Windermere

The FBA site at Windermere comprises 2 ha on the western shore of the lake, including 400 m of lake shore and offers the following specialist facilities:

The Hatchery

This secure and discreet facility contains 78 circular tanks (volume 1.6 m³), fed with water that is pumped from the lake and can be delivered at individually controllable rates. 

Boats

The FBA has a small open boat (maximum capacity eight people) on Windermere, powered by outboard motor, and is able to provide crew to run trips for field courses or scientific research.

If required, we can arrange access to larger boats. 

The Aquarium

Housed in a purpose built facility is an aquarium complex (floor area 135 m²) with approximately 50 m of shelving (depth 50 cm; aperture height 65 cm), all supplied with lake water and drainage. It contains a variety of clear sided aquarium tanks varying in volume from 0.03 to 1.5 m³. Light - dark cycles can be controlled through an automatic timer to simulate daylight / night conditions.

The Pearsall Building
In the Pearsall Building is a laboratory suite (floor area 72 m²), comprising one large and two small laboratories. There is an electron microscope suite, containing transmission and scanning microscopes, along with a sample preparation laboratory and a dark room. The building contains dedicated conference and office facilities and supporting infrastructure, available for short-term or long-term lease.

The Annexe

In the Annexe are facilities for storing equipment and samples, and for temporary office space, adjacent to the jetty.  Direct access to the lake is gained via a shallow shelving beach or a 12 m long jetty and mooring can be provided for visiting boats.

Cumbrian Field Sites

In addition to Windermere itself, the FBA has access to the following sites in the Windermere and River Leven catchments:

  Private use of Dale Park, a 1 ha area of wet meadow and woodland with two small streams, all fenced to exclude grazing livestock and other disturbance. Access rights to 1 km of Dale Park Beck, a 3 m wide stream draining a wooded catchment.

  Negotiated access to Blelham Tarn, a small (10 ha) mesotrophic tarn, with a rowing boat*.

  Negotiated access to Esthwaite Water, a large (100 ha) highly productive lake, with a boathouse, containing a rowing boat* and an electric boat*.

There are also access agreements to various lakes and tarns owned by the National Trust.

* Please note : we require that hirers of the FBA boats be qualified users and have access to their own safety equipment.

Read More:

For more information a leaflet can be downloaded from below.

Conference Facilities at Windermere