Steam Yacht Gondola experience
Brantwood House, East of Lake, Coniston, Cumbria, LA21 8AD
The National Trust’s Gondola is a rebuilt steam-powered passenger yacht which has sailed on Coniston Water since 1860. On the evenings of 10th and 12th September, there will be a tour of the vessel where you can see the machinery spaces and opulent saloons. The crew will share with you the Gondola’s history, including the innovative way in which passengers were brought to Coniston, which involved epic journeys on one ticket combining steam train, boat and carriage trips around the Lakes. There will also be a short demonstration of the manoeuvrability of the Gondola on the water.
There will be two sessions per evening of 10th and 12th September, starting at 1730 and then at 1830 and each session will last approx. 45 minutes.
There are limited spaces on the Gondola, so booking is preferred; please phone the booking office or go onto the event listing on the Gondola’s website. See below under 'booking details'.
There's no guaranteed space under cover so please come appropriately dressed for the weather that day.
Due to essential jetty work at Coniston, Gondola will sail from a new location. Our friends at Brantwood will support Gondola with use of their jetty. Please park in Brantwood's car park and follow the signs down towards the jetty/lake.
*** Update 4 Sept *** If you've seen this listing previously, there has been a change of sail point (from Coniston to Brantwood) and we've moved each sailing time forward by 15 minutes. Apologies for the disruption.
Timings & Tours
- Tuesday 10 September:
- 1730-1815 and 1830-1915
- Thursday 12 September:
- 1730-1815 and 1830-1915
Location & directions
Brantwood House, East of Lake, Coniston, Cumbria, LA21 8AD
- Directions:
- Park in the Brantwood House (former home of John Ruskin) car park and follow the signs down towards the jetty/lake.
- Contact on day:
- [email protected] (contactable between 9am and 4.30pm)
Booking information
- Pre-booking requirement:
- Pre-booking preferred
- Booking conditions:
- Please phone the booking office to book a ticket or online via the event listing on the Gondola's website, see link below.
- Booking telephone number:
- +443442491895
- Booking website:
- https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/lake-district/steam-yacht-gondola/events
- Booking opens:
- 05 Aug 2024 10:00 AM
- Booking closes:
- 09 Sep 2024 05:00 PM
Accessibility details
There is a ramped gangway onto the boat and one step to the entrance with a handrail. There is a PA system in use on the Gondola. Please see the Gondola's website access statement for full details. Find this at nationaltrust.org.uk/steam-yacht-gondola, scroll down to the section headed 'Access'. You need to be on the jetty 5 minutes before scheduled sail time. There is a steep walk down to the jetty – at least 5 mins should be allowed from the car park. No toilets available onshore after café closes at 1630. Please do not arrive and park too early, unless also visiting Brantwood.
Additional information
Well behaved dogs are welcome onboard in all non-carpeted areas.
- Max no of people per tour:
- 65
- Est. tour duration:
- 0 hour(s) 45 minute(s)
