Haverthwaite Steam Railway from Pinewood Cottage
Lakeside station is about 0.6 miles (1 km), a 12 to 15 minute walk from Pinewood Cottage. From Lakeside you can take the steam train to Haverthwaite and back and combine it with a cruise on Lake Windermere.
The line at a glance
The Lakeside & Haverthwaite Railway is a 3.5-mile branch of the old Furness Railway, family-run since 1973. Heritage locomotives pull 1950s-style carriages along the River Leven valley, with the journey taking around 18 minutes each way. Dogs ride free.
The season usually runs from late March to early November. You can find more information at lakesiderailway.co.uk.
Walking to Lakeside station
The walk to Lakeside station from Pinewood Cottage is about 0.6 miles (1 km) and takes around 12 to 15 minutes. The train station shares the same location as the Windermere cruises pier. The location page has directions to Pinewood Cottage if you arrive by boat.
Boat and train combined tickets
For a great day out, walk to Finsthwaite church and follow the West Windermere Way through ancient woodlands to Lakeside, ride the historic steam train to Haverthwaite and back, then take a cruise to Ambleside via a stopover at Bowness, all without touching the car.
Combined rail and ferry tickets can be purchased. On busy days, always consult the online timetables.
Haverthwaite station
Haverthwaite has a wonderful tea room, a gift shop, a picnic area, an engine shed and a woodland playground. The Anglers Arms is just across the road, is dog friendly and has a great beer garden.
A little history
The line opened on 1 June 1869 as a branch of the Furness Railway, which ran from Ulverston up through Greenodd to Haverthwaite, Newby Bridge and Lakeside. It was built to carry people and goods through the valley, and above all to connect the trains with the steamers on Windermere. Passengers could step off the train at Lakeside and straight onto a boat, which was a big draw for Victorian tourists.
The passenger service closed on 6 September 1965, and the whole line closed to traffic two years later, in 1967. A group of enthusiasts then saved the southern end, and on 2 May 1973 the shortened line reopened as a heritage railway. That is why the trains today run only as far as Haverthwaite.
Today it is a heritage railway paired with the lake steamers at Lakeside, and one of the classic south Lakes days out.