Swan
Here is the Swan again, leaving Ambleside pier.
Windermere lake is subject to a public right of navigation and in centuries past supported commercial traffic associated with slate and copper mining, timber, wool and fishing. In the early years of the 19th century a sailing packet service started up with vessels carrying passengers and general goods between Ambleside, Bowness, the Hawkshead Ferry and Newby Bridge. There were other ferry operators who rowed passengers up and down the lake exchanging passengers and goods at the Hawkshead Ferry.
The first steamer, ‘Lady of the Lake’, was launched in 1845 despite fierce opposition from William Wordsworth who lived near Ambleside.
Swan was built in 1938. The 251-tonne vessel is part of the National Historic Fleet and was built by Vickers Armstrong of Barrow-in-Furness for the London, Midland and Scottish Railway company to improve its Windermere fleet. The sections of boat were transported by rail to Lakeside and assembled. Neville Chamberlain was the Prime Minister then and it wasn’t long before the Second World War broke out, and she was laid up from 1941 until July 1945 because of hostilities.
Swan has been modernised many times during her lifetime, but she was well made and it is very rare that anything goes wrong with her. She can reach a speed of 10 knots with its 2x 6 cylinder Cummins diesel engines and 2 x auxiliary generators.
The weather was fine enough for us to sit comfortably on the upper open deck when we stopped using the car to get around.
Swan
Here is the Swan again, leaving Ambleside pier.
Windermere lake is subject to a public right of navigation and in centuries past supported commercial traffic associated with slate and copper mining, timber, wool and fishing. In the early years of the 19th century a sailing packet service started up with vessels carrying passengers and general goods between Ambleside, Bowness, the Hawkshead Ferry and Newby Bridge. There were other ferry operators who rowed passengers up and down the lake exchanging passengers and goods at the Hawkshead Ferry.
The first steamer, ‘Lady of the Lake’, was launched in 1845 despite fierce opposition from William Wordsworth who lived near Ambleside.
Swan was built in 1938. The 251-tonne vessel is part of the National Historic Fleet and was built by Vickers Armstrong of Barrow-in-Furness for the London, Midland and Scottish Railway company to improve its Windermere fleet. The sections of boat were transported by rail to Lakeside and assembled. Neville Chamberlain was the Prime Minister then and it wasn’t long before the Second World War broke out, and she was laid up from 1941 until July 1945 because of hostilities.
Swan has been modernised many times during her lifetime, but she was well made and it is very rare that anything goes wrong with her. She can reach a speed of 10 knots with its 2x 6 cylinder Cummins diesel engines and 2 x auxiliary generators.
The weather was fine enough for us to sit comfortably on the upper open deck when we stopped using the car to get around.