Windermere Jetty featuring Cloeziana timber

As one of the most beautiful places in the UK, the Lake District attracts millions of tourists every year. While many of the people who travel to this watery region do so for the walking routes and natural scenery on offer, a lot are drawn to the area by its rich history and water-based activities.

EcoChoice recently had the privilege of working on a project on Lake Windermere, right in the heart of the region.

Our specialist FSC® Cloeziana timber piles were used to build a brand new jetty for a local museum, creating a new attraction for the Lake District in the process.

The Windermere Jetty Museum

One of the quirkiest attractions in the Lake District is the Windermere Jetty Museum. “A working destination, committed to conserving, saving and sharing its internationally important collection” @windermerejetty gives visitors the chance to explore Windermere’s 200-year-old boating history and learn about the lake’s boats, builders, owners and sailors. A lot of the displays at the museum are interactive, making it a great place for kids too.

The jetty

No jetty museum would be complete without a jetty of its own. This is where we came in. The project at the Windermere Jetty Museum was led by TMS Maritime, a leading UK specialist in marine civil engineering, ancillary floating plant and diving services.

TMS Maritime were asked by the museum to help carry out an extensive programme of works to upgrade and expand the slipways and jetties at the lake.

These jetties and slipways would be used to moor boats and as embarkation points for visitors travelling on some of the museum’s historic vessels.

Selecting the right materials

TMS Maritime needed to sink 148 timber poles into the lake to form the support structure for the jetty. EcoChoice suggested FSC certified Cloeziana for the project. This fantastic tree is sourced from FSC forests in South Africa. Unlike many other trees, it naturally grows long and straight like a telegraph pole. Moreover, it’s also very hard and very durable and cheaper than similar timbers like Ekki and Greenheart. These qualities make cloeziana ideal for projects like retaining walls and marine piling.

The 148 timber piles used on the Windermere Jetty project were 11m metres in length. They tapered in diameter from 250mm to 150mm. This tapering made it easier for the piles to be driven deep into the lakebed.

Once in place, the natural cloeziana piles are expected to last for decades, providing the Windermere Jetty Museum and its visitors with a fantastic attraction to enjoy – all without the risk of preservative chemicals leaching onto the lake environment.

Thanks to our expertise and the specialist skills of TMS Maritime, we were able to work together to create a unique, beautiful and practical jetty for the client. The project was completed in just 12 weeks.

Find out more about our sustainable timbers, the projects we work on and the services we offer by exploring our site today.