Redeveloping a prime lakeside marina

Windermere Marina has appointed Marina Projects to provide specialist support for the design, procurement and redevelopment of its existing marina on Lake Windermere, the largest lake in England.

The redevelopment of Windermere Marina Village, which will cost around £4 million, is a comprehensive multi-year project that includes improvements to luxury waterfront apartments, as well as the complete replacement of the existing marina.
Located to the south of Bowness-on-Windermere, Windermere Marina Village is the largest full-service marina on the lake, providing over 300 berths within the Lake District National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The marina has moorings for annual berth holders and visitors, along with an adjacent fuel berth, slipway and boatyard facilities for servicing vessels. The marina is complemented by high-quality facilities and amenities for customers and property owners.
Marina Projects has been commissioned for the design, specification, procurement and contact administration of the new marina installation, which includes a total of 335 berths for vessels up to 15m (49ft) long. Specialist support has been provided to address the requirements of planning permission and related environmental approvals. The marina layout has been conceived in accordance with the operational requirements of the existing berth holders, whilst ensuring modern design standards are introduced to achieve the optimum berthing arrangement.
The primary strategy for the new marina involves replacement of all existing traditional fixed timber jetty structures with modern floating pontoon equipment. This will help mitigate the potential of any future flood events following periods of sustained high rainfall. The design process required a detailed review of historic lake levels to determine appropriate finish heights for new restraining piles and access arrangements to accommodate both peak and low lake water levels.
In addition to the main pontoon works, the development will introduce new dedicated customer access arrangements, high-quality utilities equipment, fibre connections, and an upgraded Wi-Fi installation across the marina basin.
As part of the ongoing scope, Marina Projects has supported the client team through a negotiated tender which involved the preparation of a detailed package of technical documents that confirm the design requirements and design parameters for the marina equipment.
Walcon Marine has been appointed to demolish the old jetties and install new floating pontoons, and Maricer will supply all utilities equipment in readiness for installation by a local contractor.
The project is being delivered across two autumn and winter phases and is scheduled for completion in spring 2023.
Jason Dearden, managing director of Windermere Marina Ltd, commented: “Marina Projects have understood our objectives and priorities right from the onset and have successfully worked with us to create a marina design that will take Windermere Marina Village to the next level, cementing us as the premier berthing facility on the Lake. We are pleased to have Marina Projects working with us on this exciting project, bringing their knowledge and experience to help deliver a new marina for the benefit of our customers for many years to come.”
The extensive demolition of the fixed timber structures is a key challenge for the project and careful consideration has been given to existing berthing operations so as to develop a works sequence that mitigates impact to resident berth holders. The transition from the current layout to the new configuration, which also includes a campaign of dredging to introduce more water depth for marina users, has been established by Marina Projects, working closely with the client team and Walcon Marine.
Commenting on the commission, Marina Projects managing director, Mike Ward, noted: “We are delighted to be working on Lake Windermere again.
Our appointment to design and project manage the redevelopment of Windermere Marina is a welcomed opportunity to create significant improvements to this stunning lakeside location. We are looking forward to working closely with the client team and respective contractors over the next couple of years.”