River House Retreat Campsite
No availability at present on Pitchup.com 
- Peaceful Lake District campsite on the banks of the Brathay river
- A mile from Ambleside and Windermere; Grasmere 15 minutes' drive
- Simple pitches with river access and gorgeous views
Site type
70
3
3
This site has no on-site toilet and shower facilities.
Under 18s must be accompanied by their parents or legal guardians.- The site does not accept breeds/crossbreeds listed in the Dangerous Dogs Act (i.e. Pit Bull Terrier, Japanese Tosa, Dogo Argentino, and Fila Brasileiro).
- Commercial vehicles (vehicles used for work-related purposes, carrying goods or fare-paying passengers) and sign-written vehicles are not permitted on site.
- Fires, barbecues and/or firepits will not be permitted in dry, windy and/or hot weather conditions.
Languages spoken
English
Pitch types & availability
Choose your dates and we'll email when available.
See nearby bookable sites
Reviews
would recommend this site to a friend
would stay here again
Only showing reviews for the last 30 months.
Good overall stay
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Non-electric grass tent pitch
Liked: Great views and easy to find using sat nav.simple plot of land, loved it.
Disliked: Nothing much to dislike just can get really muddy if it’s been raining.
Recommend to friends Visit again
The location and river access…
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Non-electric grass tent pitch
Liked: The location and river access
Disliked: The lack of facilities, every campsite should have a toilet and showers, also poor ground conditions
Recommend to friends Visit again
Beautiful scenery with lovely river running through the middle.…
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Non-electric grass tent pitch
Liked: Beautiful scenery with lovely river running through the middle.
Disliked: Mud, parking and no one on site.
Recommend to friends Visit again
You’ll need a tow to get your car out and your tent will smell of weed
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Non-electric grass tent pitch
Liked: Pretty location by river.
Disliked: There was no one there managing the site despite the fact that there had been significant damage to the ground caused by rain and a significant number of cars having driven over the ground. Lines had been marked designating ‘safe’ areas but this meant that tents were very crowded with people driving cars sometimes unsafely due to the conditions very close to tents. This was also happening at night which was concerning while in a tent with young children. There was loud dance music playing all day and until late at night with open drug taking. Had anyone been looking after the site they could have been at least encouraged to be more discreet about it! Those of us with land rovers ended up having to tow stranded cars out of the field. Had any management been in place, a designated area for cars could have been fenced off, and cars not allowed in the area for tents, which would have significantly reduced the hazards. As there were zero facilities purportedly to “preserve the tranquility” it would have been more cost effective to find a random field and fly camp, and there might have been less marijuana and house music.
Recommend to friends Visit again
Nothing at all. Paid for Friday to Monday. Pulled on and pulled straight…
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Non-electric grass touring pitch
Liked: Nothing at all. Paid for Friday to Monday. Pulled on and pulled straight back off. Seventy pound lost. How can a boggy field be called a called a campsite?
Recommend to friends Visit again
Gorgeous site, ruined by other campers but don't let that put you off
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Non-electric grass touring pitch
Liked: Lovely view and so close to Ambleside and Windemere. Beautiful area.
Disliked: Unfortunately with no marked out pitches we had a group of noisy campers blasting music and shouting at eachother well after 4am camp chairs directly behind our back doors (bed) tearing down signposts to burn, if I hadnt been stopped I was about to put the fire out with a mini fire extinguisher and send the rascals to bed at 3am. Marked pitches to give some space between campers would be ideal or maybe site management could ask people to keep the noise down after 1am ish, I'm pretty laid back but there were couples and babies and families on the site too. Site could do with a crush and run path, so many people getting stuck in the mud, we were lucky though.
Recommend to friends Visit again
That it was well cut grass east to pitch on…
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Non-electric grass tent pitch
Liked: That it was well cut grass east to pitch on
Disliked: Not like the pictures showed no toilets and a major flood risk so cars were getting stuck in the rainy weather and causing the entrance to be muddy the water out of tap made my child throw up most of the night so wasn’t as safe to drink as we thought
Recommend to friends Visit again
The scenery…
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Non-electric grass tent pitch
Liked: The scenery
Recommend to friends Visit again
Expensive muddy field
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Non-electric grass touring pitch
Liked: Good view
Disliked: As soon as we arrived on the site we got stuck in the mud in our swb transit, luckily a 4x4 owner towed us out. We did not see the site owner or manager when we were there between 7.45pm and 9.30am so we could of got away with not paying as for which £35 was expensive to stay in a muddy field with only a water tap.
Recommend to friends Visit again
Beautiful setting, friendly, secluded
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Non-electric grass tent pitch
Liked: Absolutely beautiful setting with mountains, low cloud and the river Brathay at your feet. Very secluded and private spot. Other campers were friendly. Camp site was extremely clean and tidy. We had a wonderful time. It was myself, my son and his uncle that went. We enjoyed fishing on the river, kayaking and playing sports at the site. Lots of bars, restaurants and shops within a few miles. Good price. Would definitely come again
Disliked: The weather let us down but made it more of a proper camping experience... as it was just us lads we really didn't mind... as with the lack of toilets... as men we were OK...ish lol. Only other thing I was disappointed in was that we only booked 1 night as we would of stayed for at least 3 nights if we knew how nice it was.
Recommend to friends Visit again
Features
Pop-up campsite
Dogs allowed
Leisure on site
Bar or club house
Cycle hire
Evening entertainment
Fishing
Fitness centre
Games room
Indoor swimming pool
Kids' club
On-site restaurant/cafe
Outdoor swimming pool
Play area
TV room
Take away
Tennis
Watersports
Wild swimming
Amenities on site
Bath available
Car parking by pitch/unit
Composting toilet
Disabled facilities
Dog park
Drying room
Food shop
Free wifi
Ice pack freezing
Internet access
Launderette
Parent & baby washroom
Pick-up from public transport
Portable toilet
Pub toilets
Public telephone
Shower available
Toilet block
Washing-up area
Wifi
Groups welcome
Family friendly
Motorcycle friendly
Single-sex groups welcome
Student groups welcome
Rules
Barbecue provided
Barbecues allowed
Campfires allowed
Commercial vehicles allowed
Dogs allowed
Dogs allowed all year
Themes
Lake and/or mountain
Peaceful
Spectacular scenery
Wild camping
Wildlife haven
Utilities
Charging facilities
Chemical disposal
Electric car charging point(s)
Gas cylinders available
Recycling available
Renewable energy
Nearby amenities
Bar nearby
Dog walk nearby
Public transport nearby
Type
Large (51-200 pitches)
Pop-up campsite
Nearby leisure
Canoeing/kayaking nearby
Cycling nearby
Fishing nearby
Mountain biking nearby
Restaurant nearby
Watersports nearby
Location
River House Retreat Campsite
The River House
Clappersgate
Ambleside
Cumbria
England
LA22 9NQ
Directions Timezone
Europe/London GMT (GMT+00:00)
GPS
54.42433°N
-2.99348°W
Nearest transport
Coach
Rail
Ferry
Please note: All distances on this page are calculated "as the crow flies" - please check actual distance depending on your mode of travel using the Get directions button above.
Local attractions
Water quality at nearby bathing waters
| Name | Distance | Type | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seascale | 20 mi | Sea | N/A | Good | Good | Good |
| Haverigg | 20.1 mi | Sea | Poor | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Silecroft | 20.2 mi | Sea | N/A | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent |
| Walney West Shore | 23.8 mi | Sea | N/A | Good | Good | N/A |
| Morecambe North | 24.6 mi | Estuary | Good | N/A | Good | Good |
Data source: European Environment Agency
Must see
Rydal Mount and Gardens 1.7 mi
Dove Cottage and the Wordsworth Museum 2.3 mi
Brockhole - Lake District Visitor Centre 2.6 mi
Beatrix Potter Gallery 3.4 mi
Hill Top 5.1 mi
National Trust
Grasmere and Great Langdale 1.5 mi
Townend 3.3 mi
Beatrix Potter Gallery 3.4 mi
Windermere and Troutbeck 4 mi
Coniston and Tarn Hows 4.2 mi
Cycle routes
Find local routes on the National Cycle Network - over 12,000 miles of cycling routes.
Other
Ambleside, Wansfell and the Pike to Troutbeck 1.3 mi
Ambleside to Grasmere over Loughrigg Fell 1.3 mi
Ambleside - Town End - Ambleside 1.3 mi
Ambleside, Stock Ghyll and Scandale Beck 1.3 mi
Ambleside and Lily Tarn 1.3 mi
Local events
- Kendal Calling (Thursday 1 August 2024 – Thursday 1 August 2024)
Penrith, Cumbria 16.7 mi
Please note: All distances on this page are calculated "as the crow flies" - please check actual distance depending on your mode of travel using the Get directions button above.
Want to know more about camping in The Lake District and Cumbria?
- Does River House Retreat Campsite have a swimming pool? No View all features
- Is River House Retreat Campsite dog friendly? Yes View all features
- What attractions are near River House Retreat Campsite? Attractions and activities nearby include: - Ambleside (lake cruises, paddleboarding and kayaking): half an hour’s walk/five minutes’ drive - Ambleside Roman Fort: half an hour’s walk/five minutes’ drive - Todd Crag/ Loughrigg … Read more
- When can I check in and check out of River House Retreat Campsite?
Read moreCamping and touring Arrive: 2 p.m. – 8 p.m. Depart by: 11 a.m.