The Windermere Ferry carries foot passengers and cars across the lake between Bowness and the Hawkshead Road. There has been a ferry on Windermere for at least a thousand years for this was the route that linked Hawkshead to Kendal. In 1635 there was a major disaster when all 47 members of a wedding party were drowned. It was once a very busy packhorse route, and the horses with their heavy loads were rowed across the strait. Beatrix Potter fans will be interested to learn that she was a frequent ferry passenger after her mother moved to Lindeth How. Though still busy at peak season with car traffic queuing in rows, the ferry is a delightful way to travel, with the feeling that at last the holiday has begun. Boats every 20 mins.