Ambleside is a town in Cumbria, in North West England. Historically in Westmorland, it is located at the head of Windermere, England's largest natural lake. The community is within the Lake District National Forest. Ambleside is provided by South Lakeland District Council and also forms part of the Lakes civil church yet from 1894 to 1935 it was a different city area council. Ferries (still referred to as "cleaners", although now diesel powered) go to Bowness-on-Windermere and Shore offering fine sights of the lake and bordering mountains. Ambleside is a base for hiking, alpinism and hill biking. It has a number of resorts, bed and breakfast, pubs and also restaurants as well as stores. Specifically, there are a variety of stores marketing tools for pedestrians and also climbers in the community. Ambleside is a preferred starting point for the Fairfield horseshoe, a hillwalking ridge walk. Ambleside is also home to the headquarters of Brathay Exploration Group, a youth charity based simply beyond Clappersgate when traveling to Hawkshead. The cd CSI: Ambleside, by Birkenhead-based band Half Man Half Biscuit, is called after the community.