertised as pub grub at good value with both food and value being excellent. As are the staff. As it is up the hill from the centre of Bowness many tourists miss a treat by not discovering it.

Have a pint here

Real ale: Westmorland Ale and Golden Host (both Jennings); New World (Marstons) Cumberland Ale

Bitter: Shipyard

Lager: Erdinger; San Miguel; Pilsner Urquell

Cider: Kingston Press; Dry Apple Cider Guinness

The Albert

The Albert has been lovingly modernised from an old hotel - fascinating pictures going back years. Bar counter is straight ahead. To the right is seating and another room for seating/dining. To the left is comfy armchair and tables leading to TV and then out to large outside seating area. More seating upstairs. Pub food is well above pub standard at pub prices.

The Good Pub Guide 2013

Have several here

Real ale : (Robinson's) Dizzy Blonde; Dizzy Blonde (chilled), Unicorn, Trooper; Cumbria Way

bitter :Robinson's Smooth

Lager : Fosters, Stella ; Heineken; Carling; Birra Moretti

cider : Rosie's Pig Strawberry Cloudy Cider Guinness

PLACES TO VISIT WITH PUBTRAILS

The towns and villages highlighted on this web site have a wide variety of pubs and beers in them. All of the places are great to visit, whether for a day or longer, and most have tourist attractions for all of the family.

There is a large variety of pubs throughout the different towns shown below. Some you may wish never to visit again but even discovering these can be interesting. There are pubs that you would not take your wife into. While some you could not take your girlfriend into. A few you would not take either into. However, most of the pubs are very pleasant.

HOME MAP of places visited

Alnwick Ambleside Anstruther Bakewell Bamburgh Barnard Castle Bath Berwick upon Tweed Birnam & Dunkeld Bourton on the Water Bowness on Windermere Bridge of Allan Chester Chichester Dunblane Dunoon Edinburgh Ely Fort William Glasgow Gourock Greenock Helensburgh Inverness Kelso Keswick Knaresbourgh Largs Linlithgow Lyme Regis Melrose Montrose Newton Stewart North Berwick Norwich Oban Pebbles Penzance Portree Pitlochry Quorn Richmond Rothesay St Andrews Seahouses Seend Shrewsbury Skipton Stirling Stratford-upon-Avon Stockton Heath Whitby Windemere Whitstable York

Ye Old John Peel

Ye Old John Peel is a large bar with further bar and seating/dining up a few steps. The actual counter is small and would be difficult to stand at if the place was busy. It is a pleasant basic pub which has seating with small tables around the side. Disabled access, lunch and evening meals, and dog friendly.

Have one here

Real ale : Deuchers; Edinburgh Castle

bitter : John Smiths

Lager : Fosters, 1664

cider : Strongbow Guinness

The Flying Pig ★

The Flying Pig is a pub/diner with lots of outside seating along its attractive frontage. Entrance to left of building to long thin pub. Some seating round to left of entrance but main pub is to the right. There is tall seating along back wall until the small square servery is reached. Along the front wall is seating by the windows. Beyond the servery is the large restaurant area. Excellent food and dogs allowed.

have a pint here

real ale: Windermere Blonde; Monumental; Eden Valley Pale Ale; Swan Blonde

lager: Erdinger; Kosel; Peroni; Asahi; Pilsner Urquall

cider: Kingston Press Portman Stout Porter

PUB QUIZ

Who was the first woman to be elected to the Houses Parliament ?
Answer at foot of page

The Hole in t' Wall ★

The New Hall Inn or as it seems better known, The Hole in t' Wall, has a large outside patio. The entrance (mind the step) leads to the large bar with a variety of seating. There is also a lower larger seating area down a few steps by the right hand corner, with a small bar (not always open). The main bar which is a good drinking area has many 'traditional' ornaments like jugs and chamber pots hanging from the roof to add character. Dogs only in patio

This is the oldest pub in Boness and was visited by Charles Dickens ——- info

Featured in Pete Brown's book The Pub

Featured in Pint To Pint The Telegraph's book of Britain's best pubs see books

Have several here

Real ale : (Robinson's) Double Hop, Unicorn, Wizard; Dizzy Blonde and Hartley's XB

bitter : XB Bitter

Lager : Carling, Carlsberg, Lakeland Lager; Fosters

cider : Strongbow, Old Rosie Guinness

Churchill's Wine Bar (closed) - may have reopened as

Churchill’s Tavern

Churchill's Wine Bar, Bowness on Windermere

Churchill's Wine Bar (closed but hopes of reopening) and now seems to have as Churchill’s Tavern (according to Trip Adviser, Whatpub and google maps) redefines the term, having a large TV and pool. There is a small outside sitting area by the main door. The counter is an oval serving a bar area and a lounge. At the entrance there are some booths by the window, then a pool table then the oval servery and the bar area with large TV blaring. The other side of the oval serves a long lounge overlooking a large patio area

Have a pint

Real ale : Sunset Blonde (Cross Bay)

bitter : John Smiths

Lager : 1664, Fosters; Carling

cider : Strongbow + Cloudy Apple + Dark Fruit Guinness

The Stags Head

The Stags Head, Bowness on Windermere - servery

The Stags Head, Bowness on Windermere - back bar seating from central door

The Stags Head, Bowness on Windermere through back

The Stags Head, Bowness on Windermere - lounge

The Stags Head, Bowness on Windermere back bar

The Stags Head takes getting use to as it is a hotel with bars. There is a little outside seating in the lane and pub can be accessed via the corner door to lounge and main bar. This has seating either side of door Beyond this is the main counter and then some more seating by fireplace. The bar and entertainment area are then to the right. Outside, the middle door is for hotel reception and from the right-hand door the bar space is entered. This has some tables to the right and to left each with TV. Beyond this is the entertainment area with TVs football, pool tables (with kids running around with cues) pinball, poker and other machine games. Walking through from here takes you to the lounge, with bar. Downstairs from the reception is a evening venue called Buck's Bar offering a club atmosphere. Dogs allowed

Have one here. 10% CAMRA discount

Real ale : Blond Witch and Stags Head Imperial Bitter (both Moorhouse) , Wainwright and Lancaster Bomber (both Thwaites) - usually four from eight.

bitter : John Smiths

Lager : San Miguel, 1664, Fosters (+cold)

cider : Strongbow +dark fruit Guinness (+cold)

The Old England Hotel

The Old England Hotel (Macdonalds) is a luxury hotel. Lots of large rooms, on entrance level and downstairs, all of which are furnished with armchairs. A distance through from entrance is the Terrace bar with large terrace and large comfortable sitting room but no barperson - it is only waiter service. Downstairs was another unopened bar, probably for functions. Easy to get lost in as I wandered around unchallenged.

Lager : Heineken

cider : Strongbow Guinness

A selection of recommended books covering all aspects of beer and brewing. There are books on the history of beer and others on different styles of beer.
For example
An Inebriated History of Britain by Peter Haydon
Amber, Gold & Black by Martyn Cornell
Brew Britannia by Jessica Boak & Ray Bailey
The Story of the Pint by Martyn Cornell
Miracle Brew by Pete Brown
Built to Brew by Lynn Pearson
And many more

books on Beer
The website of the Campaign for Real Ale

CAMRA
A selection of recommended books on pubs and their history. There are books on the social history of pubs and the design of pubs through the ages.
There are also books on visiting pubs and ones recommending pubs to visit.
CAMRA’s Good Beer Guide
Death of the English Pub by Christopher Hutt
Brewers, Brands and the Pubs in their Hands by Tony Thornton
Licensed to Sell by Brandwood, Davidson & Slaughter
And many more

Books on Pubs