The best things to do in Lakeside and Newby Bridge

At the southerly end of Lake Windermere, you’ll find the village of Lakeside and the charming hamlet of Newby Bridge. Combined, they are a great northern holiday destination. The latter is home to a pretty 17^th-century arched bridge and a smattering of classic Lakeland stone cottages.

Although somewhat quieter than the bustling towns of Ambleside and Bowness that lie further up the lake, you’ll find plenty of things to see and do from Lakeside Pier and this part of the Lake District is also a perfect base for exploring places like Cartmel and Grange-over-Sands, which are both less than 7 miles from Newby Bridge.

Browse our range of holiday homes around Lakeside and Newby Bridge to find your perfect base for exploring the South Lakes part of Cumbria.

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Lakeside Pier

Image credit: visitlakedistrict.com

Catch the Windermere Lake Cruises boats across Windermere from Lakeside Pier and spend the day enjoying the views and exploring the attractions around the largest of the Lake District lakes. If you fancy staying on dry land, simply grab a coffee and cake, then take a walk along the pier to look out over the water.

Available boat trips from Lakeside include regular ferry services to nearby Fell Foot and a 90-minute Yellow Cruise that will take you around the south of the lake before terminating at Bowness. A 24-hour Freedom Of The Lake ticket allows for unlimited travel, so you can combine different cruise routes as you wish to see the whole of Windermere, including various islands and the majestic Wray Castle. 

Lakeland Motor Museum

Image credit: visitlakedistrict.com

Around a mile south of Newby Bridge is the Lakeland Motor Museum, where you’ll find around 30,000 exhibits that demonstrate how road transport has evolved through the years. As well as vintage cars and motorcycles, there are also pedal cars and one of the largest collections of motoring memorabilia in the UK.

The fascinating museum is housed in a historic mill and highlights include a tribute to Donald Campbell, the famed land and water speed record breaker, with full-sized replicas of the Bluebird car, boat and hydroplane. There is also a special display showing the history of the Isle of Man Tourist Trophy since its inception in 1907.

Lakeside Aquarium

This attraction on the shores of Windermere is home to a wide array of fish, sea creatures and other water-loving animals. The ground floor of Lakeside Aquarium is dedicated to things you might see in and around the Lake District. Take a recreated journey from the shoreline to deep underneath Windermere, where you’ll see carp, bream and tufted ducks and then pay a visit to the shores of Morecambe Bay to see rockpools, rays, anemones and starfish.

Upstairs at the museum, you’ll be transported further afield with tropical rainforest exhibits and tortoises that are typically found in the Nile. One of the highlights though, are a pair of mischievous Asian small-clawed otters which you can watch being fed in the Asian section of the aquarium.

Lakeside & Haverthwaite Railway

Take a scenic steam train trip through the Leven Valley in a period 1950’s Lakeside & Haverthwaite Railway carriage that’s full of original features. Climb aboard the train at Lakeside Station, which is next to Lakeside Pier and around a mile walk from Newby Bridge. Dogs are well to join you on the train as you travel in style for the 3-mile railway journey to Haverthwaite Station.

At Haverthwaite, you’ll find a beautifully restored Victorian station with a tea room, gift shop and engine shed. There’s also a children’s woodland playground with climbing frames, swings, slides and a zip wire, and you can cross a footbridge from the platform to a pretty picnic area with a wonderful view of the station. It’s worth taking a scenic walk around the surrounding woodland before catching a steam train back to Lakeside.    

Fell Foot Park

Around 1 mile north of Newby Bridge is the wonderful Fell Foot Park. It lies just across the water from Lakeside Pier and there are regular Windermere Lake Cruise services if you fancy arriving by boat. Visiting Fell Foot is an ideal thing to do with the kids; there are large green spaces for ball games and gentle trails that are perfect for little legs.

If you fancy trying out some water sports on Windermere, you can hire kayaks, paddleboards and rowboats with expert guidance available. There are also various orienteering courses around the extensive grounds of Fell Foot and an outdoor children’s play area. After a day spent together in the great outdoors, you can head to the Fell Foot café for refreshments. It’s housed in a Gothic revival boathouse in the lakeshore park.

Great Knott Wood

Nestled on the southwest shore of Lake Windermere is Great Knott Wood, a large patch of ancient woodland that links Lakeside with the nearby small village of Finsthwaite. There are various access points around the woodland, including one from the main road in Lakeside and various footpaths that can be linked together for a circular walk.

A special geocaching trail is available for Great Knott Wood, which takes you past various points of interest, including a picture frame for photos and a giant bobbin which tells the story of local industry. Look out for roe deer and red deer as you wander around mature yew, beech, oak and sycamore trees. The woodland is carpeted by bluebells during the springtime, and you can also see wild garlic, foxgloves and wood anemone.

Holte Spa

For a relaxing spa day in Newby Bridge, head to Holte Spa at The Swan, where you’ll find an outdoor Finnish sauna and both indoor and outdoor hydrotherapy pools. Tailored thermal journeys include various hot and cold experiences such as steam rooms, plunge pools and hot and cold experience showers. There’s also a 12-seater Jacuzzi pool where you can relax with a glass of fizz during an indulgent spa day.

Enjoy a little well-earned you-time with a range of treatments available at the spa, including massages, facials and body scrubs. There are plenty of relaxing spaces to retreat to at Holte Spa and a café where you can get fresh fruit smoothies to indulgent cakes.

Stott Park Bobbin Mill

The Lake District was once home to around 100 working mills but now just Stott Park Bobbin Mill in Finsthwaite near Lakeside remains. You can take a tour of the mill on various dates during the year and see how a wooden bobbin was made for the cotton industry during the late 19th century. There’s also an exhibition showing the history of bobbin making and an interactive trail for kids to follow in the footsteps of children who worked at Stott Park.

The mill is set within around 4 acres of woodland on the edge of Windermere and, as well as various walking routes, there is a children’s play area with nearby benches and tables for a scenic picnic.

Lakeside and Newby Bridge walks

One of the best ways to explore the Lake District is on foot, so you don’t miss out on the stunning scenery and surprising views that are seemingly waiting around every corner. Luckily, the southern part of Lake Windermere has plenty of lovely walking trails. Here are some of our favourites:

West Windermere Way

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Connecting Lakeside with Newby Bridge, the West Windermere Way is a 4-mile off-road trail that winds its way through the ancient woodland and open parkland that surrounds the southern shores of Lake Windermere. The linear walk will take you past Crag Wood and through the village of Finsthwaite, and once you have reached Newby Bridge, you can catch a bus or steam train back to your starting point in Lakeside.

Newby Bridge circular walk

This circular 4-mile walk starts at Newby Bridge Railway Station and takes you along the path of the River Leven before climbing up through the woodland paths of Finsthwaite Heights to High Dam. This man-made tarn is a popular spot for swimming, and you can extend the walk by taking a 2-mile stroll around the water before heading back past Stott Park Bobbin Mill to Newby Bridge.

Fell Foot Park to Gummer’s How

You can either catch one of the regular ferries from Lakeside Pier to Fell Foot Park to start this short but steep walk, or park in a free car park that will take you part of the way up the hill. There’s a pathway which will take you almost all the way up Gummer’s How, however, it doesn’t quite reach the top, so you’ll have to scramble up some stone steps to reach the summit. Cows graze freely on Gummer’s How, so you’ll probably see some as you climb up the fell, and you can enjoy wonderful views across Windermere before heading back down Fell Foot Brow to your starting point.

Map of things to do in Lakeside and Newby Bridge

Find the best things to do around Lakeside and Newby Bridge with this handy map:

Plan your getaway to Lakeside and Newby Bridge

If you have been inspired to get away from the crowds of Ambleside and Bowness and head to the quieter southern tip of Windermere, you’ll find plenty of holiday cottages around Newby Bridge and Lakeside.

This part of the Lake District is also a perfect base for exploring places like Cartmel and Grange-over-Sands. Browse our range of Lakeside and Newby Bridge cottages to find your perfect base for exploring.