A Lake District attraction has beaten the likes of Stonehenge and London Zoo to be named among the top five tourist magnets in England.

New VisitEngland figures show Windermere Lake Cruises has maintained its position as one of England’s top-ten most popular paid for visitor attractions in the country, based on passenger numbers.

The latest Annual Visitor Attractions Survey collated by the body shows there were 1.63m passenger journeys made on the company’s 16-strong fleet in 2018.

This puts Windermere Lake Cruises in fifth place in the top 10 paid-for visitor attractions in the country after the Tower of London, Chester Zoo, the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew Gardens and St Paul’s Cathedral.

Nigel Wilkinson, managing director of Windermere Lake Cruises, said: “Obviously we’re delighted that so many people choose to experience England’s longest lake with Windermere Lake Cruises and to be ranked alongside nine other world-class attractions from right across the country is welcomed by our team.

“Year on year, our passenger numbers consistently show that a cruise on Windermere is a quintessential Lake District experience and we’re so proud to help visitors enjoy this beautiful area all year-round, without them having to rely on their cars.”

The news comes in the same week Windermere was named as one of the UK’s most incredible sights by Lonely Planet.

The lake made the top 10 of a list compiled by Lonely Planet, which ranked the best experiences in the British Isles.