A day out at Ullswater in the Lake District (From York Press)

A day out at Ullswater in the Lake District

11:40am Saturday 15th August 2009 in

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What and where? Ullswater, the Lake District.

Why? There can be few more beautiful scenes in England than Ullswater on a sunny afternoon, and no better way of viewing the spectacular panoramas than from the middle of the lake on a steamer.

Ullswater Steamers have been carrying day trippers across the waters since Victorian times. We parked at the eastern end of the lake in Pooley Bridge and caught a trip on one of its modern boats, Lady Wakefield, joining besuited guests heading to a wedding.

The mirrored surface of the lake reflected a shoreline of woodland and the sheer rock faces of towering mountains.

We stood on deck and watched yachts sail by until the sun went in behind a cloud, and we headed inside to the shelter of the saloon, where there was a bar. The steamer calls in half way down the lake to a hamlet known as Howtown, where we went on a stunning lakeside walk.

You can walk all the way from Howtown to Glenridding at the western end of the lake, on a walk hailed by famous fell-walker Alf Wainwright as one of the best in the Lakes.

We chose instead to catch the next boat and sail on to Glenridding, where there are plenty of pubs and cafés, and we had a late lunchtime snack before heading back to Pooley Bridge on the next steamer.

How to get there? Ullswater is at the nearest end of the Lakes to York, and you can get there comfortably in under two hours via the A1 and A66, most of which is dual carriageway.

When? The steamers operate daily for 363 days a year, with about one an hour at this time of year.

How much? Freedom of the lake return passes cost £12 for adults, £6 children, and £29.75 for a family.

Further information: Telephone: 017684 82229 or visit ullswater-steamers.co.uk