National Trust - Claife Viewing Station and Windermere West Shore — Attraction in Great Britain

Claife Viewing Station is an unusual little place. If you take the ferry over the lake from Bowness you'll see it ahead of you, up in the trees, and it is a bit of a ruin. Follow the path through the archway, passing the small cafe (no toilets - they're by the ferry about five minutes walk away) and up the hill and you reach the building.

It was designed as a place to showcase the views across the lake, and when built it had coloured glass windows, encouraging guests to think of certain seasons or moods. The windows are long gone, but the National Trust have put stained glass frames where the windows went, giving you an idea of how it may have looked. It's exposed to the elements so on a windy day you'll get blown around, and wet if it rains, but the views along the lake are great. One of the windows also has an aeolian harp above it, and if the wind strikes it you'll hear strange sounds swirling around you.

Please note that to access the viewing station you have to climb a short...

The view that unfolds is simply breathtaking. It's the kind of vista that makes you stop and just breathe. What I truly appreciated was how easy it was to access this little slice of paradise. The ferry made the journey seamless, and there weren't any arduous climbs or tricky paths once you arrived. It's perfect for anyone looking for a peaceful escape without needing to be a seasoned hiker. Spending time there felt incredibly calming. There's a quiet beauty to the landscape, the still water reflecting the surrounding fells. It's the kind of place where you can just sit, soak it all in, and let the world's worries drift away. It truly felt like a moment of pure peace, a chance to reconnect with nature and just be. If you're looking for a beautiful view and a genuinely peaceful experience, the National Trust's Claife Viewing Station and Windermere West Shore is an absolute gem. I left feeling refreshed and...

After exploring Windermere myself and friends decided to catch a ferry from windermere to claife heights. Ferries come every 20 minutes journey takes about ten minutes costs about 50p if you have no car. After this lovely ride across Windermere we walked from the ferry station to claife heights this took around 5-10minutes in total not a difficult walk at all. (Would suggest wearing proper hiking boots or boots with a good grip as it can get quite muddy). When we got to the top we saw claife viewing station a ruin which has been transformed into art as part of the landscape of windemere. What's so beautiful and special about this is the coloured glass windows of claife heights which almost look like frames capturing the beautiful scenery of windemere. If you intend to go, I'd suggest going earlier in the day as there are cafe's at claife heights which look lovely! Is definitely a must see when...