Rydal Hall Campsite

No availability at present on Pitchup.com 9.6 28 reviews
Grass pitches
Peaceful pitch by a stream (added by visitor 09 may 2022)
Sheltered grass pitches (added by manager 20 mar 2019)
Quiet rural site (added by manager 20 mar 2019)

  • Peaceful site in a quiet corner of a Cumbria country estate
  • A five-minute drive from Ambleside and Grasmere; easy main road access
  • Formal gardens, tea room and woodlands on site to explore
Ever wandered around a smart country estate and thought to yourself ‘yes, I could certainly stay here for a while…’? Well, here’s your chance: Rydal Hall Campsite is part of a large Cumbria estate dating back to the 17th century, and it makes a splendid place to stay for a Lake District holiday. The wider estate has stunning formal gardens (designed by Thomas Mawson) to explore, along with some sculptures and art installations to seek out and intriguing corners like the ‘Grot’ (a spot much loved by previous visitor William Wordsworth). It’s not all curated and manicured though – the estate also maintains wildlife areas, ponds and woodland, and it’s part of a red squirrel conservation project (you may spot these rare creatures around if you walk quietly…) It’s in one of these woodland areas that the campsite has been set up to welcome families, couples and solo travellers looking for a quiet and simple outdoor stay. As befits the grand setting, bathroom facilities here are top-notch: modern, spacious and eco-friendly. There’s been a hydro-electric turbine here for over 100 years, so it’s no surprise to hear now that the site’s carbon footprint is minimal (boosted further by solar power and a private water supply). On top of all this comes the fact that the location is an excellent one for exploring the Lake District – it's just off a main road, Ambleside and Grasmere are both about five minutes’ drive away, and a central spot within the national park puts you within easy reach of whichever parts you’d like to visit.

Site type

Lodges, cabins, pods or huts 3
Tent pitches 32
Open now
Please note
  • Under 18s must be accompanied by their parents or legal guardians.
  • Group bookings of 4 or more adults are not permitted (couples and immediate family members excepted).
  • Single-sex bookings of 4 or more people (couples and immediate family members excepted) are not permitted via Pitchup.com.
  • No hen/stag parties permitted via Pitchup.com.
  • No cars/motorbikes by the pitch/unit. All cars must be parked in the designated area.
  • Commercial vehicles (vehicles used for work-related purposes, carrying goods or fare-paying passengers) and sign-written vehicles are not permitted on site.
  • Discount cards and gift vouchers cannot be applied to bookings made via Pitchup.com.
  • Minimum spacing of 3 metres between pitches.
  • Guests are advised to bring a good quality torch with them as parts of the site are unlit.
  • Please note that the shower facilities are unisex.
  • Fires, barbecues and/or firepits will not be permitted in dry, windy and/or hot weather conditions.

Languages spoken

English

Open from Fri, 1 Mar to

Reviews

93%

would recommend this site to a friend

89%

would stay here again

  • 82%
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Only showing reviews for the last 30 months.

Excellent site, would highly recommend

Overall 10/10
Location 8
Value for money 10
Accommodation 10
Facilities / Activities 10
Customer service 10
Child friendliness No rating
Cleanliness 10
Wifi 8
Anonymous The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Non-electric grass tent pitch

Liked: Amazing views of the Lake District from where I pitched up the tent alone! Moreover, Rydal Water and Rydal cave were an easy walk from the campsite (~20 minutes). There was a bus stop only five minutes, if that, from the camp site, so getting to nearby towns was no problem at all. The toilets were very clean and easy to access. The staff were very friendly and helpful with regards to setting up my tent and the booking.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Lovely site, flat pitches, clean facilities and lovely scenery!

Overall 10/10
Location 10
Value for money 10
Accommodation 10
Facilities / Activities 10
Customer service 10
Child friendliness 10
Cleanliness 10
Wifi 10
Georgia C. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Non-electric grass tent pitch

Liked: The beautiful surroundings, the animals and how easy it was to check in and get around. Lovely clean facilities and close by to a bus stop, lovely hikes and a bar! Even though the hall was closed due to the Queens funeral, it was extremely easy to check in.

Disliked: Nothing, it was lovely!

Recommend to friends Visit again

The location.…

Overall 8/10
Location 10
Value for money 6
Accommodation 6
Facilities / Activities 6
Customer service 6
Child friendliness No rating
Cleanliness 8
Wifi No rating
Alyssa U. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Eco camping pod

Liked: The location.

Disliked: Unlit route from pod to the toilet area in the night. Road very uneven to get to the pods. Staffmember repeatedly got name wrong despite telling them clearly 4 times on check in.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Little gem of a place to stay

Overall 10/10
Location 10
Value for money 10
Accommodation 10
Facilities / Activities 10
Customer service 10
Child friendliness No rating
Cleanliness 10
Wifi No rating
Loren M. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Non-electric grass tent pitch

Liked: The view from campsite 1 was stunning, a real pleasure to wake up to every day. The staff were all really helpful and the facilities were super clean. The badger bar just down the road was a wonderful pub.

Disliked: The walk from campsite 1 to the toilet/shower facilities

Recommend to friends Visit again

Quiet and peaceful, clean and great facilities

Overall 10/10
Location 10
Value for money 10
Accommodation 10
Facilities / Activities No rating
Customer service 10
Child friendliness No rating
Cleanliness 10
Wifi 10
Anonymous The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Non-electric grass tent pitch

Liked: Peace and quiet, clean facilties, the views, open fires. Flexibility

Disliked: Long way to get water

Recommend to friends Visit again

The site was very well layer out. Beautiful views. Shower block was…

Overall 10/10
Location 10
Value for money 10
Accommodation 10
Facilities / Activities 10
Customer service 10
Child friendliness 10
Cleanliness 10
Wifi 10
Anonymous The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Non-electric grass tent pitch

Liked: The site was very well layer out. Beautiful views. Shower block was modernised clean. The weather really did help too. I will be back next year - loved it there

Disliked: Nothing was disliked

Recommend to friends Visit again

Overall a very nice and relaxing stay!

Overall 10/10
Location 10
Value for money 10
Accommodation 8
Facilities / Activities 10
Customer service 8
Child friendliness 6
Cleanliness 10
Wifi No rating
Anonymous The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Non-electric grass tent pitch

Liked: Fantastic facilities, always clean! The grounds are brilliant and offer some great views of the countryside!

Disliked: Nothing

Recommend to friends Visit again

Really nice stay

Overall 8/10
Location 8
Value for money 6
Accommodation 8
Facilities / Activities 10
Customer service 10
Child friendliness 8
Cleanliness 10
Wifi No rating
Dave J. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Non-electric grass tent pitch

Liked: Flat pitch, space, showers, Bar, EV Charger, coffee shop.

Disliked: Ground was stoney underneath so hard to put pegs in.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Definitely would recommend and looking forward to staying again!

Overall 10/10
Location 10
Value for money 10
Accommodation 10
Facilities / Activities 10
Customer service 10
Child friendliness 4
Cleanliness 10
Wifi No rating
Laura M. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Non-electric grass tent pitch

Liked: Very friendly staff. The location was perfect for walks and the villages Ambleside and Grasmere. The setting was beautiful. Lovely gardens. I liked the privacy of the campsite. The field was hilly which really added to the great outdoors feel. Use of sockets in the shower block was great. Clean and warm showers.

Disliked: Nothing to dislike!

Recommend to friends Visit again

Nice surroundings and clean bathrooms…

Overall 8/10
Location 10
Value for money 8
Accommodation 10
Facilities / Activities 10
Customer service 10
Child friendliness No rating
Cleanliness 10
Wifi No rating
Adam G. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Non-electric grass tent pitch

Liked: Nice surroundings and clean bathrooms

Disliked: A tad more expensive than other campsites

Recommend to friends Visit again


Features

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

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

D. of E. 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

Forest

Lake and/or mountain

Leave the car at home

Peaceful

Spectacular scenery

Walkers' paradise

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

Shop nearby

Type

Medium (26-50 pitches)

Nearby leisure

Canoeing/kayaking nearby

Climbing nearby

Cycle hire nearby

Cycling nearby

Fishing nearby

Horse riding nearby

Indoor pool nearby

Leisure/theme park nearby

Mountain biking nearby

Restaurant nearby

Sailing nearby

Watersports nearby

Location

Rydal Hall Campsite

Ambleside

Cumbria

England

LA22 9LX

Directions

Timezone

Europe/London BST (GMT+01:00)

GPS

54.4481°N
-2.9793°W

Nearest transport

Coach
1.4 mi Kelsick Road opposite Library
1.6 mi Daffodil Hotel for Dove Cottage
1.6 mi Lakeside House for Dove Cottage
Rail
5.6 mi Windermere Rail Station
8.2 mi Staveley Rail Station
10.7 mi Burneside (Cumbria) Rail Station
Ferry
2.1 mi Ambleside Waterhead Ferry Landing
3.5 mi Brockhole Ferry Landing
6.1 mi Monk Coniston Ferry Landing

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

The first place to visit here is of course Rydal Hall itself – you can’t go inside the house itself, but there’s so much to enjoy outdoors including the Quiet Garden, the Grot (framing views of Rydal Falls), the labyrinth and tea room. There are more splendid buildings and gardens to take in as you tour the area too – perhaps you’d like to see the neo-gothic Wray Castle (15 minutes’ drive), see where Beatrix Potter lived at Hill Top (20 minutes) or stroll through artist John Ruskin’s former home at Brantwood (25 minutes)? Wilder landscapes and outdoor activities galore are all around too: take a walk up to Rydal Cave (half an hour on foot) or Stock Ghyll Force (45 minutes), take a cruise from Ambleside (five minutes’ drive), go fishing at Esthwaite (20 minutes), get up unto the trees at Go Ape (25 minutes), scale Scafell Pike (half an hour)…

Water quality at nearby bathing waters

Name Distance Type 2020 2019 2018 2017
Seascale 20.8 mi Sea N/A Good Good Good
Silecroft 21.8 mi Sea N/A Excellent Excellent Excellent
Haverigg 21.8 mi Sea Poor N/A N/A N/A
St Bees 25.4 mi Sea N/A Excellent Excellent Excellent
Walney West Shore 25.5 mi Sea N/A Good Good N/A

Data source: European Environment Agency

Must see

Rydal Mount and Gardens 0.2 mi

Dove Cottage and the Wordsworth Museum 1.6 mi

Brockhole - Lake District Visitor Centre 3.5 mi

Beatrix Potter Gallery 5.1 mi

The World of Beatrix Potter 6.3 mi

National Trust

Grasmere and Great Langdale 1.9 mi

Townend 3.7 mi

Windermere and Troutbeck 4.8 mi

Beatrix Potter Gallery 5.1 mi

Coniston and Tarn Hows 5.9 mi

Cycle routes

Find local routes on the National Cycle Network - over 12,000 miles of cycling routes.

Other

RYDAL MOUNT 0.1 mi

RYDAL HALL 0.3 mi

Ambleside and High Sweden Bridge 1.2 mi

Ambleside and Lily Tarn 1.3 mi

Ambleside, the Kirkstone Pass and Red Screes 1.3 mi

Local events

  • Keswick Mountain Festival (Friday 17 May 2024 – Friday 17 May 2024)

    Keswick, Cumbria 12.5 mi

  • Kendal Calling (Thursday 1 August 2024 – Thursday 1 August 2024)

    Penrith, Cumbria 15.1 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 Rydal Hall Campsite have a swimming pool? No View all features
  • Is Rydal Hall Campsite dog friendly? Yes View all features
  • What attractions are near Rydal Hall Campsite? The first place to visit here is of course Rydal Hall itself – you can’t go inside the house itself, but there’s so much to enjoy outdoors including the Quiet Garden, the … Read more
  • When can I check in and check out of Rydal Hall Campsite?
    Camping and touring
    Arrive:  2 p.m. –  8 p.m.
    Depart by:  10 a.m.
    Read more
  • How much does it cost to stay at Rydal Hall Campsite? From £32.40 (for 1 night, 2 adults) - prices may change depending on your dates and party.