A Lake District town is so “overcrowded” that even police think there are too many tourists.
Bowness-on-Windermere in Cumbria is a popular town among visitors to the national park, but locals are struggling with bigger crowds, increasing noise and crime, as well as less local amenities.
Cumbria Police voiced concerns last month about the growth of the town’s night-time economy, objecting to plans to turn a guesthouse in the heart of Bowness into a bar.
“In the last five to 10 years this small town has seen significant fast growth in the number of licensed premises in the form of bars and other licensed premises,” a representative for Cumbria constabulary said in a statement.
“Not by coincidence there has been a significant increase in the amount of antisocial behaviour reports and violent crime.”
In 2021, Windermere police station dealt with 268 violent crime and public order offences; by 2023, this number had risen to 334, according to the force.
Cumbria constabulary said that “a high proportion of these violent assaults and public order offences have occurred within the licensed premises of Bowness”.
Locals say the town has gone from a spot favoured by relaxed walkers and pensioners on day trips to a hen and stag party location.
“This year’s been horrendous, we just couldn’t cope,” Sarah Redmayne, 50, told the Guardian. “There were just too many people, it was horrible.”
She noted a crime increase and that some bars now even have security on the doors at the weekend: “We’re not in Manchester or London, are we? We’re just meant to be this little old village.”
Another local, Keysia Mattocks, complained about the issues coming with the popularity of the area.
She previously told the Express: “Sometimes we have families who are nice and quiet, but there are times where the younger generation that are more into drinking stay. Last week we had students across the way and they were partying every single night.”
“I feel like at the moment, instead of Windermere being how it used to be, it’s turned into more like Blackpool. It’s so busy and full of people who don’t actually respect the area.
“It’s starting to get like rubbish all over it and if you go down to the lake, like normal quiet spots, there will be like glass, rubbish and barbecues where you’re not supposed to be having barbecues. “