Windermere

‘A love of boats and sailing is the surest of all passports to a happy life,’ wrote Arthur Ransome. Standing on Windermere Jetty on a crisp clear morning, gazing out across the cool grey water, you can see what he meant. Sailing around England’s largest lake is a great way to spend a lazy day, and the new Windermere Jetty Museum is the best place to embark.

There’s been a boating museum in Bowness since the 1970s, but it used to be more modest — a collection of old steamboats saved from the scrapyard by a local builder called George Pattinson. Now his old fleet has a much smarter home: a wooden building with stunning views of the lake. Some of Pattinson’s boats are inside, some are out on the water, and several more are being restored in the workshop next door. If you’re a sailor you’ll love it here but there’s plenty for landlubbers to enjoy, in particular lots of fascinating bits and bobs associated with Arthur Ransome.