This question is often typed into search engines. Arthur Ransome was living at Low Ludderburn above Windermere when he wrote ‘Swallows and Amazons’ in 1929, setting it on ‘The great lake in the north’. Like me, he undoubtedly did a bit of wondering, and was inspired by many of the locations that can be seen from Windermere, envisaging the island Blake Holme as a model for ‘Wild Cat Island’ and Silver Holme as ‘Cormorant Island’ nearby.
The ‘native shipping’ on Windermere was brought to life in the 1974 film when the Swallows narrowly miss hitting the MV Tern.
It was a tricky sequence to shoot and since Swallow lost her wind in the lee of the steamer she only just managed to turn in time.
You can read more about this near disaster in the diary I kept here
The other big scene was shot at Bowness-on-Windermere, referred to as Rio in the story.
Steamboats such as Osprey and the Lady Elizabeth, who is currently residing at Windermere Jetty museum, appeared in the background.
Had we arrived in Rio? Arthur Ransome confirmed this in a letter to a young reader:
When the movie was made in the summer of 1973 the original green boat sheds, featured in Ransome’s sequel ‘Swallowdale’ were captured on film.
Is that the steam launch Osprey moored to the jetty?
The bandstand and shelter on Glebe Road were also caught on celluloid, along with the traditional Windermere skiffs. You can see more photos of the filming on this website here.
After buying rope for their lighthouse tree in Woodland Road, the Swallows walk down Church Street past the Stags Head Hotel.
Other scenes were shot nearby, with the film opening on a steam train running along the River Leven on Lakeside and Haverthwaite Railway. You can add details about the locations yourself by contributing to the website Reelstreets which logs film locations in the United Kingdom.
When Richard Pilbrow, the film producer asked Mrs Ransome to point out more, she claimed the Peak at Darrien could be found on Windermere. She may have been thinking of a headland at Waterhead but in the end the opening titles shot was taken from Friar’s Crag on Derwentwater with the Borrowdale Fells in the background. The secret is that the 1974 film ‘Swallows and Amazons’ was also shot on Coniston Water, Elterwater and a lily pond near Skelworth Fold.
In real life, Richard based his production office at the Kirkstone Foot Hotel near Ambleside at the northern tip Windermere and it was from here that we practiced sailing Swallow and Amazon in May 1973. Here is a description written by my twelve-year-old self:
Virginia McKenna, who starred in the film as Mrs Walker, was accommodated at the Langdale Chase Hotel on the lake. The wrap party was held there to the great excitement of children in the cast. You can see the view on the hotel website here.
The 40th Anniversary DVD includes an Extras package on the locations and you can read more in ‘The Making of Swallows and Amazons’, available online in different editions here or direct from The Lutterworth Press.
For mugs or other gifts showing my map of Windermere, please click here or here for the cream and green map
Sophie Neville 
Wonderful reminiscences Sophie, thank you so much. I shall look out for some of these locations next time I’m up in Bowness and the Windermere/Coniston area.
You might be able to spot Houseboat Bay as it’s described in the books. We couldn’t film that much on Windermere because of the traffic and motorboats.
I have so enjoyed reading your accounts of filming ‘Swallows and Amazons’ which is still one of my favourite films. Thank you, Sophie.
Thanks for writing in. Please let me know if you have any questions.
Thank you.
Thanks again for the wealth of wonderful memories you have shared I actually recorded the film, Swallows and Amazons just recently and have kept it back for a special treat to watch again. Such a fabulous film. It is a slightly rainy Sunday as I comment, so it may be this very afternoon, that I sneak back a few years and envelope myself in the lovely rose tinted world of that film once again!
I’m amazed I found this piece of writing. Somehow the English exercise book I’d kept as a twelve year-old has survived. So glad you have a chance to watch the old film. Let me know if you have any questions. Do you have a remastered copy? It make all the difference. You can download it from Amazon Prime.
Hi do you know if the BBC 1963 Swallows and Amazons has or had a following ? Regards Roy
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I watched part of the 1963 serial in the BBC Film Library when I was researching ‘Coot Club’. I saw the whole series with Members of The Arthur Ransome Society on an AGM weekend about 7 years ago. There are a few people would love to see it brought out as a DVD as obtaining a copy is almost impossible. You could write to Revelation Films and make a request.
Sophie your correct I have scoured the Internet no format is available, do you have a link for the producers of the 1963 series? Regards Roy
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The 1963 series was made by BBC Television. I imagine the producer would be long gone.
Hi Sophie I can only find a Revelation Films founded 1992 .Regards Roy
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Revelation Films sell DVDs of classic drama series. They put together the DVD of ‘Swallows and Amazons Forever!’ – the 1984 BBC Drama Serial of ‘Coot Club’ and ‘The Big Six’ adding an Extras package. Thanks to the Nancy Blackett Trust shop this became so popular that they remastered it for the 30th Anniversary and brought out a better quality DVD, when I wrote material for the Extras. They might be able to access the 1963 series and bring it out as a DVD. It’s our best bet. they are easy to contact.