Waterhead Coniston

No availability at present on Pitchup.com 9.4 110 reviews
Visitor image of the view at dusk
Visitor image of the view at dusk
Visitor image of early morning
Big open field
Green grass and blue skies
Great views of the fells
Lake shore
Trees on the shoreline
Gateway to the field
1/84
Visitor image of early morning
Big open field
Green grass and blue skies

  • Quiet, back-to-basics pop-up site on the shoreline of Coniston Water
  • Lake cruises 10 minutes’ walk; National Trust – Tarn Hows 45 minutes
  • A 10-minute walk from Coniston village; two minutes to the local pub
Waterhead Coniston is a pop-up site in a properly prime position: right on the north-western shoreline of Coniston Water, and a 10-minute walk from the centre of Coniston village, which is handy for pubs, cafés, takeaways and shops. This quiet little Cumbria site has been set up in a field in a small, eco-friendly farm with animals. Facilities are basic: there are portable toilets, but no drinking water, for example, so the advice is to come prepared. On the plus side, guests here have private access to the lake. In addition, the views are unsurprisingly splendid, looking over the water and up to the fells. It’s also easy to see a bit more of the Lake District without using the car, since you can head straight out on walks up to National Trust – Tarn Hows (45 minutes’ walk) and local fells, or get going on bike rides or hikes by the lake. For more leisurely ways to see the area, take a ride across Coniston Water on the Steam Yacht Gondola (15 minutes’ walk) or set out for wanders around Brantwood (five minutes’ drive) and National Trust - Hill Top (15 minutes). There are plenty of fells and lakes to hike around, and a Go Ape adventure park is 20 minutes’ drive away. The local pub (which serves food from 7:30am until 9pm) is a couple of minutes’ stagger away upon your return, although you’re welcome to bring a barbecue along instead if you prefer.

Site type

Tent pitches 20
Opens 1 August
Please note
  • This site has no on-site 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. XL Bully, Pit Bull Terrier, Japanese Tosa, Dogo Argentino, and Fila Brasileiro).
  • Discount cards and gift vouchers cannot be applied to bookings made via Pitchup.com.
  • Please note that the toilet facilities are unisex.
  • Group bookings of 3 or more units (e.g. tent, touring caravan, motorhome or accommodation hire) travelling together are not permitted via Pitchup.com.
  • No hen/stag parties permitted via Pitchup.com.
  • There is no reception on-site: on arrival please contact the number provided on your booking confirmation.

Languages spoken

English

Open from Sat 1 Aug to

No availability here for your search criteria

Reviews

9.4

Overall rating from 110 Pitchup.com customers

  • 68%
    10
  • 12%
    9
  • 15%
    8
  • 2%
    7
  • 0%
    6
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    5
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    3
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    1
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 9
Facilities / Activities
 8
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 9
Cleanliness
 9
Wifi
 6
Lake and/or mountainPeaceful

99% would recommend this site to a friend

98% would stay here again

What customers say

This is a popular pop-up campsite praised for its stunning lakeside location, offering direct access for water sports and scenic walks. Reviewers highlight the peaceful atmosphere, spacious pitches, and proximity to Coniston village. Basic facilities, including portaloos and a water bowser, are generally found to be clean and adequate for the 'back to basics' camping experience, though occasional issues with hand sanitiser and water supply clarity were noted. The friendly and accommodating owner, Amy, is frequently commended. Despite some minor drawbacks regarding facilities, many guests express a desire to return.

Summary AI-generated from Pitchup.com customer reviews

Reviews page 1 of 11
Arrival date (latest first)

Great site

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Facilities / Activities
 10
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 No rating
Samantha C. 2 reviews

Non-electric grass tent or trailer tent pitch

Liked Beautiful setting right next to the lake, couple of minutes walk from the village which has everything you need.
Great host.

Disliked Nothing to be honest, was exactly what I was expecting, facilities wise.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Lots of space not crowded Great…

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Facilities / Activities
 5
Customer service
 No rating
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 No rating
Wifi
 No rating
Chris C. 1 review

Non-electric grass tent or trailer tent pitch

Liked Lots of space not crowded
Great location on coniston water
Great pub next door
Friendly visit from owner
Portaloos and water provided

Disliked No showers but it’s fine for a couple of days

Recommend to friends Visit again

Great Site and Amy was fantastic

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 7
Value for money
 10
Facilities / Activities
 4
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 No rating
Molly T. 1 review

Non-electric grass tent or trailer tent pitch

Liked Close to Coniston Water and a simple, good campsite! Had a great time despite the temperature

Recommend to friends Visit again

Excellent site, metres from the lake, quiet campsite.

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Facilities / Activities
 8
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 8
Wifi
 No rating
Anonymous

Non-electric grass tent or trailer tent pitch

Liked Very relaxed campsite, toilets provided and water for washing up. Very spacious area to set up. The lady who came to check us in was very polite and friendly.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Excellent site and plenty of space for everyone.

Overall

9 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Facilities / Activities
 10
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 No rating
Sam B. 2 reviews

Non-electric grass tent or trailer tent pitch

Liked Amazing spot. Right next to the water and a short distance to Coniston village. Toilet facilities were clean.

Disliked People that didn't keep dogs on leads. No way for anyone to keep an eye on this but during our stay 2 dogs kept approaching others as they weren't on leads or kept secure.

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: I’m glad you enjoyed your stay, apologies for this. I will make sure when I check every one in to stress they must be on leads

Great inexpensive site in a beautiful location.

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Facilities / Activities
 4
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 No rating
Carolyn H. 1 review

Non-electric grass tent or trailer tent pitch

Liked It's a pop up site, with no frills........except for a fantastic location, just a stones throw from Coniston, with gorgeous, lakeside views.

We were greeted warmly and offered help when we had a problem with our tent. So we wouldn't hesitate to stay here again.

Disliked We were told in advance that there were no showers or drinking water on site, so this was not a problem.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Fabulous pop up site right on the lake

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Facilities / Activities
 9
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 No rating
Mike R. 1 review

Non-electric grass tent or trailer tent pitch

Liked Fabulous pop up site right on the lake with a great pub next door and and only 10mins into the village. Great comms prior to arrival and during our stay

Recommend to friends Visit again

Fantastic site , short walk into coniston

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Facilities / Activities
 10
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 10
 Joanne C. 1 review

Non-electric grass tent or trailer tent pitch

Liked Fantastic value loved it .

Disliked None

Recommend to friends Visit again

Excellent, no frills campsite in a spectacular setting.

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Facilities / Activities
 No rating
Customer service
 No rating
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 No rating
Ben K. 2 reviews

Non-electric grass tent or trailer tent pitch

Liked Very spacious no frills and perfectly located a short walk from Coniston and on the edge of the water.

Toilets were also spotless.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Lots of spare, right by the…

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Facilities / Activities
 8
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 No rating
Bethany S. 1 review

Non-electric grass tent or trailer tent pitch

Liked Lots of spare, right by the lake, clean toilettes, great location

Recommend to friends Visit again

Features

Portable toilet

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 Composting toilet 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

Lake and/or mountain Peaceful Remote location Spectacular scenery Walkers' paradise

Utilities

Charging facilities Chemical disposal Electric car charging point(s) Gas cylinders available No drinkable water point Recycling available Renewable energy

Nearby amenities

Bar nearby Dog walk nearby Public transport nearby Shop nearby

Type

Farm Pop-up campsite Small (11-25 pitches)

Nearby leisure

Canoeing/kayaking nearby Climbing nearby Cycling nearby Fishing nearby Mountain biking nearby Restaurant nearby Sailing nearby

Location

Waterhead Coniston

Coniston

Cumbria

England

LA21 8AJ

Directions

Timezone

Europe/London BST (GMT+01:00)

GPS

54.36851°N
3.06119°W

Route directions

Please follow the dirt track and stop next to the bamboo gate before phoning the site.

Nearest transport

Coach
5.8 mi Kelsick Road opposite Library
6.1 mi Daffodil Hotel for Dove Cottage
6.2 mi Lakeside House for Dove Cottage
Rail
6.4 mi Windermere Rail Station
9.8 mi Staveley Rail Station
9.8 mi Foxfield Rail Station
Ferry
0.1 mi Waterhead Hotel (Coniston) Ferry Landing
0.4 mi Monk Coniston Ferry Landing
0.4 mi 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

Brantwood (10 minutes’ drive, or you can catch a ferry and disembark at Brantwood Landing, on Coniston Water’s eastern shore) was the former home of John Ruskin. In addition to a museum exploring the life and legacy of this Victorian artist and writer, there are splendid gardens, including the so-called Zig-Zaggy, inspired by Dante’s ‘Divine Comedy’. Another famed author, Beatrix Potter, also settled in the Lake District. Her small cottage, Hill Top (10 minutes), sits between Windermere and Esthwaite Water, its pretty interior filled with period furniture, original sketches and scattered felted creatures from Potter’s stories. Keen gardeners might not want to miss the colourful floral collections at Holehird Gardens (half an hour), which range from hydrangeas to Himalayan poppies and painted daisies, plus lush ferns. Afterwards, drive five minutes to Orrest Head Viewpoint for spectacular vistas of Windermere.

Water quality at nearby bathing waters

Name Distance Type 2020201920182017
Haverigg 15.4 mi Sea PoorN/AN/AN/A
Silecroft 15.6 mi Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent
Seascale 17.3 mi Sea N/AGoodGoodGood
Walney West Shore 19.1 mi Sea N/AGoodGoodN/A
Walney Sandy Gap 20.1 mi Sea N/AGoodGoodN/A

Data source: European Environment Agency

Must see

Beatrix Potter Gallery 2.5 mi

Hill Top 3.8 mi

Brockhole - Lake District Visitor Centre 5.3 mi

Windermere Lake Cruises, Bowness 5.6 mi

The World of Beatrix Potter 5.7 mi

National Trust

Gondola' 0.4 mi

Coniston and Tarn Hows 0.6 mi

Beatrix Potter Gallery 2.5 mi

Hill Top 3.8 mi

Grasmere and Great Langdale 5 mi

Cycle routes

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

Other

Coniston and the Yewdale Fells 0.5 mi

Coniston - Little Arrow - Coniston Lakeshore 0.5 mi

Coniston - Holme Fell 0.5 mi

Coniston - Levers Water - Coniston 0.5 mi

Coniston - Tarn Hows - Coniston 0.6 mi

Local events

  • Kendal Calling (Thursday, 30 July 2026 – Thursday, 30 July 2026)

    Penrith, Cumbria 21.4 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?

Frequently asked questions

  • Does Waterhead Coniston have a swimming pool? No View all features
  • Is Waterhead Coniston dog friendly? Yes View all features
  • What attractions are near Waterhead Coniston? Brantwood (10 minutes’ drive, or you can catch a ferry and disembark at Brantwood Landing, on Coniston Water’s eastern shore) was the former home of John Ruskin. In addition to a museum … Read more
  • When can I check in and check out of Waterhead Coniston?
    Camping and touring
    Arrive:  11 a.m. –  9:30 p.m.
    Depart by:  1 p.m.
    Read more