Steam Yacht Gondola

A Victorian steam yacht cutting across Coniston Water is one of those sights that stops you dead. The Gondola has been ferrying passengers since 1859, and after a thorough restoration finished in 2009, she's arguably never looked better. You board at Coniston pier - about 20 minutes from Ambleside - and settle into proper wood-panelled cabins while the boiler fires up and off you go across the fell-ringed water.

What makes it work isn't just the novelty of Victorian transport. The journey itself does most of the heavy lifting. You're travelling at a gentle pace past Brantwood (where Ruskin lived) and under the slopes that inspired the Romantic painters. On a clear day the views are genuinely special - the kind of thing that makes you understand why Wordsworth was always banging on about this valley.

It's the sort of thing that appeals to walkers taking a break between fells, families wanting something different from the usual car-park tourist routine, and anyone with a weakness for engineering heritage. Kids aren't bored - the whole steam-and-water-journey thing does the trick - though it's not a white-knuckle ride. Allow 45 minutes to an hour for the crossing.

The campsite cluster around Coniston and Ambleside puts you within easy reach. Skelwith Fold, Low Wray, and the Langdale options are all close enough for a morning trip before heading up the fells. It's a bit of a splurge compared to just walking around the lake, but if the weather's decent and you time it right, well worth the detour.