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 sites 20
Opens August 1
Please note
  • This park has no on-site shower facilities.
  • No bachelor/bachelorette parties permitted via Pitchup.com.
  • Under 18s must be accompanied by their parents or legal guardians.
  • Discount cards and gift vouchers cannot be applied to bookings made via Pitchup.com.
  • Please note that the toilet facilities are unisex.
  • The park does not accept breeds/crossbreeds listed in the Breed-specific legislation (i.e. Pit Bull Terrier, Japanese Tosa, Dogo Argentino, and Fila Brasileiro).
  • There is no reception building on-site: on arrival please contact the number provided on your booking confirmation.
  • Group bookings of 3 or more units (e.g. tent, caravan, RV or accommodation hire) traveling together are not permitted via Pitchup.com.

Languages spoken

English

Open from Sat, Aug 1 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
  • 0%
    5
  • 0%
    4
  • 0%
    3
  • 0%
    2
  • 0%
    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

A favoured pop-up site with a gorgeous lake setting, great for water sports and hikes. Guests love the peaceful vibe, roomy spots, and easy access to Coniston. Basic portaloos and water are clean enough for simple camping, though hand sanitizer/water clarity sometimes an issue. Owner Amy is a star. Despite small facility snags, many want to come back.

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

Primitive grass tent or trailer tent campsite

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

Primitive grass tent or trailer tent campsite

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

Primitive grass tent or trailer tent campsite

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

Primitive grass tent or trailer tent campsite

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

Primitive grass tent or trailer tent campsite

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

Primitive grass tent or trailer tent campsite

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

Primitive grass tent or trailer tent campsite

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

Primitive grass tent or trailer tent campsite

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

Primitive grass tent or trailer tent campsite

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

Primitive grass tent or trailer tent campsite

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

Recommend to friends Visit again

Features

Portable toilet

Pop-up campground

Dogs allowed

Leisure on park

Bar or club house Cycle hire Evening entertainment Fishing Fitness centre Indoor swimming pool Kids' club On-site restaurant/cafe Outdoor swimming pool Playground Recreation room/arcade TV room Takeout Tennis Watersports Wild swimming

Amenities on park

Bath available Composting toilet Dog park Drying room Free wifi Grocery store Ice pack freezing Internet access Laundromat Parent & baby washroom Payphone Pick-up from public transport Portable toilet Pub toilets Restrooms Shower available Washing-up area Wifi

Groups welcome

Family friendly Motorcycle friendly Scouts welcome Single-sex groups welcome Student groups welcome

Rules

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

Themes

Hikers’ paradise Lake and/or mountain Peaceful Remote location Spectacular scenery

Utilities

Charging facilities Dump station Electric car charging point(s) No drinkable water point Propane/gas cylinders available Recycling available Renewable energy

Nearby amenities

Bar nearby Convenience store nearby Dog walk nearby Public transportation nearby

Type

Farm Pop-up campground Small (11-25 sites)

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 +0100 (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
9.3 km Kelsick Road opposite Library
9.9 km Daffodil Hotel for Dove Cottage
10 km Lakeside House for Dove Cottage
Rail
10.3 km Windermere Rail Station
15.8 km Staveley Rail Station
15.8 km Foxfield Rail Station
Ferry
0.1 km Waterhead Hotel (Coniston) Ferry Landing
0.6 km Monk Coniston Ferry Landing
0.6 km 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 24.8 km Sea PoorN/AN/AN/A
Silecroft 25.1 km Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent
Seascale 27.9 km Sea N/AGoodGoodGood
Walney West Shore 30.8 km Sea N/AGoodGoodN/A
Walney Sandy Gap 32.4 km Sea N/AGoodGoodN/A

Data source: European Environment Agency

Must see

Beatrix Potter Gallery 4 km

Hill Top 6.1 km

Brockhole - Lake District Visitor Centre 8.5 km

Windermere Lake Cruises, Bowness 9 km

The World of Beatrix Potter 9.1 km

National Trust

Gondola' 0.7 km

Coniston and Tarn Hows 0.9 km

Beatrix Potter Gallery 4 km

Hill Top 6.1 km

Grasmere and Great Langdale 8.1 km

Cycle routes

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

Other

Coniston and the Yewdale Fells 0.8 km

Coniston - Little Arrow - Coniston Lakeshore 0.8 km

Coniston - Holme Fell 0.8 km

Coniston - Levers Water - Coniston 0.9 km

Coniston - Tarn Hows - Coniston 0.9 km

Local events

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

    Penrith, England 34.4 km

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?
    RV, travel trailer and tent sites
    Arrive:  11 a.m. –  9:30 p.m.
    Depart by:  1 p.m.
    Read more