Kittiwake was built in Bowness in 1898 as a commission for William Grimble Groves. A wealthy industrialist from Manchester, Groves had made his fortune in brewing. A year earlier he had purchased the Holehird estate in Troutbeck and used Kittiwake for elegant afternoon tea parties in the lake.  

The Groves were a philanthropic family who contributed significantly to the Westmorland community. In 1920, William founded the Windermere branch of the Edith Cavell Home of Rest for Nurses, an organisation which gave nurses the chance for respite. Kittiwake was used by the charity to give nurses a few hours of relaxation on the lake. William also donated funds to the Windermere Urban District Council to purchase the Ellerthwaite house and gardens- the Groves Public Library is named in his honour and remains open to this day.  

 This charitable legacy was continued by his son, Henry Leigh Groves. He bequeathed the Holehird estate to the Westmorland County Council, which is now run by the volunteer organisation, the Lakeland Horticultural Society. Perhaps his greatest gift was to the Windermere Urban District Council- he funded £6000 towards the purchase of the lakebed of Windermere in 1938, preserving it for the public benefit for generations to come. 

 Today you can see Kittiwake in the Conservation Store Gallery of the museum, next to its original W Sissons and Co. of Gloucester triple expansion steam engine. It has been stabilised and is awaiting further conservation before it can return to operational use on Windermere.