Waterfoot Caravan Park

View prices & book 9.3 155 reviews
Touring Area
Mansion house & garden
Reception area and park shop
Scenery around the park

  • Peaceful park with stunning views over Lake Ullswater, Lake District
  • In a wildlife haven near Penrith; a 15-minute walk from Pooley Bridge
  • Play area, football pitch and shop open in season
Squirrel! Did you know that the red squirrel is a very shy critter that mostly won’t be spied if it hears big humanly footsteps (a bit like hobbits)? Sssh: you might just spy one around Waterfoot Caravan Park, an immensely peaceful place near Penrith in the Lake District National Park. Like the thought of spotting red squirrels in the wild, the look and location of Waterfoot should make one want to pack up and move here with some immediacy. Not only is it in the grounds of a Georgian mansion, with scurrying wildlife all round, but it overlooks gorgeous Ullswater, with steamer cruises on heritage boats, famed walking routes and, with luck – carrying a notepad/sketchpad to note/sketch sightings of glorious daffodils. Waterfoot is a family site over a most viewsome acre of land, with up-to-date showers and toilets, a shop open daily during the season, a laundry room and indoor washing-up areas to combat any Lake District rain. Sans rain, kids have a play area with swings, climbing towers, rocking toys and slide, and there’s a small football pitch for big brothers and sisters. Reception is easily found at the front of the park, so check in and lace up your walking boots to take in the wildlife and walks of some of the prettiest parts of the country – did someone say squirrel…? Pooley Bridge, which has pubs and independent shops, is around a 15-minute walk from the site.

Site type

Travel trailer sites 32
Lodges, cabins, pods or huts 16
Open now
Opens March 1

Tourist board rating

Please note

Vehicles

  • Commercial vehicles (vehicles used for work-related purposes, carrying goods or fare-paying passengers) and sign-written vehicles are not permitted on site.

General

  • Discount cards and gift vouchers cannot be applied to bookings made via Pitchup.com.
  • The bar is open between 01/03 and 31/12.
  • The grocery shop is open between 01/03 and 31/12.

Safety

  • Fires, barbecues and/or firepits will not be permitted in dry, windy and/or hot weather conditions.

Hired accommodation

  • Guests must bring their own duvets, pillows, sheets and towels when staying in rental accommodation. You will not be allowed to stay if you do not bring these items.

Occupancy

  • No bachelor/bachelorette parties permitted via Pitchup.com.
  • The park caters for families (immediate members) and couples only - bookings from all other forms of groups are not accepted.

Dogs

  • The campground/park does not accept breeds/crossbreeds listed in the Breed-specific legislation (i.e. Pit Bull Terrier, Japanese Tosa, Dogo Argentino, and Fila Brasileiro) and/or any of the following: Staffordshire bull terrier, American Staffordshire terrier, Rottweiler, any Mastiff or Tosa.

Admission

  • Under 18s must be accompanied by their parents or legal guardians.
  • Please note that the lounge bar is only open Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings until further notice.

Languages spoken

English

Open from Sun, Mar 1 to

This site is a member of Lake District Estates group.

AA 4 pennants
View all Lake District Estates parks.

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Pitch types & availability

Reviews

  • 66%
    10
  • 12%
    9
  • 15%
    8
  • 0%
    7
  • 3%
    6
  • 0%
    5
  • 0%
    4
  • 0%
    3
  • 0%
    2
  • 0%
    1
Location
10
Value for money
9
Accommodation
9
Facilities / Activities
9
Customer service
9
Child friendliness
9
Cleanliness
10
Wifi
6

94% would recommend this site to a friend

95% would stay here again

What customers say

A great spot for Lake District walks. Staff are friendly, facilities spotless, especially showers. Pitches generally spacious & quiet, though some are close. Wi-Fi/phone signal weak; toilets are a bit dated. Bar & shop are handy.

Summary AI-generated from Pitchup.com customer reviews. Last updated 2026-08-25

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Reviews page 1 of 16
Arrival date (latest first)

Would definitely visit again

Overall

8 out of 10
Location
9
Value for money
7
Facilities / Activities
7
Customer service
10
Child friendliness
No rating
Cleanliness
10
Wifi
1

FHU cement/asphalt travel trailer campsite (maximum 8 metres)

Liked Clean hot showers with decent hairdryer too. Good facilities. On site bar in mansion house.
Well stocked on site shop.
Reception staff very friendly, approachable and full of knowledge.
Decent access path to lake and into Pooley Bridge.
Good size handstanding pitches
Goid facilities

Disliked Shame no onsite cafe
No wifi whilst on our visit

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Thank you for taking the time to complete this review.

We are so glad that you have enjoyed your stay and the facilities and that the reception staff were so friendly and helpful. We do hope to see you again soon!

Kind Regards,

Helen

Arrived after reception was closed but…

Overall

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

Camping pod

Liked Arrived after reception was closed but clear instructions left as to how to collect keys

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Thank you for taking the time to complete this review.

We are so glad that you have enjoyed your stay and that you found after hours check in so smooth and we do hope to see you again soon.

Kind Regards,

Helen

Great Location.

Overall

8 out of 10
Location
9
Value for money
8
Facilities / Activities
8
Customer service
8
Child friendliness
8
Cleanliness
7
Wifi
1

FHU cement/asphalt travel trailer campsite (maximum 8 metres)

Liked Location was fantastic, great for paddleboarding and walking to pooley bridge
Lovely quiet site
Everyone kept dogs on leads

Disliked Family next door who started very loudly packing up at 6am and constantly had visitors coming to their pitch
Paid for WiFi, stopped working after 1 day (was refunded)

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Thank you for taking the time to complete this review.

We are so glad that you have enjoyed your stay and that you thought the site was fantastic and we do hope to see you again soon.

Kind Regards,

Helen

Perfect

Overall

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

Camping pod

Liked Everything

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Hi Shelley,

Thank you for taking the time to leave us a review, we are so pleased you enjoyed your stay with us!

Great campsite! Would highly recommend

Overall

9 out of 10
Location
10
Value for money
8
Facilities / Activities
8
Customer service
10
Child friendliness
No rating
Cleanliness
9
Wifi
4

FHU cement/asphalt travel trailer campsite (maximum 8 metres)

Liked Great location and safe woodland walk into Pooley Bridge. Very clean amenities and grounds. Touring pitches were great and on-site pub was a nice bonus.

Disliked Arrival was confused by competing campsite with similar name. Other campsite should change its name to something more original!

Having to pay extra for wifi

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Hi Samantha

Thank you for your online review, much appreciated.

We hope that you enjoyed your stay.
Unfortunately that camping site has nothing to do with us at all.
Sorry about the confusion that it has caused.

We do hope to see you again in the future.

Kind regards
Gail

Lovely site, had food vans if you didn’t fancy cooking.

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
10
Value for money
8
Facilities / Activities
10
Customer service
10
Child friendliness
8
Cleanliness
10
Wifi
10

FHU cement/asphalt travel trailer campsite (maximum 8 metres)

Liked Location and facilities

Disliked Nothing

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Hi Kayleigh,

Thank you for taking the time to leave us a review, we are so pleased you enjoyed your stay with us!

Friendly staff, great facilities and fantastic location

Overall

9 out of 10
Location
9
Value for money
9
Facilities / Activities
10
Customer service
10
Child friendliness
10
Cleanliness
10
Wifi
6

9M FHU cement/asphalt travel trailer campsite

Liked Great location and really helpful, friendly staff on check in.
Fantastic small touring area, close to amenities block. Well resourced with a laundry, plenty of washing up spaces. Water taps on pitch. Good sized pitches - number 27 was great with lots of extra space for longer vehicles.
The mansion provides the option for a drink with lovely views, with a play park to keep the kids busy.
Short woodland walk into Pooley Bridge and to the lake where water activities are available. Lots of pubs and cafes to explore.
I would definitely visit again, for longer next time!

Disliked Toilets a bit dated but really clean and fully functional.
Had to pay for WiFi as no phone signal at all to make calls or use the internet.

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Hi Alison
Thank you for taking the time to complete this online review. Much appreciated.
We are so delighted to hear that you found the location great and that staff were friendly and helpful.
I will pass your comments on to Management about the toilets being a little outdated and problems with the wifi.
Look forward to welcoming you back.
Kind regards
Gail

Friendly staff. Nice size pitch. Showers…

Overall

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

FHU cement/asphalt travel trailer campsite (maximum 8 metres)

Liked Friendly staff. Nice size pitch. Showers were lovely and big with shower curtain. Toilets clean. Lovely place to stay.

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Hi Margaret

Thank you for your online review, much appreciated.

We are so please to hear that you had a lovely stay and that staff were friendly.

Please come again.

Kind regards
Gail

Everything was lovely couldn't ask for…

Overall

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

Camping pod

Liked Everything was lovely couldn't ask for anything eles

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Thank you for taking the time to complete this feedback form / review.
We are pleased you enjoyed your stay.
We look forward to welcoming you back.

Disappointing holiday especially with the issues and cost of the site!

Overall

6 out of 10
Location
7
Value for money
4
Facilities / Activities
7
Customer service
7
Child friendliness
No rating
Cleanliness
9
Wifi
3

FHU cement/asphalt travel trailer campsite (maximum 8 metres)

Liked Location was beautiful, Clean and tidy. Although there were issues with several family related pitches, the management dealt with them swiftly and removed them from the site.

Disliked Although the issues we encountered were not the fault of the site, it did ruin our holiday. I paid a lot of money to have 4 nights of little sleep and feeling vunerable. I also paid for a weeks wifi however there were issues on day 1 connecting, I contacted reception who advised that they were an external company. After emailing the company and tried calling reception said they would ask them to call me, which they did call me back but not until day 3! (when I managed to fix it myself after alot of research. As a solo camper and a diabetic who needs wifi, it was not good enough especially after I had paid for days that I did not use.

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Hi Melanie

Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We're pleased to hear you found the location beautiful and the site clean and tidy.

We're very sorry that the behaviour of other guests impacted your stay. While these circumstances were outside of our control, we completely understand how upsetting this must have been, particularly as a solo traveller. As soon as the issues were brought to our attention, our team acted quickly to address them and remove those responsible from the site to help restore a safe and peaceful environment.

We're also sorry to hear about the difficulties you experienced with the WiFi service. Although the WiFi is provided by an external company, we appreciate that this does not lessen the inconvenience, especially given your circumstances and the importance of having a reliable connection. We will share your feedback with the provider to help improve their response times and the support they offer to our guests.

Thank you again for your comments. Your feedback is invaluable in helping us improve, and we hope you'll consider giving us another opportunity to provide you with the enjoyable stay we always aim to deliver.


Features

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 Car parking by site/unit Composting toilet Dog park Drying room Free wifi Grocery store Ice pack freezing Internet access Laundromat Local produce Off licence Parent & baby washroom Payphone Pick-up from public transport Picnic table Portable toilet Pub toilets Restrooms Shower available Washing-up area Wifi

Groups welcome

Family friendly Motorcycle friendly Rallies 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

Forest Hikers’ paradise Lake and/or mountain Leave the car at home Peaceful Remote location Spectacular scenery Wildlife haven

Utilities

Charging facilities Dump station Electric car charging point(s) Propane/gas cylinders available Recycling available Renewable energy

Nearby amenities

Bar nearby Convenience store nearby Dog walk nearby Nearby farmers' market Public transportation nearby

Type

Medium (26-50 sites)

Nearby leisure

Canoeing/kayaking nearby Climbing nearby Cycle hire nearby Cycling nearby Fishing nearby Golf nearby Horseback riding nearby Indoor pool nearby Mountain biking nearby Outdoor pool nearby Restaurant nearby Sailing nearby Tennis nearby Watersports nearby

Touring and motorhomes

Gray water hook-up for RVs/trailers Motorhome service point Seasonal sites Water hook-up points for caravans

Location

Waterfoot Caravan Park

Pooley Bridge

Ullswater

Penrith

Cumbria

England

CA11 0JF

Directions

Timezone

Europe/London +0100 (GMT+01:00)

GPS

54.61379°N
2.83197°W

Nearest transport

Coach
7.2 km Rail Station
20.1 km Bus Station
21.4 km Lakeside House for Dove Cottage
Rail
7.1 km Penrith North Lakes Rail Station
14.1 km Langwathby Rail Station
17.3 km Lazonby & Kirkoswald Rail Station
Ferry
0.5 km Pooley Bridge Ullswater Ferry Landing
5.1 km Howtown Ullswater Ferry Landing
10.6 km Glenridding Ullswater 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

Waterfalls, walks, watersports, history and heritage are all here: start off with the miles of bridleways around Ullswater, all linked by Ullswater Steamer routes, and take the circular route around Maiden Castle which starts and ends at Waterfoot Caravan Park. The site is surrounded by the Dalemain Estate which has five acres of gardens and swathes of historic parkland; the house and gardens themselves are less than two miles away (the cream teas are heartily recommended). At least a day must be had on and around Ullswater, the Lake District’s second biggest lake, for a trip on Lady Dorothy or one of the other steamers; a spot of sailing, diving or boating, or a scale up Helvellyn, England’s third highest mountain and lying at Ullswater’s south (stagger to Glenridding village afterwards for refreshments). Wildlife including red deer and those red squirrels can be spotted in many Lake District woodlands and fells, but to maximise your chances of a sighting, scurry along to the flagship red squirrel reserve at Whinlatter Forest near Keswick, where there’s also a red squirrel trail with a visitor centre and rope bridge..

Food and drink

  • Secret Garden Restaurant 0.7 km
  • Crown Inn Pub 0.7 km
  • Pooley Bridge Inn Pub 0.8 km
  • The Sun Inn Pub 0.8 km
  • 1863 Ullswater Restaurant 0.9 km
  • TJ's Bar, Restaurant & Takeaway 1.5 km
  • Brackenrigg Inn Pub 2.1 km
  • Horse and Farrier Pub 2.1 km
  • The Quiet Bar Pub 3.4 km
  • The Kings Arms Inn Pub 4.2 km

Groceries

  • Cranstons Cumbrian Food Hall Supermarket 6.7 km
  • Aldi Supermarket 6.9 km
  • Morrisons Supermarket 7.4 km
  • Booths Supermarket 7.4 km
  • Sainsbury's Supermarket 7.4 km
  • Bargain Booze Off-licence 7.6 km
  • M&S Foodhall Supermarket 7.6 km

Parks and play

  • The Lost Castle Playground 6.2 km
  • Wetheriggs Lane Childrens' Play Area Playground 7.2 km
  • Castle Park 7.2 km
  • Tynefield Park 7.3 km
  • Forget-me-not Garden park 7.4 km
  • Brunswick Square Gardens park 7.6 km
  • Aira Force park 7.6 km
  • Town Hall Gardens park 7.7 km
  • Coronation Garden park 7.8 km
  • Pategill Playing Field park 7.9 km

Family days out

  • Dacre Castle 1.9 km
  • Dalemain Visitor attraction 2.6 km
  • Rheged Visitor attraction 5 km
  • Lowther Castle Visitor attraction 6 km
  • Lakeland Bird of Prey Centre Visitor attraction 6.7 km
  • Lakeland Bird of Prey Centre Visitor attraction 6.8 km
  • Greystoke Castle 6.9 km
  • Clifton Hall Visitor attraction 7.2 km
  • Penrith Castle Visitor attraction 7.2 km
  • Brougham Hall Castle 7.5 km

Public transport

  • Steamer Pier 0.5 km
  • The Crown Hotel 0.7 km
  • Ullswater Guest House 0.8 km
  • Mains Farm (S bound) 1.2 km
  • Mains Farm (N bound) 1.2 km
  • Park Foot 1.3 km
  • Brackenrigg Inn 2 km
  • Longthwaite road end 2.7 km
  • School Bus 2.8 km
  • Kirkbarrow Barton Church 2.9 km

What’s nearby

  • Ullswater Marine Marina 2.1 km
  • Fairfield Marine Marina 2.1 km
  • Penrith Golf Hub Golf course 5.4 km
  • Devonshire Shopping Aracde Shopping centre 7.7 km
  • Warehouse Night Club Nightclub 7.7 km
  • Penrith Golf Course 8.9 km

Local services

  • Rheged Supercharger Charging station 4.9 km
  • Gridserve Charging station 4.9 km
  • Rheged Petrol Station Fuel station 5 km
  • Penrith Truckstop Fuel station 6.6 km
  • Ullswater Road Garage Fuel station 6.6 km
  • Penrith Truckstop Fuel station 6.6 km
  • Morrisons Fuel station 7.3 km
  • The Lakes Medical Practice Doctors 7.4 km
  • Bridge Lane Service Station Fuel station 7.4 km
  • Birbeck Medical Group Doctors 7.4 km

© OpenStreetMap contributors

Must see

Dalemain Historic House & Gardens 2.2 km

The Rheged Centre 4.9 km

Ullswater Steamers 10.6 km

Castlerigg Stone Circle 17.2 km

Rydal Mount and Gardens 20.9 km

National Trust

Acorn Bank Garden and Watermill 15.4 km

Grasmere and Great Langdale 23.1 km

Townend 23.3 km

Windermere and Troutbeck 25.5 km

Beatrix Potter Gallery 28.7 km

Cycle routes

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

Other

Pooley Bridge and Heughscar Hill 0.7 km

Pooley Bridge - Loadpot Hill - Howtown - Pooley Bridge 0.7 km

DALEMAIN 2.6 km

Howtown - Patterdale - Glenridding 5.2 km

Howtown - Hallin Fell - Sandwick via Steamer 5.2 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 Waterfoot Caravan Park have a swimming pool? No View all features
  • Is Waterfoot Caravan Park dog friendly? Yes View all features
  • What attractions are near Waterfoot Caravan Park? Waterfalls, walks, watersports, history and heritage are all here: start off with the miles of bridleways around Ullswater, all linked by Ullswater Steamer routes, and take the circular route around Maiden Castle … Read more
  • When can I check in and check out of Waterfoot Caravan Park?
    RV, travel trailer and tent sites
    Arrive:  1 p.m. –  8 p.m.
    Depart by:  noon
    On-park accommodation
    Arrive:  3 p.m. –  8 p.m.
    Depart by:  9:30 a.m.
    Read more
  • How much does it cost to stay at Waterfoot Caravan Park? From $124.24 (for 2 nights, 4 people) - prices may change depending on your dates and party.