Donald Campbell’s legendary hydroplane Bluebird K7 could return to the waters of Coniston this spring as part of a week-long celebration in the Lake District.
The craft, which was destroyed in January 1967 when Campbell was killed attempting to break his own water speed record, has been fully restored and is now owned by Coniston’s Ruskin Museum. The museum has applied to the Lake District National Park Authority for permission to run the hydroplane on Coniston Water between 10 and 17 May.
Organisers of what is being called Bluebird K7 – The Festival have requested a temporary exemption to the lake’s 10mph speed limit to allow test runs and demonstrations. They said May had been chosen for the event because calmer water conditions were more likely than in September, when larger crowds and public navigation rights make operating difficult.
“For those wondering why we haven’t asked for September dates, K7 needs fairly calm water to be able to run,” a statement explained. “The National Park Authority have quite rightly said that we can’t run in summer holidays and bank holidays, as Coniston Water will be too busy. The reason we chose May was because hopefully this will give us the best weather window to run.”
The event will also feature lakeside activities, including musical performances on the final weekend. Australian driver Dave Warby, son of former world water speed record holder Ken Warby, is expected to pilot Bluebird for the runs.
The attempt marks another chapter in a long and often turbulent story. Between 1955 and 1964, Donald Campbell set seven world water speed records in Bluebird. The craft’s final run in 1967 ended in tragedy when it flipped and disintegrated at more than 300mph on Coniston Water, killing Campbell instantly.
Bluebird lay undisturbed on the lake bed for more than three decades until diver and engineer Bill Smith discovered and recovered the wreck in 2001. His team, the Bluebird Project, spent years painstakingly restoring the hydroplane in their Tyneside workshop, bringing it back to working condition and running it on Loch Fad in Scotland in 2018.
However, a bitter legal battle followed over ownership. The Campbell Family Heritage Trust, which had donated the wreck to the Ruskin Museum in 2006, accused Smith of refusing to hand it back. Smith claimed part ownership due to the extensive restoration work carried out by his team. The dispute lasted years, with public statements and legal threats on both sides.
In 2024, the saga finally ended. Smith relinquished his claim, paid £25,000 towards the museum’s costs, and agreed to have “no further right, title or interest” in the craft. Bluebird was collected from North Shields and returned to Coniston, where it was met with applause from locals.
For Donald Campbell’s daughter, Gina Campbell, the return brought closure to what she called “a tragedy” of conflict and delay. She described the years-long dispute as “deeply painful”, though she praised the craftsmanship of Smith’s restoration team.
“Bill could’ve ridden into Coniston astride Bluebird like Julius Caesar coming into Rome, but somehow it all fell apart,” she said. “He has held her up for ransom by refusing to give her back. I will never forgive him for that.”
Miss Campbell said she had promised the people of Coniston that Bluebird would return and remain in the village near her father’s resting place. “It’s the greatest relief to be able to fulfil that promise with all my heart,” she said. “The people of Coniston will have Bluebird, as they deserve, and my dad’s remains for ever and a day.”
The Ruskin Museum has since confirmed that Bluebird will form the centrepiece of its new Bluebird Wing. A condition check will determine whether it can safely run at full power on the lake again. If the May tests succeed, further demonstrations could follow in 2026, with possible appearances in the USA and Australia to mark Campbell’s record attempts there.
For the village of Coniston, Bluebird’s return symbolises both remembrance and renewal—an echo of the spirit that drove Donald Campbell to chase the limits of speed and courage nearly 60 years ago.
