Waterhead Coniston

View prices & book 9.4 155 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
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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 pitches 20
Open now
Opens 1 August
Please note
  • This site 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 hen/stag parties permitted via Pitchup.com.
  • Single-sex bookings of 5 or more people (excluding couples) are not permitted via Pitchup.com.

Reception

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

Dogs

  • The site does not accept breeds/crossbreeds listed in the Dangerous Dogs Act (i.e. XL Bully, Pit Bull Terrier, Japanese Tosa, Dogo Argentino, and Fila Brasileiro).

Admission

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

Languages spoken

English

Open from Sat, 01 Aug to

No availability here for your search criteria

Reviews

9.4

Overall rating from 155 Pitchup.com customers

  • 68%
    10
  • 14%
    9
  • 12%
    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

Basic campsite, top lakeside spot with stunning views and water sports access. Walk to Coniston village. Portaloos & clean water provided (mostly clean, but occasional issues). Quiet, spacious, friendly owners. No showers.

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

Filter by topic

Reviews page 1 of 16
Arrival date (latest first)

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

Non-electric grass tent or trailer tent pitch

Liked Spot on!!

Recommend to friends Visit again

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

Non-electric grass tent or trailer tent pitch

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

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

Non-electric grass tent or trailer tent pitch

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

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

Non-electric grass tent or trailer tent pitch

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

Non-electric grass tent or trailer tent pitch

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

Great site, clean toilets and close…

Overall

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

Non-electric grass tent or trailer tent pitch

Liked Great site, clean toilets and close to village, no showers but we already knew that. Brilliant location for water activities. Flat and large space. Basic but good. Already booked for next weekend. Travelled as a coupe but added on our kids last minute and luckily they were able to be added on

Recommend to friends Visit again

We definitely will return!

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Facilities / Activities
 8
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 8
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 No rating
Lauri S. 3 reviews

Non-electric grass tent or trailer tent pitch

Liked This is our second year visiting, we just think it’s perfect. Peaceful and easy going. Great access to the lake.

Disliked None

Recommend to friends Visit again

Nice open spaces and close to…

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
redwing t. 1 review

Non-electric grass tent or trailer tent pitch

Liked Nice open spaces and close to the water

Recommend to friends Visit again

Amazing site, very clean and well…

Overall

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

Non-electric grass tent or trailer tent pitch

Liked Amazing site, very clean and well kept. Fabulous location. Will definitely be back. Highly recommend.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Lovely, very basic site. Could be a regular spot.

Overall

8 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 4
Facilities / Activities
 No rating
Customer service
 No rating
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 No rating
Wifi
 No rating
Paul F. 1 review

Non-electric grass tent or trailer tent pitch

Liked Really well situated, hotel next door does food all day. Great to be lakeside. Quiet and close to Coniston. I'll definitely go back. Perhaps with a camping shower and it'll be great.

Disliked Cost, I know I'll get criticism for this it's cheap ish at £12. But you get a chemical loo and a water bowser. It's worth £5. Most camp grounds across the UK have toilets and showers and often cost as little as £10. It's a lovely spot earning a nice yield from a sheep field.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Features

Portable toilet

Pop-up campground

Dogs allowed

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 Wild swimming

Amenities on site

Bath available 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

Lake and/or mountain Peaceful Remote location Spectacular scenery Walkers' paradise

Utilities

Charging facilities Chemical disposal Electric car charging point(s) Gas cylinders available No drinkable water point Recycling available Renewable energy

Nearby amenities

Bar nearby Dog walk nearby Public transport nearby Shop nearby

Type

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

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?
    Camping and touring
    Arrive:  11 a.m. –  9:30 p.m.
    Depart by:  1 p.m.
    Read more
  • How much does it cost to stay at Waterhead Coniston? From R525,61 (for 1 night, 2 adults) - prices may change depending on your dates and party.