Windermere Jetty: Museum of Boats, Steam and Stories

Windermere Jetty: Museum of Boats, Steam and Stories (formerly Windermere Steamboat Museum) is a museum on the eastern shore of Windermere between Bowness-on-Windermere and the town of Windermere in Cumbria, England. It reopened in March 2019 after 12 years' closure and redevelopment work.

Windermere Jetty
Museum of Boats, Steam and Stories
Windermere Jetty from the water.
Windermere Jetty
Location in South Lakeland
Windermere Jetty
Location in Cumbria
Former name
Windermere Steamboat Museum
Established1977
LocationWindermere, Cumbria
Coordinates
Key holdingsSteamboats and Yachts
FounderGeorge Pattinson
Websitewww.windermerejetty.org

History

Windermere Steamboat Museum was opened in 1977 on the former Sand and Gravel Wharf on the eastern shore of Windermere, and was based on the collection built up by George Pattinson, a local builder and boat collector.[1] It was operated by the Windermere Nautical Trust charity.[2][3]

The original Windermere Steamboat Museum had a collection of a number of historically important steamboats, motor boats, yachts, and other important craft. This included the oldest mechanically powered boat in the world, SL Dolly (c.1850), and some of the finest steam launches from Windermere's long history of steam. Most luxurious was SL Branksome (1896), with its original velvet seats and marble wash hand basin; SL Raven (1871) was the cargo ship that took coal and other commodities to the settlements around the lake; and TSSY Esperance (1869) was the boat that Henry Schneider used to go to work in Barrow via Lakeside. The museum was able to boast that most of the steamboats were floating and still in full working order.[4]

In 2007, the museum was closed to the general public when it was taken over by the Lakeland Arts Trust, a local charity (now Lakeland Arts) which also runs Abbot Hall Art Gallery, Blackwell and the Museum of Lakeland Life & Industry. Eleven of the Pattinson collection of boats were transferred to the Lakeland Arts Trust in 2007 under Acceptance in lieu arrangements, and the Windermere Nautical Trust, which had built up further collections, merged with Lakeland Arts in 2009.[5][6]

In December 2011, the Lakeland Arts Trust announced that would redevelop the site and create a series of new buildings to house the boats and a conservation workshop where they would be restored and maintained. The museum, designed by Carmody Groarke, reopened under the new name "Windermere Jetty: Museum of Boats, Steam and Stories" in March 2019 with an official opening ceremony held on 8 April 2019 attended by HRH Prince Charles.[7][8]

Collection
18th century racing yacht "Margaret" in the museum

The Museum's collection of boats comprises 40 boats covering the history of sailing on Windermere from the late 18th century up to the present.[9]

Building

The new building was designed by architects Carmody Groarke,[10] working with engineers Arup.[11]

References
  1. "Windermere Steamboat Museum to restore historic boats". BBC News. 12 April 2013. Retrieved 22 November 2017.
  2. "History of the museum". Windermere Steamboats & Museum. Archived from the original on 3 September 2006. Retrieved 10 February 2020.
  3. Charity Commission. Windermere Nautical Trust Ltd, registered charity no. 500507. Retrieved 10 February 2020.
  4. "Our boats". Windermere Steamboats & Museum. Archived from the original on 4 September 2006. Retrieved 10 February 2020.
  5. "The Steamboat Museum Collection" (PDF). Lakeland Arts Trust: Annual Report and Accounts: 27-28. 2010. Retrieved 10 February 2020.
  6. "The Prince of Wales Opens Lakeland Arts New Windermere Jetty Museum". News. NWFED. Retrieved 10 February 2020.
  7. "Windermere Jetty Museum showcases 'boats, steam and stories'". BBC News. 23 March 2019.
  8. "HRH The Prince Of Wales officially opens Windermere Jetty". Cumbria Crack. 8 April 2019. Retrieved 30 April 2019.
  9. Wainwright, Oliver (18 March 2019). "Otters love it! Inside Windermere's magical new £20m museum". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 30 April 2019.
  10. "Windermere Jetty Museum". Carmody Groarke. Retrieved 23 July 2019.
  11. "Windermere Jetty Museum of Boats, Steam and Stories". Arup. Retrieved 23 July 2019.
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