The Old Post Office Campsite

View prices & book 9.1 346 reviews
River views (added by manager 01 Aug 2022)
Aerial view, you can see the proximity of the pub! (added by manager 01 aug 2022)
Taken at the bottom end of the site - hook-ups spread across the site (added by manager 23 may 2014)
Wastwater lakeside (added by visitor 25 jul 2016)

  • On the western edge of the Lake District National Park
  • Bordered by the River Irt for swimming and salmon or trout fishing
  • Showers, toilets, wifi and picnic benches
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. You can borrow a daily or weekly-hire rod from the owners; just arrange this with them when you arrive. 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 and farm shop is in Santon Bridge a minute's walk away. Dogs are welcome too and with all the walking opportunities in and around the Lakes, a holiday here will really deliver the goods for all…

Site type

Caravan sites 15
Motorhome sites 10
Tent sites 18
Open all year
Please note
  • Under 18s must be accompanied by their parents or legal guardians.
  • The campground/park does not accept breeds/crossbreeds listed in the Dangerous Dog Act (i.e. Pit Bull Terrier, Japanese Tosa, Dogo Argentino, and Fila Brasileiro).
  • Group bookings of 2 or more units (e.g. tent, caravan, motorhome or accommodation hire) travelling together are not permitted via Pitchup.com.
  • 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.
  • Commercial vehicles (vehicles used for work-related purposes, carrying goods or fare-paying passengers) and sign-written vehicles are not permitted on site.
  • The campground/park caters for families (immediate members) and couples only - bookings from all other forms of groups are not accepted.
  • A cable measuring at least 10 metres is needed for the electric hook-ups.
  • Bookings must not consist of more than 2 different households.
  • Showers cost 50p for approximately 10 minutes.

Languages spoken

English

Pitch types & availability

Reviews

90%

would recommend this site to a friend

86%

would stay here again

  • 67%
    10
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  • 23%
    8
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Only showing reviews for the last 30 months.

Beautiful relaxing site with a gorgeous pub nearby

Overall 8/10
Location 10
Value for money 10
Accommodation 8
Facilities / Activities 6
Customer service 8
Child friendliness 8
Cleanliness 6
Wifi 6
Lisa B. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Powered concrete and grass tent or motorhome site

Liked: So relaxing sitting outside our motorhome listening to the river flowing by 😊 The pitch was level too which is so rare these days The showers and toilets are ok Only 2 ladies toilets and 3 showers which are 50p but they run for plenty of time to shower and stand for a while Electric showers and hot with no button to keep pressing Location is great for local walks. We did the sawmill cafe loop Saturday which was a fabulous walk from the campsite through woods fields to sawmill cafe for food. Then back up hills the views were amazing ❤️ Also wass water is just over 2 miles left out of the campsite entrance. We went down in our motorhome early Sunday morning. It's very narrow but can be done if a careful confidence driver. Our motorhome is 7.5 metres. We parked in Becks national trust carpark and climb yewbarrow and looped round back through valley to carpark it was amazing. A scramble to get to top but we had our dog and managed. Fantastic pub 5 mins walk over bridge at campsite. Had a gorgeous Sunday dinner ❤️

Disliked: Facilities are a little dated but everything works ok They're are cleaned everyday But the odd time I used the shower late others before me hadn't cleaned their mess away. Nothing much I disliked to be honest

Recommend to friends Visit again

Nice camp site

Overall 8/10
Location 10
Value for money 10
Accommodation 10
Facilities / Activities 10
Customer service 10
Child friendliness 10
Cleanliness 10
Wifi 6
Bev M. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Powered concrete and grass tent or motorhome site

Liked: Clean toilets and hot showers, nice local pub and central location to complete some wainwright walks.

Disliked: Only critique would be the incline for tent pitching & WiFi was hit and miss.

Recommend to friends Visit again

That you don’t answer the phone, reply to voicemails, reply to emails.…

Overall 2/10
Location 2
Value for money 2
Accommodation 2
Facilities / Activities 2
Customer service 2
Child friendliness 2
Cleanliness No rating
Wifi No rating
Claire D. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Powered concrete and grass caravan site

Liked: That you don’t answer the phone, reply to voicemails, reply to emails. I tried to cancel change booking to another day as we had the funeral of my mother in law. We kept ringing you, even got in touch with pitchup, who didn’t get an answer, if I’m lucky would like my money back. I did state the reason on all messages left to you. Thanks for increasing my stress when supporting family.

Disliked: Not answering text, email, voicemail to change dates due to funeral, lovely considerate people.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Perfect

Overall 10/10
Location 10
Value for money 10
Accommodation 10
Facilities / Activities 10
Customer service 10
Child friendliness No rating
Cleanliness 10
Wifi 10
Anthony H. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Powered concrete and grass tent or motorhome site

Liked: Location, peacefulness, sound of the river, pub incredibly nearby, size of site.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Level pitches

Overall 6/10
Location 8
Value for money 6
Accommodation No rating
Facilities / Activities 4
Customer service 8
Child friendliness No rating
Cleanliness 8
Wifi 10
Anonymous The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Fully-serviced concrete and grass caravan site (super)

Liked: Great location, good pitch facilities.

Disliked: Only two showers🤔, not enough! Also only two toilets! No heating in building, needs updating.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Friendly staff, nice pitches, very clean.

Overall 10/10
Location 10
Value for money 10
Accommodation 10
Facilities / Activities 10
Customer service 10
Child friendliness 10
Cleanliness 10
Wifi 10
Mollie C. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Powered concrete and grass tent or motorhome site

Liked: Lovely campsite. Was greeted by Andy who made us and the dogs feel welcome. Shower / toilet blocks where spotless / good showers. Our pitch was by the river which was lovely for a morning dip for us and the dogs. Close by to many walks we completed. We will be back! Thanks Andy for making my birthday extra special! Appreciate it.

Disliked: N/A

Recommend to friends Visit again

The on site assistance was absolutely fantastic, extremely helpful and friendly. Site…

Overall 8/10
Location 8
Value for money 8
Accommodation 6
Facilities / Activities 2
Customer service 10
Child friendliness 4
Cleanliness 10
Wifi 10
Disa B. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Powered concrete and grass tent or motorhome site

Liked: The on site assistance was absolutely fantastic, extremely helpful and friendly. Site is lovely and quiet

Disliked: There's nothing for children. Definitely more suitable for famillies with old children or young couples. Having to pay for a shower.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Would use again, great walk from campsite to Whin Rigg.

Overall 10/10
Location 10
Value for money 10
Accommodation 10
Facilities / Activities 10
Customer service 10
Child friendliness 10
Cleanliness 10
Wifi 10
Jonathan L. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Unpowered grass tent site

Liked: Simplicity, friendly host, location, lovely pub/food.

Disliked: Nothing

Recommend to friends Visit again

Friendly staff, very clean and tidy, pub close by great for the lakes.

Overall 10/10
Location 10
Value for money 10
Accommodation No rating
Facilities / Activities 8
Customer service 10
Child friendliness No rating
Cleanliness 10
Wifi 6
Mark C. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Fully-serviced concrete and grass caravan site (super)

Liked: Nice sized pitch.

Disliked: Road immediatly behind pitch, only one footpath nearby for dog walks, our dogs being large did not fit through the entrance, walking the on narrow lanes too risky as large vehicles use them

Recommend to friends Visit again

Gem of a campsite, will be visiting again next year!

Overall 10/10
Location 10
Value for money 10
Accommodation 10
Facilities / Activities 10
Customer service 10
Child friendliness 10
Cleanliness 10
Wifi 8
Franchesca S. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Fully-serviced concrete and grass caravan site (super)

Liked: Super clean showers, toilets and washing station. Friendly owner who showed us round, very clean well kept site. We had a fully serviced pitch and hard standing. Very peaceful and quiet and the stream was great for the dogs. Dog friendly Pub 2 minutes walk away!

Recommend to friends Visit again


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 Car parking by site/unit Composting toilet Dog park Drying room Food shop Free wifi Ice pack freezing Internet access Laundry 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 sites

Themes

Budget/backpacker Lake and/or mountain Peaceful Remote location Spectacular scenery Walkers' paradise Wildlife haven

Utilities

Charging facilities Dump point Electric car charging point(s) Gas cylinders available Recycling available Renewable energy

Nearby amenities

Bar nearby Convenience store nearby Dog walk nearby Public transport nearby

Type

Medium (26-50 sites)

Accessibility

Disabled facilities

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

Caravan storage facilities Drainage hook-up points for caravans Motorhome service point Water hook-up points for caravans

Location

The Old Post Office Campsite

Santon Bridge

Wasdale

Holmrook

Cumbria

England

CA19 1UY

Directions

Timezone

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

GPS

54.4021°N
-3.371°W

Route directions

Turn off the M6 at Junction 36. Follow A590 west to Broughton-in-Furness, passing through Newby Bridge. Follow the A595 through Bootle, Muncaster to Holmrook. Approaching Holmrook turn right for Santon Bridge; follow this road to the end, passing Irton Hall (on your left) and Wasdale Craft Shop (on your left). At the junction turn left - we are at the bottom of the hill near to the river. 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
21.7 km Tangier Street
23.7 km Lakeside House for Dove Cottage
23.7 km Daffodil Hotel for Dove Cottage
Rail
5.5 km Drigg Rail Station
5.7 km Ravenglass Rail Station
7.4 km Seascale Rail Station
Ferry
20.1 km Torver (Coniston) Ferry Landing
20.2 km Coniston Ferry Landing
20.4 km 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. For hungry (and thirsty) fell explorers, the Wasdale Head Inn makes for a welcome pitstop, and the Bridge Inn, just a stroll from the site, is home to the annual ‘Biggest Liar’ competition – no kidding, it’s a real thing… Hikers hotstep to the mighty heights of Scafell Pike and Great Gable (both about seven miles away) and Red Pike (approximately 20 miles north from 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 2020 2019 2018 2017
Seascale 7.7 km Sea N/A Good Good Good
St Bees 18.2 km Sea N/A Excellent Excellent Excellent
Silecroft 20.4 km Sea N/A Excellent Excellent Excellent
Haverigg 24.3 km Sea Poor N/A N/A N/A
Walney West Shore 31.9 km Sea N/A Good Good N/A

Data source: European Environment Agency

Must see

Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway 5.6 km

Dove Cottage and the Wordsworth Museum 23.6 km

Beatrix Potter Gallery 24.2 km

Whinlatter Forest & Visitor Centre 25.2 km

Rydal Mount and Gardens 25.6 km

National Trust

Wasdale, Eskdale and Duddon 2.8 km

Buttermere and Ennerdale 16.9 km

Gondola' 20.1 km

Coniston and Tarn Hows 20.7 km

Grasmere and Great Langdale 22.9 km

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 3.3 km

MUNCASTER CASTLE 5.4 km

High Gillerthwaite - Red Pike Ridge Traverse - High Gillerthwaite 12.9 km

Seathwaite - Scafell Pike - Seathwaite 16.3 km

The Gables from Honister Pass 16.3 km

Local events

  • Kendal Calling (Thursday, 1 August 2024 – Thursday, 1 August 2024)

    Penrith, England 47.9 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.

Nearest sites

Unfortunately, we have no nearby bookable sites.

Want to know more about camping in The Lake District and Cumbria?

  • 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 caravan
    Arrive:  1 p.m. –  6:30 p.m.
    Depart by:  11 a.m.
    Read more
  • How much does it cost to stay at The Old Post Office Campsite? From $72.53 (for 1 night, 2 adults) - prices may change depending on your dates and party.