Waterhead Coniston

No availability at present on Pitchup.com 9.4 160 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
1/135
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; just take note that firepits are not permitted.

Site type

Tent sites 20
Opens
Please note
  • This park has no on-site shower facilities.

General

  • Discount cards and gift vouchers cannot be applied to bookings made via Pitchup.com.
  • Please note that the toilet facilities are unisex.

Occupancy

  • Group bookings of 3 or more units travelling together are not permitted via Pitchup.com.
  • Group bookings of 6 or more adults are not permitted (couples and immediate family members excepted).
  • No bachelor/bachelorette parties permitted via Pitchup.com.
  • Single-sex bookings of 5 or more people (couples and immediate family members excepted) are not permitted via Pitchup.com.

Dogs

  • 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).

Reception

  • There is no reception building on-site: on arrival please contact the number provided on your booking confirmation.

Admission

  • Under 18s must be accompanied by their parents or legal guardians.

Languages spoken

English

No availability here for your search criteria

Reviews

9.4

Overall rating from 160 Pitchup.com customers

  • 68%
    10
  • 13%
    9
  • 13%
    8
  • 2%
    7
  • 0%
    6
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    5
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    1
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 9
Facilities / Activities
 8
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 10
Cleanliness
 9
Wifi
 6
Lake and/or mountainPeaceful

98% would recommend this site to a friend

97% would stay here again

What customers say

A no-frills campsite with a great lakeside spot! Praised for its closeness to Coniston village & the lake, perfect for water sports. Generally quiet & spacious, with friendly staff. Portaloos available (clean, but can smell sometimes). No showers.

Summary AI-generated from Pitchup.com customer reviews. Last updated 2026-09-01

Filter by topic

Reviews page 1 of 16
Arrival date (latest first)

100% recomend

Overall

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

Primitive grass tent or trailer tent campsite

Liked Location and accessibility .

Recommend to friends Visit again

Very nice peaceful site with clean…

Overall

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

Primitive grass tent or trailer tent campsite

Liked Very nice peaceful site with clean facilities

Recommend to friends Visit again

Spot on!!…

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
Joanne C. 2 reviews

Primitive grass tent or trailer tent campsite

Liked Spot on!!

Recommend to friends Visit again

Located along the Coniston lake. Direct…

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Facilities / Activities
 10
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 7
Wifi
 No rating
Geoffrey S. 4 reviews

Primitive grass tent or trailer tent campsite

Liked Located along the Coniston lake. Direct camp access to the lake. Kayaking and paddleboarding ,paradise. Drinking water and portable loos ,was all I needed for a pop up site. Friendly owner did introduce and said to call her if any issues. Bus stop nearby to Ambleside. 1mile walk into Coniston town. I hope to return to this beautiful tranquil location soon. Thank you

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Thankyou Geoffrey! We hope to see you next season 😀👍

Will be back!

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Facilities / Activities
 6
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 10
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 No rating
Sophie B. 1 review

Primitive grass tent or trailer tent campsite

Liked Beautiful location, quiet site, lovely staff, drinking water which wasn’t expected. Loved every minute.

Recommend to friends Visit again

A great campsite I would highly recommend.

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
Stella S. 1 review

Primitive grass tent or trailer tent campsite

Liked Great location with a short walk into Coniston. Fabulous pitch size. Me and my friend stayed with my pooch, had the most amazing time. Amy was attentive and any questions were dealt with and answered promptly. Thank you so much.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Easy flat ground to pitch up.…

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Facilities / Activities
 6
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 10
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 10
 Billy R. 1 review

Primitive grass tent or trailer tent campsite

Liked Easy flat ground to pitch up. Great view of coniston water. Provided drinking water.

Disliked Portaloo’s could have been in a better state

Recommend to friends Visit again

I love this site. On…

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Facilities / Activities
 No rating
Customer service
 No rating
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 No rating
Wifi
 No rating
Gill R. 4 reviews

Primitive grass tent or trailer tent campsite

Liked I love this site. On the waters edge on a great location. Great price too

Recommend to friends Visit again

Spacious, conveniently sat beside lake Coniston…

Overall

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

Primitive grass tent or trailer tent campsite

Liked Spacious, conveniently sat beside lake Coniston makes for a nourishing awakening with nature and an opportunity to dip, swim, padel or row in the lake. Clean, tidy and well maintained. Conveniently located near Ambleside, Windermere, Rydal and Grassmere makes for opportunities to explore in nearby villages within 1 hours cycling distance or 20 minutes driving. Validation of payment for our reservation on site was made by a responsible person for the site.

Disliked No shower facilities offered.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Great views. Great location on…

Overall

9 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Facilities / Activities
 5
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 10
Cleanliness
 No rating
Wifi
 No rating
Anonymous

Primitive grass tent or trailer tent campsite

Liked Great views. Great location on the edge of Lake Coniston. Quiet campsite.

Disliked Porta loos were a bit stinky!

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.

Food and drink

  • Crown Inn Pub 0.9 km
  • The Yewdale Inn Pub 0.9 km
  • Sara's Indian Restaurant 0.9 km
  • Sun Hotel Pub 1.1 km
  • The Ship Inn Pub 1.3 km
  • The Terrace Coffee House and Restaurant 1.7 km
  • Kings Arms Hotel Pub 4.1 km
  • The Red Lion Inn Pub 4.1 km
  • Queen's Head Pub 4.1 km
  • The Church House Inn Pub 4.2 km

Groceries

  • Bargain Booze 9.3 km
  • Beer Ambleside 9.3 km

Parks and play

  • Play and Picnic Area Playground 7.9 km
  • Brockhole on Windermere park 8.4 km
  • Borrans Park 8.6 km
  • The Glebe park 8.9 km
  • Coronation Park 9 km
  • Rayrigg Meadow park 9.2 km
  • Langrigge Playground 9.3 km
  • University of Cumbria Park 9.8 km
  • Millenium Gardens park 9.9 km

Family days out

  • Steam Yacht Gondola Visitor attraction 0.7 km
  • Dog Kennel Folly Visitor attraction 0.8 km
  • John Ruskin's Grave Visitor attraction 0.9 km
  • Monk Coniston Visitor attraction 1.1 km
  • Go Ape Visitor attraction 3.9 km
  • Hawkshead Courthouse Visitor attraction 4 km
  • Hill Top Visitor attraction 6.2 km
  • Wray Castle 7.2 km
  • Zip World Windermere Visitor attraction 8.6 km
  • Stag Shaw Gardens Visitor attraction 8.7 km

Public transport

  • Waterhead Hotel (W bound) 0.1 km
  • Primary School 0.8 km
  • The Crown Hotel 0.8 km
  • John Ruskin School (W bound) 0.8 km
  • The Crown Inn 0.8 km
  • Holly How Youth Hostel 0.9 km
  • The Ruskin Centre 0.9 km
  • Monk Coniston Hall (W bound) 1.1 km
  • Monk Coniston Hall (E bound) 1.1 km
  • Church near Adam Bridge (N) 1.5 km

What’s nearby

  • Waterhead Marine Marina 8.5 km
  • Low Wood Bay Marina 8.6 km
  • Windermere Quays Marina 8.6 km
  • The Wheelhouse Nightclub 8.7 km
  • Ferry Nab Marina 8.8 km
  • Bowness Pitch & Putt Golf course 8.9 km
  • Windermere Marina Village 8.9 km
  • The Arcade Shopping centre 9.2 km
  • Quarry Rigg Shopping centre 9.3 km
  • Market Cross Shopping centre 9.5 km

Local services

  • Hill's Garage Fuel station 1 km
  • Coniston Medical Practice Doctors 1 km
  • Collins and Butterworth Pharmacy 4.1 km
  • Pod Point Charging station 4.2 km
  • Hawkshead Surgery Doctors 4.2 km
  • Monta Charging station 8.8 km
  • Monta Charging station 8.8 km
  • Shell Fuel station 9.1 km
  • Autel Charging station 9.2 km
  • Autel Charging station 9.2 km

© OpenStreetMap contributors

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

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