The legend of Sir Donald Campbell draws Nigel Burton to a memorable holiday in the Lake District

I WAS still a baby when Donald Campbell made his final trip across Lake Coniston on January 4, 1967, but the grainy footage of his fatal crash has fascinated me for nearly 50 years.

Campbell, the son of Sir Malcolm Campbell, who held 13 world speed records in the 1920s and 1930s, was anxious to get going after months of terrible weather and mechanical problems with the jet-powered Bluebird K7.

Shortly after dawn, the dashing Campbell began his final world record attempt, filmed by movie cameras from the shore. As the sleek craft skimmed across the lake his final words, delivered via radio, were: “I can’t see much and the water’s very bad indeed… I’m galloping over the top… I can’t see anything… I’ve got the bows out... I’m going…”

A split second later Bluebird rears up out of the water, performs a full somersault and plunges down into the unforgiving water, breaking up on impact. Despite a lengthy search, Royal Navy divers were unable to find Campbell’s body (it was not recovered until 2001) although his lucky teddy bear mascot, Mr Whoppit, popped up out of the water like a cork.

I have been to the Lake District many times, but never to discover more about Donald Campbell. An invitation to spend two nights at the Low Wood Bay Resort Hotel, in Windermere, offered a chance to find out more about a fascinating character who spent his life trying to step out of the long shadow cast by his father.

With its picturesque patchwork of lakes, valleys, wooded areas and fells it’s easy to get caught up in the Campbell legend. We visited the Campbell Bluebird Exhibition, at the Lakeland Motor Museum, between Newby Bridge and Haverthwaite. Although the Lake District is always busy during the summer, it can be surprisingly quiet out of season and we had the museum largely to ourselves.

The Bluebird exhibition is in a separate building to the main museum. Dedicated to the achievements of both Sir Malcolm and Donald Campbell, the exhibition has full-size replicas of the 1935 Bluebird, the Bluebird K4 and the ill-fated K7. Looking at them today what’s shocking is the sheer size of the Bluebird car – it’s as a long as bus and has a spindly steering wheel to match – and the fragility of the K7. It isn’t hard to imagine what happened when the jet-propelled craft lifted off and the sponsors touched down a second later.

The model on show at the museum isn’t the original Bluebird – it is a replica built for a television dramatisation of Donald’s tragic record attempt. The salvaged remains of the real K7 have been donated to the Ruskin Museum, in Coniston, are being restored to pristine condition.

Back at our Lake District base we were glad of the on-site leisure club when the weather turned nasty. The Lakes climate is notoriously unpredictable and, although a swift downpour emphasises the grandeur of the countryside, on the second day of our visit the rain had settled in for the duration.

Low Wood Bay’s leisure club – free to guests – offers a spacious feature swimming pool as well as a separate paddling pool for young children with shallow steps and an artificial beach area. There’s also a 50-foot exercise pool which was packed with ladies practising their aqua-robics when we arrived. Not wishing to perform the Village People classic YMCA while partially submerged, we stuck to the main pool. If water isn’t your thing there’s always the fitness room or the beauty salon.

Several things struck me including the helpful staff, the excellent food and the prompt service. So many of the guests I spoke to said they have been coming back for years. Good service, it seems, never goes out of fashion.

Windermere is the perfect place to explore the Lake District – whether it be cycling down a country lane, hiking up a hillside or just enjoying a waterside picnic (downpours permitting). All central lakeland’s attractions, including Windermere itself and Coniston, scene of Donald Campbell's fateful record attempt, are just a short drive (or modest cycle ride) away.

If you want to impress your mates then you could try Scafell Pike, England's highest mountain at 3,210ft, but Skiddaw and Helvellyn, each over 3,000ft, are easier to get to. So what if it's a bit damp? Just pull on an extra layer, get out the waterproofs and off you go. But if you are tackling a mountain don't forget to tell someone where you're going.

The hotel overlooks Windermere and after enjoying an evening meal in the restaurant we strolled down to admire the impressive yachts moored at the jetty. If he were still alive, I suspect Campbell (a lover of the finer things in life) would have owned something similar.

Travel facts

Low Wood Bay Hotel,

Ambleside Road, Windermere

How to get there: take the A591 from Ambleside village for 1.9 miles. The hotel is on the lake front.

Prices: From £122 per night

Contact: 01539-433338