Rydal Hall Campsite

No availability at present on Pitchup.com 1 review
Grass pitches
Sheltered grass pitches
Quiet rural site
Trees and greenery all around

  • Peaceful site in a quiet corner of a Cumbria country estate
  • A five-minute drive from Ambleside and Grasmere; easy main road access
  • Formal gardens, tea room and woodlands on site to explore
Ever wandered around a smart country estate and thought to yourself ‘yes, I could certainly stay here for a while…’? Well, here’s your chance: Rydal Hall Campsite is part of a large Cumbria estate dating back to the 17th century, and it makes a splendid place to stay for a Lake District holiday. The wider estate has stunning formal gardens (designed by Thomas Mawson) to explore, along with some sculptures and art installations to seek out and intriguing corners like the ‘Grot’ (a spot much loved by previous visitor William Wordsworth). It’s not all curated and manicured though – the estate also maintains wildlife areas, ponds and woodland, and it’s part of a red squirrel conservation project (you may spot these rare creatures around if you walk quietly…) It’s in one of these woodland areas that the campsite has been set up to welcome families, couples and solo travellers looking for a quiet and simple outdoor stay. As befits the grand setting, bathroom facilities here are top-notch: modern, spacious and eco-friendly. There’s been a hydro-electric turbine here for over 100 years, so it’s no surprise to hear now that the site’s carbon footprint is minimal (boosted further by solar power and a private water supply). On top of all this comes the fact that the location is an excellent one for exploring the Lake District – it's just off a main road, Ambleside and Grasmere are both about five minutes’ drive away, and a central spot within the national park puts you within easy reach of whichever parts you’d like to visit.

Site type

Lodges, cabins, pods or huts 3
Tent pitches 32
Opens
Please note
  • Under 18s must be accompanied by their parents or legal guardians.
  • Group bookings of 4 or more adults are not permitted (couples and immediate family members excepted).
  • Single-sex bookings of 4 or more people (excluding couples) are not permitted via Pitchup.com.
  • No hen/stag parties permitted via Pitchup.com.
  • No cars/motorbikes by the pitch/unit. All cars must be parked in the designated area.
  • Commercial vehicles (vehicles used for work-related purposes, carrying goods or fare-paying passengers) and sign-written vehicles are not permitted on site.
  • Discount cards and gift vouchers cannot be applied to bookings made via Pitchup.com.
  • Minimum spacing of 3 metres between pitches.
  • Guests are advised to bring a good quality torch with them as parts of the site are unlit.
  • Please note that the shower facilities are unisex.
  • Fires, barbecues and/or firepits will not be permitted in dry, windy and/or hot weather conditions.

Languages spoken

English

Reviews

100%

would recommend this site to a friend

100%

would stay here again

Only showing reviews for the last 30 months.

Excellent site, would highly recommend

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

Non-electric grass tent pitch

Liked: Amazing views of the Lake District from where I pitched up the tent alone! Moreover, Rydal Water and Rydal cave were an easy walk from the campsite (~20 minutes). There was a bus stop only five minutes, if that, from the camp site, so getting to nearby towns was no problem at all.

The toilets were very clean and easy to access.

The staff were very friendly and helpful with regards to setting up my tent and the booking.

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 pitch/unit 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 Single-sex groups welcome Student groups welcome

Rules

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

Themes

Forest Lake and/or mountain Leave the car at home Peaceful 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)

Accessibility

Disabled facilities

Nearby leisure

Canoeing/kayaking nearby Climbing nearby Cycle hire nearby Cycling nearby Fishing nearby Horse riding nearby Indoor pool nearby Leisure/theme park nearby Mountain biking nearby Restaurant nearby Sailing nearby Watersports nearby

Location

Rydal Hall Campsite

Ambleside

Cumbria

England

LA22 9LX

Directions

Timezone

Europe/London GMT (GMT+00:00)

GPS

54.4481°N
-2.9793°W

Nearest transport

Coach
2.3 km Kelsick Road opposite Library
2.5 km Daffodil Hotel for Dove Cottage
2.6 km Lakeside House for Dove Cottage
Rail
9.1 km Windermere Rail Station
13.2 km Staveley Rail Station
17.3 km Burneside (Cumbria) Rail Station
Ferry
3.4 km Ambleside Waterhead Ferry Landing
5.7 km Brockhole Ferry Landing
9.8 km Monk 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

The first place to visit here is of course Rydal Hall itself – you can’t go inside the house itself, but there’s so much to enjoy outdoors including the Quiet Garden, the Grot (framing views of Rydal Falls), the labyrinth and tea room. There are more splendid buildings and gardens to take in as you tour the area too – perhaps you’d like to see the neo-gothic Wray Castle (15 minutes’ drive), see where Beatrix Potter lived at Hill Top (20 minutes) or stroll through artist John Ruskin’s former home at Brantwood (25 minutes)? Wilder landscapes and outdoor activities galore are all around too: take a walk up to Rydal Cave (half an hour on foot) or Stock Ghyll Force (45 minutes), take a cruise from Ambleside (five minutes’ drive), go fishing at Esthwaite (20 minutes), get up unto the trees at Go Ape (25 minutes), scale Scafell Pike (half an hour)…

Water quality at nearby bathing waters

Name Distance Type 2020201920182017
Seascale 33.5 km Sea N/AGoodGoodGood
Silecroft 35.1 km Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent
Haverigg 35.1 km Sea PoorN/AN/AN/A
St Bees 40.9 km Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent
Walney West Shore 41 km Sea N/AGoodGoodN/A

Data source: European Environment Agency

Must see

Rydal Mount and Gardens 0.3 km

Dove Cottage and the Wordsworth Museum 2.6 km

Brockhole - Lake District Visitor Centre 5.7 km

Beatrix Potter Gallery 8.2 km

The World of Beatrix Potter 10.1 km

National Trust

Grasmere and Great Langdale 3 km

Townend 5.9 km

Windermere and Troutbeck 7.8 km

Beatrix Potter Gallery 8.2 km

Coniston and Tarn Hows 9.4 km

Cycle routes

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

Other

RYDAL MOUNT 0.1 km

RYDAL HALL 0.6 km

Ambleside and High Sweden Bridge 1.9 km

Ambleside and Lily Tarn 2 km

Ambleside, the Kirkstone Pass and Red Screes 2.1 km

Local events

  • Kendal Calling (Thursday, 31 July 2025 – Thursday, 31 July 2025)

    Penrith, England 24.3 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.

Offers

Conditions apply - see pitch type section for details

Nearest sites

Unfortunately, we have no nearby bookable sites.

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

Frequently asked questions

  • Does Rydal Hall Campsite have a swimming pool? No View all features
  • Is Rydal Hall Campsite dog friendly? Yes View all features
  • What attractions are near Rydal Hall Campsite? The first place to visit here is of course Rydal Hall itself – you can’t go inside the house itself, but there’s so much to enjoy outdoors including the Quiet Garden, the … Read more
  • When can I check in and check out of Rydal Hall Campsite?
    Camping and touring
    Arrive:  2 p.m. –  8 p.m.
    Depart by:  10 a.m.
    Read more