Ullswater ‘Steamers’ Take To Waves

The Ullswater Steamers’ summer timetable has been published, covering sailings along the full length of the lake, with the welcome return of a shuttle service between Glenridding and the iconic Aira Force waterfall.

The attraction will operate its fleet of steamers on six daily cruises, with three return journeys departing from Glenridding and three departing from Pooley Bridge seven days a week, which – in accordance with social distancing guidelines – must be booked in advance.

Each cruise will also stop at Howtown, but only to drop off people who wish to go for a walk. Passengers will not be able to board any services from the Howtown pier.

A separate cruise will also operate four shorter, 20-minute return journeys from Glenridding to the National Trust-operated site, Aira Force and back each day, with each cruise named after a fruit or flower for easy booking. While some National Trust properties and sites require forward-booking, Ullswater ‘Steamers’ passengers do not have to book to see the waterfall, only the boat journey itself. The only restriction at Aira Force is for people who wish to use the site’s car park.

Rachel Bell, Head of Marketing & Development for both attractions, says, “We are delighted to finally re launch cruises for visitors on Ullswater after several months of lockdown measures. The Steamers provide an integral link for visitors to the valley, tourism businesses and local communities.

“We place the utmost importance on the safety and wellbeing of our passengers and our people and have been working hard getting everything in-place to ensure our visitors receive a warm welcome. We have strengthened our health and safety routines, the safety of our passengers and staff takes top priority, hence the need to book in advance and for social distancing guidelines to be followed, but we know ‘the new normal’ is being widely respected by visitors and we welcome the return of responsible tourism.”

Tickets must be booked online before 9am on the day of intended travel. Full reopening details and answers to frequently asked questions, along with a new downloadable brochure, can be found at: https://www.ullswater-steamers.co.uk/covid-19-info.htm