There are many routes available in the Lakes and in fact some people have taken on a number of the lakes as a challenge! The following itinerary was used for the 2009 British Rowing Tour and explored Coniston Water and Lake Windermere. Also take a look at Steve Wragg's excellent article on the trip in the Attachments tab.
Day by day
We explored Coniston Water and Lake Windermere over three days, staying at Whitewater Hotel, Newby Bridge.
Thursday afternoon and evening
Boats arrived at Coniston with 70 participants, this was to be the largest British Rowing tour to date.
Friday: Coniston Water - 19km
Rigged the boats at Coniston Boating Centre and rowed to the southern end, stopping at Brown Howe. Then back up the eastern side overlooking the wooded slopes of Grizedale Forest. Past Brantwood, around the northern end and finishing back at Coniston. With boats back on trailers, the crews had the opportunity to visit Coniston village and the John Ruskin Museum.
Saturday: Lake Windermere - 22km
Boat from Lakeland Rowing Club, at Cunsey Mill, rowing north to the top of the lake, stopped for a picnic lunch at Borrans Gardens at Waterhead Bay, with sloping parkland down to a beach allowing us to leave our boats on the grass. Warmed up at the Wateredge Inn next door. In the afternoon we rowed down the eastern side via Bowness, crossing at Storrs Temple back to Cunsey Mill. In the evening the ‘Tour Dinner’ was a six-course gala dinner, but of course we had deserved it!
Sunday: Lake Windermere - 16km
Setting off again from Lakeland Rowing Club, at Cunsey Mill, we travelled down to the southern end of the lake, stopping at Fell Foot Park for coffee, and then back to Cunsey Mill for a grand marquee end-of-tour lunch. De-rig, load and depart.
(Itinerary text: Steve Wragg)
(Image borrowed from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Looking_out_over_windermere_lake.jpg)
For more information on this route, please see this month's Rowing & Regatta magazine. There's a great article by Steve Wragg along with a number of photos of when this route was used for the British Rowing Tour 2009.