The Old Post Office Campsite

View prices & book 9 344 reviews
Taken at the bottom end of the site - hook-ups spread across the site
Tranquil views of the river irt right in the back garden
Pop over to the bridge inn, just across from the campsite
Young explorer enjoying a sunny day by the river irt

  • Quiet site on the western edge of the Lake District National Park
  • Bordered by the River Irt for swimming and salmon or trout fishing
  • Scenic picnic benches; dogs welcome; café 10 minutes' walk away
Established in 1951, The Old Post Office Campsite is in a royally fab location for anyone after a peaceful spot to explore the Lake District. Those looking for quiet stays can deliver themselves to this compact site, just on the western border of the Lake District National Park, to enjoy the very best of the area's spectacular setting. You can be at the little village of Santon Bridge in a jiffy (it's just a one-minute walk away) and with the River Irt bordering the site, you’ll likely agree The Old Post Office has got the whole package… Swim, paddle or just bask on the banks of the calm freshwater river that flows right along one side of the site, while avid anglers can scale the choice of catches to be had with salmon, sea and brown trout floundering from the waters. The site’s first-class facilities include modern toilets and showers, a laundry room with coin-operated machines, dishwashing sinks and wifi, with well-tended pathways all around the site and timber picnic benches to take in the mountains, river and countryside views. A gift shop and café are 10 minutes' walk away. Dogs are welcome too – and with all the walking opportunities in and around the Lakes, a holiday here should really deliver the goods for all…

Site type

Motorhome pitches 10
Tent pitches 7
Touring caravan pitches 14
Open all year
Opens
Please note
  • 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).
  • Group bookings of 3 or more adults are not permitted (couples and immediate family members excepted).
  • Single-sex bookings of 3 or more people (couples and immediate family members excepted) are not permitted via Pitchup.com.
  • No hen/stag parties permitted via Pitchup.com.
  • The site caters for families (immediate members) and couples only - bookings from all other forms of groups are not accepted.
  • Bookings must not consist of more than 2 different households.
  • Group bookings of 2 or more units (e.g. tent, touring caravan, motorhome or accommodation hire) travelling together are not permitted via Pitchup.com.
  • A cable measuring at least 10 metres is needed for the electric hook-ups.
  • Commercial vehicles (vehicles used for work-related purposes, carrying goods or fare-paying passengers) and sign-written vehicles are not permitted on site.
  • Showers cost 50p for approximately 10 minutes.

Languages spoken

English

No availability here for your search criteria

Pitch types & availability

Reviews

  • 60%
    10
  • 6%
    9
  • 22%
    8
  • 3%
    7
  • 3%
    6
  • 0%
    5
  • 1%
    4
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    3
  • 1%
    2
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    1
Location
9
Value for money
9
Accommodation
9
Facilities / Activities
8
Customer service
9
Child friendliness
9
Cleanliness
9
Wifi
8

90% would recommend this site to a friend

87% would stay here again

What customers say

This is a beautiful, peaceful riverside campsite with clean, modern facilities. Pitches are well-maintained and spacious, with many enjoying the proximity to a pleasant pub. Staff are consistently praised for their friendliness and helpfulness. Some minor issues like shower charges and occasional road noise were noted, but the overall experience is highly positive, with many visitors planning a return.

Summary AI-generated from Pitchup.com customer reviews

Reviews page 1 of 35
Arrival date (latest first)

Excellent site, beautiful location, clean and peaceful

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
10
Value for money
10
Accommodation
No rating
Facilities / Activities
10
Customer service
10
Child friendliness
10
Cleanliness
10
Wifi
10
Danielle R.

Fully-serviced hardstanding and grass touring pitch (super)

Liked Great location for walking lots to go at from the doorstep
We covered about 35 miles over 2 days

Clean, well maintained site, lovely red showers

Everything you need in a fab spot

Pub on the doorstep

And I loveeeee hearing the cockerels in the morning 🥰🥰

Disliked Absolutely everything was perfect

Recommend to friends Visit again

Nice site, being in the van listening to the river was very relaxing

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
10
Value for money
10
Accommodation
No rating
Facilities / Activities
10
Customer service
10
Child friendliness
No rating
Cleanliness
10
Wifi
10
Tracy h.

Electric hardstanding and grass campervan pitch

Liked Such a lovely little site, next to the river, a lovely welcome and nice and clean and handy for walks and the pub next door.

Disliked I can't think of anything i disliked.

Recommend to friends Visit again

“We survived Storm Dave!” 🌧️💪 Stayed here…

Overall

9 out of 10
Location
9
Value for money
9
Accommodation
No rating
Facilities / Activities
8
Customer service
10
Child friendliness
10
Cleanliness
10
Wifi
6
Stephen A.

Electric hardstanding and grass campervan pitch

Liked “We survived Storm Dave!” 🌧️💪

Stayed here during some pretty rough weather and came out smiling. The pitch was generously sized, although it did take a bit of back-and-forth manoeuvring to get out again manageable, just something to be aware of.
The standout for us was the cleanliness genuinely to military standards. The entire site was immaculate and the facilities were spotless throughout our stay.

There’s a nearby pub (not associated with the site) that serves decent food, but be prepared tables get booked up quickly.
WiFi on-site is okay, but we brought our own Ryoko device which performed better. TV reception isn’t great, so streaming via WiFi (mainly in the evenings) is your best bet.

The surrounding area is fantastic for walks plenty to explore right from the site.
One small but important tip: bring 50p coins, as the showers run at around 10 minutes per coin.Also only 2 showers in male and female facilities

Overall, a great stay clean, well-kept, and in a brilliant location for exploring. Would definitely return.”

Disliked Nothing

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Hi Stephen,
Thank you again for your amazing review! We’re especially thrilled that our cleanliness stood out to you. Our team works hard to maintain the site to the highest standards, so it’s fantastic to hear it made such an impression. Knowing you felt the site and facilities were “immaculate” and “spotless” truly makes our efforts worthwhile.
We’re delighted you enjoyed your stay overall and hope to welcome you back soon for another great experience!
The Old Post Office Campsite Team

Lovely site next to a river,…

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
10
Value for money
No rating
Accommodation
No rating
Facilities / Activities
10
Customer service
10
Child friendliness
No rating
Cleanliness
10
Wifi
10
Michael S.

Electric hardstanding and grass touring pitch

Liked Lovely site next to a river, pub nearby, staff were very helpful, would reccomend

Disliked Nothing

Recommend to friends Visit again

Really nice, clean and friendly. Will certainly return. 9/10

Overall

9 out of 10
Location
8
Value for money
8
Accommodation
No rating
Facilities / Activities
6
Customer service
8
Child friendliness
No rating
Cleanliness
8
Wifi
No rating
simon b.

Electric hardstanding and grass campervan pitch

Liked Easy check-in, Gemma great and responsive communication.Clean, peaceful, and chilled out. Nice pub next door, nice riverside position and great near by walks.

Disliked Storm Dave!
Shower out of order,.only one working shower so had to wait for the shower to be available.

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Hi Simon,
Thank you for your review! We’re glad you enjoyed the peaceful riverside location, the nearby walks and the friendly pub next door. It’s great to hear that Gemma and the check-in process made your stay smooth.

We’re sorry about the shower being out of order during Storm Dave. Thank you for your patience. We hope to welcome you back soon for a fully smooth stay!

Lovely site, really friendly and helpful…

Overall

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

Fully-serviced hardstanding and grass touring pitch (super)

Liked Lovely site, really friendly and helpful owners, great position for hiking around wasdale. Showers and toilets were great, pitches were spacious

Recommend to friends Visit again

Lovely location, nice size flat pitch’s…

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
10
Value for money
10
Accommodation
No rating
Facilities / Activities
9
Customer service
10
Child friendliness
No rating
Cleanliness
10
Wifi
10
Jo C.

Fully-serviced hardstanding and grass touring pitch (super)

Liked Lovely location, nice size flat pitch’s
Great pub right next door serving good food .

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Hi Jo,
Thank you for your wonderful review! We’re delighted to hear you enjoyed the lovely location, the spacious flat pitches, and the nearby pub with good food.
We look forward to welcoming you back for another great stay soon!

Lovely site next to the river…

Overall

9 out of 10
Location
9
Value for money
8
Accommodation
No rating
Facilities / Activities
8
Customer service
9
Child friendliness
No rating
Cleanliness
9
Wifi
No rating
Anonymous

Electric hardstanding and grass touring pitch

Liked Lovely site next to the river

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Thank you for your lovely review! We’re glad you enjoyed the riverside location and had a positive experience at the site.
We look forward to welcoming you back again soon!

Excellent peaceful site mostly level pitches and great facilities

Overall

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

Fully-serviced hardstanding and grass touring pitch (super)

Liked Such a great campsite with clean modern facilities and helpful friendly staff. Close to a good pub that had a good selection of beers and with great food. Ideal location for a base to go off walking and cycling.

Disliked Nothing

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Thank you for your fantastic review! We’re thrilled to hear you enjoyed the peaceful site, clean facilities and friendly staff.

It’s great that you made the most of the nearby pub and the location for walking and cycling. We look forward to welcoming you back for another wonderful stay!

Great location for walking and nice…

Overall

9 out of 10
Location
9
Value for money
7
Accommodation
No rating
Facilities / Activities
7
Customer service
8
Child friendliness
No rating
Cleanliness
10
Wifi
No rating
Diane C.

Fully-serviced hardstanding and grass touring pitch (super)

Liked Great location for walking and nice dog friendly pub very close, with good food.

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Hi Diane,
Thank you for your lovely review! We’re thrilled to hear you enjoyed the walking routes and the nearby dog-friendly pub with good food.
We look forward to welcoming you back for another great stay soon!


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 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 Rallies welcome Single-sex groups welcome Student groups welcome

Rules

Barbecue provided Barbecues allowed Campfires allowed Commercial vehicles allowed Dogs allowed Dogs allowed all year

Camping 2.0

Jumbo tent pitches

Themes

Budget/backpacker Lake and/or mountain Peaceful Remote location 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 Golf nearby Horse riding nearby Mountain biking nearby Restaurant nearby Sailing nearby Tennis nearby

Touring and motorhomes

Drainage hook-up points for tourers Motorhome service point Tourer storage facilities Water hook-up points for tourers

Location

The Old Post Office Campsite

Santon Bridge

Wasdale

Holmrook

Cumbria

England

CA19 1UY

Directions

Timezone

Europe/London BST (GMT+01:00)

GPS

54.4021°N
3.371°W

Route directions

Please note - some satellite navigation systems suggest a route via Wrynose Pass and Hardknott Pass. These high level routes are not recommended in the dark, or in adverse weather conditions.

Nearest transport

Coach
13.5 mi Tangier Street
14.7 mi Lakeside House for Dove Cottage
14.7 mi Daffodil Hotel for Dove Cottage
Rail
3.4 mi Drigg Rail Station
3.6 mi Ravenglass Rail Station
4.6 mi Seascale Rail Station
Ferry
12.5 mi Torver (Coniston) Ferry Landing
12.6 mi Coniston Ferry Landing
12.7 mi Sunny Bank (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

Pull on your comfiest boots and walk yourself to merriment around these Cumbrian parts: just over five miles away in Wasdale is one of Britain’s tiniest churches, St Olafs, with its timber beams thought to have been made from Viking ships. Hikers, hotstep to the mighty heights of Scafell Pike and Great Gable (both about seven miles away) and Red Pike (approximately 20 miles north of the site). At the Wasdale Valley, as well as nurturing peaks aplenty, canoeists, kayakers and windsurfers alike will rapidly make their way to Wast Water, just five minutes from the site, the deepest lake in the UK. Cycling and walking routes around the lakes and mountains are plentiful, as are the chances for boating and fishing, but if you really want to go off-piste, you could try abseiling, climbing, a high ropes course, or even flying: hot air balloon and paragliding experiences are available for those who want to soar even higher than Scafell.

Water quality at nearby bathing waters

Name Distance Type 2020201920182017
Seascale 4.8 mi Sea N/AGoodGoodGood
St Bees 11.3 mi Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent
Silecroft 12.7 mi Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent
Haverigg 15.1 mi Sea PoorN/AN/AN/A
Walney West Shore 19.8 mi Sea N/AGoodGoodN/A

Data source: European Environment Agency

Must see

Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway 3.5 mi

Dove Cottage and the Wordsworth Museum 14.6 mi

Beatrix Potter Gallery 15 mi

Whinlatter Forest & Visitor Centre 15.7 mi

Rydal Mount and Gardens 15.9 mi

National Trust

Wasdale, Eskdale and Duddon 1.7 mi

Buttermere and Ennerdale 10.5 mi

Gondola' 12.5 mi

Coniston and Tarn Hows 12.9 mi

Grasmere and Great Langdale 14.2 mi

Cycle routes

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

Other

Eskdale Green - Muncaster Fell - Muncaster Head - Eskdale Green 2.1 mi

MUNCASTER CASTLE 3.3 mi

High Gillerthwaite - Red Pike Ridge Traverse - High Gillerthwaite 8 mi

Seathwaite - Scafell Pike - Seathwaite 10.1 mi

The Gables from Honister Pass 10.2 mi

Local events

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

    Penrith, Cumbria 29.8 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 The Old Post Office Campsite have a swimming pool? No View all features
  • Is The Old Post Office Campsite dog friendly? Yes View all features
  • What attractions are near The Old Post Office Campsite? Pull on your comfiest boots and walk yourself to merriment around these Cumbrian parts: just over five miles away in Wasdale is one of Britain’s tiniest churches, St Olafs, with its timber … Read more
  • When can I check in and check out of The Old Post Office Campsite?
    Camping and touring
    Arrive:  1 p.m. –  5:30 p.m.
    Depart by:  11 a.m.

    From 27 October to 29 March arrivals are only permitted until 5pm.

    Read more
  • How much does it cost to stay at The Old Post Office Campsite? From £70 (for 2 nights, 2 adults) - prices may change depending on your dates and party.