4 Star Bowness B&B

Our Bowness-on Windermere Bed & Breakfast

Tucked atop a wooded hill and boasting stunning views of Lake Windermere and open fells, Blenheim Lodge B&B in Bowness-on-Windermere nestles serenely into National Trust acres in the heart of the Lake District National Park. Visit with us to relax, to pause, to listen to uplifting birdsong. Slumber upon beds that make you think you are sleeping on a cloud!

Incredible views from our B&B rooms, woodland walks and National Trust acres to wander at will, and panoramic viewpoints minutes’ walk from our door offer space to breathe – to absorb the tranquil beauty of the Lakes. including England’s largest natural body of water, Lake Windermere. Peace and quiet surround our house, but just 5 minutes’ amble finds one in bustling Bowness-on-Windermere town with all its amenities, attractions, and Lake Windermere. Come and stay with us! At Blenheim Lodge Bed and Breakfast you can enjoy the best of both worlds!

Bowness-on-Windermere: Welcome to our World

Alfred Wainwright, famed fell walker and author, fell in love with the Lake District on his first visit when beholding breathtaking views from Orrest Head, a South Lakes fell located one mile south of Bowness, where our B&B sits upon Brant Fell, sharing these same awesome Lake Windermere views.

‘I was totally transfixed, unable to believe my eyes. I had never seen anything like this. I saw mountain ranges, one after another, the nearer starkly etched, those beyond fading into the blue distance. Rich woodlands, emerald pastures and the shimmering water of the lake below added to a pageant of loveliness, a glorious panorama that held me enthralled. I had seen landscapes of rural beauty pictured in the local art gallery, but here was no painted canvas; this was real.

‘This was truth. God was in His heaven that day and I a humble worshipper.’

(The Outlying Fells of Lakeland by Alfred Wainwright)

B&B Rooms

Choose a bed and breakfast room that is just right for YOU!

The Poppies B&B Room

The Poppies

Sleeps 2. Pretty Lake and Fell Views. Walk-in Shower En-suite.

From £116Per Night B&B
Brantfell en-suite single bedroom

Brantfell

Sleeps 1. Charming Lake and fell views. Shower En-suite.

From £88Per Night B&B
Belle Isle single room

Belle Isle

Sleeps 1. Splendid Lake and fell views. Shower En-suite.

From £88Per Night B&B
The Fairfield double room with day bed

The Fairfield

Sleeps 2. Queen Bed. Amazing Lake and Fell Views. Walk-in Shower En-suite.

From £165Per Night B&B
Bay Window B&B room with view

The Langdale

Sleeps 2. Antique 4-Poster. Queen Bed. Panoramic Lake and Fell Views. Small Shower En-suite.

From £165Per Night B&B
The Coniston Room with four poster bed

The Coniston

Sleeps 2. Antique 4-Poster. Delightful Lake and Fell Views. Small Shower En-suite.

From £135Per Night B&B
The Dalesway B&B Room

The Dalesway

Sleeps 2 or 3. Antique French Beds. Peaceful Countryside and Woodland Views. Small Shower En-suite.

From £163Per Night B&B
Spotlessly clean B+B rooms

Claife Heights

Sleeps 2. Fabulous Lake and fell views. Small Shower En-suite.

From £128Per Night B&B
The Attic Room with a view

The Attic

Sleeps 2. Antique French Bed. Gorgeous Lake and fell views. Private Bathroom.

From £128Per Night B&B
The Blue Bedroom

The Blue Room

Sleeps 2. Lovely Lake and Fell Views. Small Shower En-suite.

From £119Per Night B&B
The Eyrie Room, Bowness B&B

The Eyrie

Sleeps 1. Character Beams. Far-reaching Lake and fell views. Shower En-suite.

From £88Per Night B&B

Delicious Breakfasts

Arise and shine! It’s breakfast time!

One highlight of any Bed and Breakfast break must surely be that of a quality breakfast. Sumptuous in ingredients and delectability, we are talking about REAL butcher fare handcrafted daily to delicious recipes that tickle the tastebuds or farm-fresh produce filled only with delicious goodness. Treat these quality ingredients with respect, et voila! . . . we have ourselves that lip-smacking home-made breakfast to remember.

When you are staying at Blenheim Lodge, tuck into succulent sausages freshly handmade by our local butcher and savour hand-cured and sliced bacon made also to order and delivered straight to our door. This family butchers is now in its third generation, and continues to operate from its original village shop. If you like nicely seasoned meaty sausages and handmade and hand-sliced quality bacon, then come stay with us to indulge in the real McCoy!

Of course we do also offer other choices on our breakfast menu. Help yourself to fresh fruits, stewed fruit, yoghurts and cereals. A range of hot choices include what visitors call our very yummy scrambled eggs – “the best scrambled eggs I have ever tasted” is an oft-repeated refrain – made from freshly laid large free range eggs delivered to order from a local farm, to the rather indulgent croissants and muffins that do not do one’s waistline any favours! Hot tea, coffee, and toast are also always available and served to each table. Do check out our breakfast menu, which is listed in the drop down “About” section. And if you have any dietary requirements, please let us know when you book. We are always here to help.

Close to Nature

Lake Windermere, England’s largest natural body of water, is a perennial favourite with visitors. Bowness on Windermere is so called because the village of Bowness sits on the shores of Windermere, upon which Windermere Lake Cruises, an immensely popular attraction which has been featured a number of times on television, sail. The lake and cruises are only 5 minutes’ walk from Blenheim Lodge.

Blenheim Lodge is situated at the end of a quiet hilltop cul-de-sac in Bowness on Windermere, affectionately known as “Bowness”. Nestled into a beautiful peaceful fell with cows, sheep, deer, owls, and other denizens of Nature for company, our friendly 4-Star Bowness Bed and Breakfast is overlooked by fields and woodlands; and offers the best location for guests seeking a tranquil retreat away from the noisy hustle and bustle of downtown traffic and crowds.

Set serenely against organic farm acres and woodlands with walking trails and viewpoints on our doorstep, our Bowness B&B could not possibly get any closer to Nature and still retain the benefits of village centre amenities and local attractions only a convenient few minutes’ walk from our front door. The Dales Way long distance footpath in Bowness on Windermere is a literal half to 1-minute stroll from us, and the nearest outdoor viewing point is The Dales Way seat a few yards’ stride. This stone seat was commissioned by a previous owner of Blenheim Lodge, and offers an excellent spot to enjoy far-reaching views of Lake Windermere to the fells beyond. It is a view shared by guests staying in our Lake-facing en-suite bedrooms at Blenheim Lodge, our Bowness B&B.

Blenheim Lodge shares a Lakeland drystone wall with Brant Fell, into which our Bowness B&B nestles. A hedge has grown up just in front of the wall, and there is also a low wire fence to demarcate the boundary. However, none of these have deterred wild deer on the fell from leaping agilely over the trio of wall, hedge, and fence to feed sneakily upon the plants in our backyard . . . and, sometimes, also the plants and flowers at the front of our house. Try and catch a glimpse of these shy creatures if you can!

One of our bedrooms, The Dalesway, overlooks the aforementioned footpath and was named for it. Its bay windows overlook the fell, and Nature-loving guests may entertain themselves in undisturbed observation of the sheep which crop the grass, and the cows which, for some reason, enjoy eating our hedge more than the sweet organic tree foliage and grass on the fell. In the evenings and nights, listen out for owls hooting and look for bats flitting silently against white ghostly moonlight. Watch out for dormice and see how the birds gather their twigs and other nesting materials. It is all rather mesmerising.

Lake Windermere Views

Blenheim Lodge was built in 1868 by a wealthy Mancunian cotton magnet at the top of Brantfell Road so that it would look down over Old Bowness towards Lake Windermere and the fells. Our Bowness B&B does indeed enjoy far-reaching views of both, and some rooms in particular have extensive vistas across most of the length of this 10.5-mile lake and surrounding fells. We have also named some of our rooms after these Lakeland fells they overlook: such as The Langdale; The Fairfield; Claife Heights; Belle Isle; and Brantfell.

Lake Windermere views are a trademark of all of our rooms except for The Dalesway, which looks directly out onto Brant Fell; and, when the leaves have fallen from the deciduous trees, also onto a section of The Dales Way. Our Lake-facing rooms enjoy either panoramic or northwestern views of Lake Windermere. There are few B&B places in Bowness and Windermere with extensiveLake Windermere views, so do check us out for 4-Star quality en-suite rooms with fabulous Lake views and a welcoming friendliness to match!

The Lake District

The Lake District is probably one of the most pulchritudinous National Parks in England. It has so much to offer: amazing scenery to appreciate; peaceful spots where one can contemplate; secret places to lose oneself in; historic features that fire the imagination; centuries’ old buildings, bridges, forts and roads with stories to tell; rugged trails to tempt the intrepid; lesser paths that encourage even the unnatural walker; fell summits to draw the mountaineer; Lakeland fare to tempt the tastebuds; famous writers who inspire and continue to draw fans and readers alike; and numerous attractions and events for all to enjoy. There is even a Cumbrian dialect to unravel and get your tongue round.

There are pretty hamlets, villages, and towns. There are 16 lakes and numerous meres, tarns, and waters to explore. Rivers, streams, becks, ghylls, waterfalls, and cascades abound. The fells or mountains in the Lakes are gorgeous to look at and walking one or some of them will give the intrepid hiker a close-up appreciation of the incredibly gorgeous scenery that characterises much of the Lake District National Park. On 9th July, 2017, the Lake District National Park was added to UNESCO’s list of World Heritage Sites. This fabulous terrain, much of it home to the iconic Herdwicks which graze and shape its land, is a precious piece of England’s important historic landscapes.

Relaxing Rooms

Blenheim Lodge is a grand old lady from the 1800s, and was built as a family’s country home. We were taken by Blenheim Lodge for a number of reasons when we first came to view it. We liked its location overlooking Lake Windermere and the fells. We also appreciated the peacefulness of its location. However, one of the most attractive things about Blenheim Lodge was the fact that it had retained much of its charming Victorian character, and felt like a homely place our guests could relax in.

Each of the bedrooms in our Bowness B&B has been meticulously presented and decorated to create a relaxing atmosphere. Our objective was to enhance each room’s individual character in keeping with the 1868 vintage of our Bowness on Windermere guesthouse. We did this by sourcing furniture and fabrics which we felt would complement the character of the house and also enhance our accommodation. To this end, most of the rooms have antique furniture, including William IV four-posters, Louis XV beds, and even a pair of 18th century ladies’ bedroom chairs complete with their original webbing. And, since a comfortable night’s sleep is a most important component of staying in any B&B, ALL our rooms have handmade deep pocket-sprung mattresses for a peaceful and restorative night’s rest.

Blenheim Lodge also has a comfortable lounge for guests’ use, including a 3-piece suite and solid hand-built oak chairs with leather pads, all of which are in keeping with the character of this sunny, airy room overlooking Lake Windermere and the fells. We enjoy welcoming newly arriving guests for a cuppa and biscuits in our lounge to help make them feel right at home. Floor to ceiling bay windows – with fabulous Lake Windermere and fell outlooks – make this a light-filled room. As the sun goes down, guests looking out over the fells will see the latter burning red and gold, and the light reflecting off them fracturing upon Lake Windermere’s either flat or undulating surface.

Breakfast is served in a pretty dining room with solid oak tables and upholstered oak chairs. This room retains a fireplace and the original servants’ bells. Much of one length of the wall is taken up by huge floor to ceiling bay windows overlooking our hedge where we have placed bird feeders to encourage local wild birds seeking sustenance especially in Winter. This is a lovely peaceful room where guests can relax and enjoy their breakfasts.

Definition Of ‘Cosy’: Feel Right At Home!

Blenheim Lodge Bed and Breakfast: warm, friendly, welcoming home from home atmosphere where you can simply relax and pad about in your slippers – or even pyjamas as you will – without feeling self-conscious! Built in 1868 as a Lakeland retreat, our Victorian home nestles quietly on Brant Fell next to The Dales Way in Bowness-on-Windermere and retains much of its original character. One Tripadvisor reviewer describes Blenheim Lodge as ‘a place of tranquillity and utter charm’.

Listen! To The Sound Of Silence

Blenheim Lodge is uniquely situated in Bowness-on-Windermere. Serenely perched on a hill, our AA 4-Star B&B literally backs into peaceful fell-side. We are only a 5-minute walk into bustling Bowness town centre and Lake Windermere, but, up here, secluded from the hubbub of busy traffic, crowds, and late night revellers, it feels like a million miles away.

Imagine an oasis of peace . . . taking time out from the hustle and bustle of your life. A backdrop of woodlands and fields frame our B&B where cows and sheep often graze. Take a deep breath and fill your lungs with fresh clean air. Hear the birds sing as you gaze out of your room windows to glorious views of Lake Windermere and the fells.

In the blissful stillness of our Bowness countryside, you can hear a pin drop! Sometimes shy deer come out at dusk or early morning to graze behind our house or breakfast on the plants in front! At night, owls hoot and bat wings flutter in the wooded stands.

Look out to see the stars. We have no light pollution here. Fall asleep to the sound of silence. And awake refreshed to a bright new day!

Bowness: Small Town Charm With a Secret in Plain Sight

Pretty Bowness on Windermere, often called ‘Bowness’, is easily accessible by motor vehicle or train, whilst supplementary local transport links connect this bustling small town to other parts of the Lake District. Well provisioned with numerous amenities, eateries, pubs, and shops, Bowness also boasts two immensely popular attractions: The World of Beatrix Potter and Windermere Lake Cruises. A number of festivals are held annually in Bowness centre, The Glebe, or Bowness Pier.

Hidden Bowness: the busyness of Bowness town is sharply contrasted by the peaceful quietude of Brant Fell and expanse of beauteous countryside a mere 5 minutes’ walk from its centre. The Dales Way long distance footpath, just a minute’s stroll from our B&B, starts or ends in Bowness, depending on where the walker begins his route. Follow or branch off The Dales Way to explore open fell and 360-degree viewpoints.

The Lake District National Park: Awesome Beauty That Grips the Soul

The topography of the Lake District is one of magnificent fells and beautiful tarns and meres. Synonymous with the Lake District are the Herdwick, hardy native sheep which roam the fells, and whose grazing shape and maintain the iconic Lakeland landscapes we love so well. Beatrix Potter, famed children’s author and creator of Peter Rabbit, champion of the Herdwick and benefactor of the National Trust, worked tirelessly to support the preservation of this breed and their grazing grounds as well as the Trust’s places of extraordinary beauty.

Within the Lake District National Park are England’s largest lake and highest mountain: Windermere and Scafell Pike. The peaceful loveliness of Nature undefiled inspired the Lake Poets, one of whom, William Wordsworth, penned what is arguably his most famous poem, ‘I wandered lonely as a Cloud’, after a visit to Ullswater.

Light and the quality of light are essential to the devoted painter. Alfred Heaton Cooper and, later, his son, William Heaton Cooper, were tireless in their quest for that optimum Lakeland light one finds infused in their art. Watch out for some truly astounding inversions when this same soft light permeates the Lake District mist.

The Dales Way

The Dales Way long distance footpath traverses beautiful countryside as it wends its way between Ilkley in the North Yorkshire Dales to Bowness on Windermere in the Lake District National Park. Our B&B, Blenheim Lodge, is quite literally situated at the foot of the trail, and ours is the first Bed and Breakfast off The Dales Way in Bowness. Warm hospitality awaits walkers looking for that welcome rest: remove your boots; wriggle your toes; slouch in comfy chairs; and enjoy sustaining cups of tea or coffee – and biscuits – to rejuvenate those tired spirits!

About Us

Hi there! Thank you for visiting our website – and we hope you will visit with us in person at our Bowness on Windermere Bed and Breakfast too! We are a couple from two different continents who found each other when one of us went to Scotland for her postgraduate studies. In fact one of us came from far away enough to have learnt to speak some Chinese – though not very well – whilst still a pupil in school!

In 2002, we moved to Blenheim Lodge in Bowness on Windermere and embarked on the adventure of running a Bed and Breakfast with gusto! Our aim was and continues to be one of ensuring that our guests feel relaxed and at home whilst staying with us in a warmly welcoming and unfussy atmosphere. Of course, the peacefulness of our location and those enchanting Lakeland views from our rooms help!

Take a look at our blog for more information about us, our Bowness B&B, and the Lake District National Park.

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Guest Reviews

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Another great stay at Blenheim Lodge. Amazing views of the lake from our room. Janz and Robert so friendly. Will definitely be back again.
DanielWigan, UK
Awesome stay - really friendly owners. The room had the best view and VERY clean. We loved the location with a short walk to town and easy access to hiking trails. Would stay again and recommend this to anyone planning a trip.
DonnaTustin, USA
Gorgeous, clean, welcoming, great views, 3-minute walk to all attractions. Good breakfast served in a welcoming warm family feel dining room, good food and timely.
SimonMaroubra, Australia
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