The view over Windermere from above Bowness towards Claife Heights, Lake District
Lake Windermere · 5 hand-picked walks

Bowness Walks

Some of the easiest, most rewarding walks in the Lakes — lakeshore strolls, viewpoints right above town and the ferry across to quiet Claife. Most need no car at all. Distances, parking, ferry and dog info for all five.

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A hand-picked guide

The best walks from Bowness

Bowness has some of the easiest, most rewarding walks in the Lakes: gentle lakeshore strolls, viewpoints right above the town, and the famous car ferry across to the quiet west shore and Claife Heights. Most need no car at all. This is a hand-picked guide to the five best walks from Bowness, with distance, time, parking, ferry info, start points and dog-friendly info for each. Start with flat Cockshott Point and the quick viewpoints at Biskey Howe and Brant Fell; then take the ferry to the restored Claife Viewing Station and the easy-graded Claife Heights fell. For Claife and the ferry as attractions in their own right, see the Bowness hub.

What's the easiest fell near Bowness?

The easiest rewarding "fells" around Bowness are Biskey Howe and Brant Fell — short, steep town viewpoints you can reach on foot with no car — and Claife Heights (270m), an easy-graded proper fell reached by the ferry. Further afield, Hallin Fell above Ullswater is the other commonly-cited easiest Lake District fell.

Showing all 5 walks.

Easy

Easy walks from Bowness

Claife Viewing Station on the west shore of Windermere, Bowness, Lake District
The Windermere car ferry from Ferry Nab to Claife Viewing Station, Bowness, Lake District

Claife Viewing Station

The ferry walk · free to walk, family favourite

Easy

Distance

~2.5 mi circular

Time

1–1.5 hrs

Ascent

Low

Access

Windermere ferry

The restored Georgian viewing station on Windermere's quiet west shore, reached by the famous car ferry from Bowness — the classic short family walk. It's genuinely family-friendly: there's a kids' treasure box and "dungeon" room inside the station, and the National Trust Courtyard Café sits at the bottom by the ferry. People search "Claife Viewing Station tickets" or "prices" expecting a paid attraction, but it's free to walk to — the grounds, viewpoint and trails are open access, and only the station building keeps limited NT hours. A roughly 2.5-mile circular from the ferry, dog-friendly, with framed views back over the lake to Bowness.

Free to walk — no ticket needed. Open-access grounds and trails; the NT station building has limited hours, and there's a café at the ferry.

Start: Windermere chain ferry "Mallard" from Ferry Nab, Bowness (LA23 3BF) — ~10-min crossing, every ~20 min, takes foot passengers, cars, cycles and horses

Parking: Ferry Nab pay & display (~£8 all day) on the Bowness side; or take a car across (~£4.40 — check current) to the pay & display just past the ferry exit (GR 388954). Toilets at both terminals

Find it: Search "Ferry Nab, Bowness" in Google Maps for the ferry; "Claife Viewing Station" for the far side

Nearest pub / refuel

Nearest pub: to confirm — being added in the pub-research pass.

Dog-friendly Lake views Circular Not a Wainwright
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The flat lakeshore at Cockshott Point with views of Belle Isle, Bowness, Lake District
The pram-friendly lakeshore path from Bowness pier to the ferry at Cockshott Point, Lake District

Cockshott Point

Flat lakeshore · the easiest of them all

Easy

Distance

~1 mi

Time

~30–45 min

Ascent

Flat

Terrain

Flat lakeshore paths

A flat lakeshore stroll from Bowness towards the ferry, on National Trust land with lovely views across to Belle Isle. It's the easiest walk of the lot and the best of all the Bowness walks for pushchairs — pram-friendly, gentle and open, with the lake beside you the whole way. Walkable straight from the pier with no car, it makes a perfect short leg-stretch for families or a gentle wander before lunch in town. Dog-friendly throughout.

Start: From Bowness pier / promenade, heading south towards Ferry Nab

Parking: Bowness town / Glebe Road car parks (walk in — no car needed from the pier)

Find it: Search "Cockshott Point, Bowness" in Google Maps · walkable from the pier

Nearest pub / refuel

Nearest pub: to confirm — being added in the pub-research pass.

Dog-friendly Lake views Pram-friendly Not a Wainwright
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The toposcope and panorama over Windermere from Biskey Howe, Bowness, Lake District
The short steep path off Helm Road up to Biskey Howe viewpoint, Bowness, Lake District

Biskey Howe

The quickest viewpoint · 15–20 min from the pier

Easy

Distance

Short there-and-back

Time

15–20 min from pier

Ascent

Short, steep

Terrain

Steep path, steps

The quickest viewpoint above Bowness — a short, steep path off Helm Road climbs to a plaque and toposcope with a fine panorama over the lake and village. It's only 15–20 minutes from the pier, needs no car, and is family-friendly for a quick reward. The toposcope helps you pick out the fells across the water, and it's an easy first taste of the Bowness viewpoints. It's often combined with Brant Fell and Post Knott just above for a longer round. Dog-friendly.

Start: Off Helm Road, above Bowness town centre — short steep path to the toposcope

Parking: Bowness town car parks (walk in — no dedicated car park)

Find it: Search "Biskey Howe, Bowness" in Google Maps · walkable from the pier

Nearest pub / refuel

Nearest pub: to confirm — being added in the pub-research pass.

Dog-friendly Lake views Combines with Brant Fell Not a Wainwright
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Moderate

Moderate walks from Bowness

The view from Claife Heights to the Coniston Fells and Langdale Pikes, Bowness, Lake District
Moss Eccles Tarn on the Claife Heights walk, Beatrix Potter country near Bowness, Lake District

Claife Heights (circular)

The easiest proper fell · Beatrix Potter country

Moderate

Distance

~5–7 mi circular

Time

2.5–3 hrs

High point

270 m (High Blind How)

Access

Windermere ferry

The full west-shore fell walk from the ferry: woodland and tarns climbing to High Blind How, 270m, the high point of Claife Heights. It passes Moss Eccles Tarn and Wise Een Tarn deep in Beatrix Potter country — she owned Moss Eccles, stocked it with water lilies and fish, and later donated it to the National Trust. The reward up top is a wide view to the Coniston Fells, the Langdale Pikes, Bowfell and Crinkle Crags. It's one of the easiest "proper" fells in the Lakes: only 270m, woodland-sheltered and well-tracked, with the same easy ferry access as the viewing station. Dog-friendly — keep dogs on a lead near livestock.

Start: Windermere chain ferry from Ferry Nab, Bowness (LA23 3BF), then climb from the west terminal past Claife Viewing Station

Parking: Ferry Nab pay & display on the Bowness side; or take a car across (~£4.40 — check current) to the pay & display past the ferry exit (GR 388954)

Find it: Search "Ferry Nab, Bowness" in Google Maps for the ferry; "Claife Heights" for the walk

Nearest pub / refuel

Nearest pub: to confirm — being added in the pub-research pass.

Dog-friendly (lead) Lake & mountain views Circular Not a Wainwright
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The full-length Windermere view from the summit of Brant Fell, Bowness, Lake District
The Post Knott viewpoint on the route up Brant Fell from Bowness, Lake District

Brant Fell with Post Knott

The town-side viewpoint · 191m, no car needed

Easy–Mod

Distance

~2 mi

Time

~1 hr

Summit

191 m

Terrain

Town lanes, fell path

The favourite town-side viewpoint above Bowness — at 191m it's the highest of the three Bowness viewpoints, with a superb full-length view down Windermere. It's an easy circa-2-mile route of around an hour, starting from town via Brant Fell Road by the Royal Oak with no car needed. On the way up you pass Post Knott, the lower National Trust viewpoint, which answers the common "Post Knott and Brant Fell walk" search nicely as a combined round. Despite the name, Brant Fell is not a Wainwright — but it punches well above its height for views. Dog-friendly.

Start: From Bowness town via Brant Fell Road, by the Royal Oak — past Post Knott to the summit

Parking: Bowness town car parks — walkable, no dedicated car park

Find it: Search "Brant Fell, Bowness" in Google Maps · walkable from town

Nearest pub / refuel

Nearest pub: to confirm — being added in the pub-research pass.

Dog-friendly Lake views Circular (via Post Knott) Not a Wainwright
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Difficult

Difficult fells & mountain days from Bowness

No high fells start from Bowness

No high fells start from Bowness — its strength is the easiest, most rewarding fells and lakeshore walks. The biggest here is Claife Heights at 270m; for proper mountains, see Ambleside walks and Coniston walks. Lean into the easy viewpoints and the ferry-across-the-lake walks above — that's what makes Bowness a brilliant no-car walking base.

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Keep exploring

More walks & nearby guides

Bowness sits on Windermere's east shore — the ferry, Claife and Belle Isle are on the hub, and the neighbouring walking bases are a short hop away.

On the hub

Ferry & Claife as attractions

The Windermere car ferry and Claife Viewing Station, covered as Bowness attractions.

Things to do in Bowness
Next along the lake

Windermere walks

The east-shore walks and viewpoints just up the lake from Bowness.

Windermere walks
Cool off

Wild swimming

The best swims on and around Windermere — quiet bays and tarns.

Wild swimming guide
The full guide

All Lake District walks

Browse the best walks across the region by difficulty, type and area.

Lake District walks hub

Plan your whole Bowness day around a walk

Free, no sign-up. Tell the planner which walk you fancy, your transport and the weather — it builds a timed day around it, with parking, the ferry, lunch and bus times sorted.

Open the free Lakes Planner

Common questions

Bowness walks, answered

Do you need a ticket for Claife Viewing Station?
No — it's free to walk to and around. The grounds, viewpoint and trails are open access, so you don't need a ticket to walk to the viewing station. The restored station building is National Trust with limited opening hours, and there's an NT Courtyard Café at the bottom by the ferry.
How do you get to Claife Heights and Claife Viewing Station?
Take the Windermere chain ferry (the "Mallard") from Ferry Nab, Bowness (LA23 3BF) across to the quiet west shore — a 10-minute crossing running roughly every 20 minutes. Claife Viewing Station is a short walk from the far terminal, and Claife Heights climbs on from there. It's the classic no-car route from Bowness.
How much is the Windermere ferry from Bowness?
Roughly £1 for a foot passenger (under-5s free) and about £4.40 for a car — but prices shift seasonally, so check current fares before you travel. The ferry also takes cycles and horses, and there are toilets at both terminals.
How long does it take to walk Claife Heights?
The full Claife Heights circular from the ferry is roughly 2.5–3 hours, taking in woodland, Moss Eccles Tarn and Wise Een Tarn up to the 270m high point at High Blind How, with views to the Coniston Fells and Langdale Pikes. Shorter out-and-back options to the viewing station only take well under an hour.
What's the easiest fell to climb near Bowness?
For a quick, rewarding viewpoint, Biskey Howe and Brant Fell are the easiest "fells" right above Bowness town — both reachable on foot with no car. For an easy proper fell, Claife Heights (270m) across the ferry is well-tracked and woodland-sheltered, making it one of the gentlest summits in the area. Hallin Fell at Ullswater is the other commonly-cited easiest Lake District fell.
Is Brant Fell a Wainwright?
No — Brant Fell (191m) is not a Wainwright. It's the highest of the three Bowness town viewpoints and gives a superb full-length view down Windermere for very little effort, but it doesn't appear in Wainwright's Pictorial Guides.
Where do you park for Brant Fell?
There's no dedicated car park for Brant Fell — use the Bowness town car parks and walk in. The route starts in town via Brant Fell Road by the Royal Oak, so most people simply walk straight from the village or the pier without a car.
Are there walks from Bowness without a car?
Yes — Cockshott Point, Biskey Howe and Brant Fell all start in town and need no car, and the Claife Viewing Station and Claife Heights walks are reached by the foot-passenger ferry from Ferry Nab. Bowness is one of the best no-car walking bases in the Lakes.