Helton Campsite

View prices & book 8 114 reviews
Visitor image of the lovely site
Visitor image of the view across the field as the sun was setting behind them around 6:30pm
Pitches with a view
Views across the site

  • Scenic Lake District site with easy access from the M6
  • A 10-minute drive to Pooley Bridge, Ullswater and Lowther Castle
  • Laidback pitches with space for kids to play; dogs welcome
You don’t have to go very far into the Lake District National Park to start appreciating the gorgeous views – and the area around Helton Campsite is a case in point. This spacious Cumbria site is only a couple of miles from the M6 at the northern end of the park so it’s a handy spot for a stopover or a quick fix of country air. That said, the scenery around here is lovely enough that you could certainly settle here for several days – pitches have gorgeous open views over the surrounding countryside, and there are lots of places to get out for a walk nearby too. Pooley Bridge is about 10 minutes’ drive away for outings on and around Ullswater, and you’ll also easily be able to get to other top spots like Aira Force waterfall and Haweswater (or Skiddaw and Helvellyn if you’d rather do some climbing). Life on site is fairly simple, with just the essentials provided to keep you going: pitches have access to a toilet and fresh mountain water for drinking, and there’s a field where families can play games. Dogs are welcome to join you here for Lake District jaunts, and there’s space to give them a run around on site plus plenty of choice for walking routes nearby. This corner of the Lake District has several choices for eating out at pubs and the like, but you’re also welcome to light barbecues or campfires on site if you’d rather settle in for an evening of outdoor cooking. There’s a convenience store just over a mile away in the village of Askham (which also has a pub and an open-air swimming pool).

Site type

Tent pitches 50
Open now
Opens 18 April
Please note
  • Under 18s must be accompanied by their parents or legal guardians.

Languages spoken

English

Open from Fri, 18 Apr to

Reviews

  • 45%
    10
  • 0%
    9
  • 27%
    8
  • 3%
    7
  • 13%
    6
  • 0%
    5
  • 1%
    4
  • 0%
    3
  • 6%
    2
  • 0%
    1
Location
9
Value for money
8
Accommodation
8
Facilities / Activities
7
Customer service
8
Child friendliness
8
Cleanliness
9
Wifi
4

82% would recommend this site to a friend

76% would stay here again

What customers say

Lovely, spacious campsite with stunning views and friendly staff. Basic but clean facilities, including toilets and a cold shower. Ideal for those seeking a chilled, back-to-basics experience, though noise from other campers can occasionally be an issue.

Summary AI-generated from Pitchup.com customer reviews

Reviews page 1 of 12
Arrival date (latest first)

Absolutely brilliant site everything you need good for dogs aswell with field…

Overall

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

Non-electric grass tent or trailer tent pitch

Liked Absolutely brilliant site everything you need good for dogs aswell with field to walk them in good overall atmosphere from everyone staying there.

Disliked Nothing to dislike at all

Recommend to friends Visit again

Lovely views, easy to find and set up where we wanted. Clean…

Overall

6 out of 10
Location
10
Value for money
7
Accommodation
7
Facilities / Activities
9
Customer service
9
Child friendliness
5
Cleanliness
8
Wifi
1
Tina P.

Non-electric grass tent or trailer tent pitch

Liked Lovely views, easy to find and set up where we wanted. Clean toilets and always had toilet roll. Water provided.

Disliked There were quite a few groups of young adults on the camp. First night the music didn't stop till 2:20am. Second night the group of young lads next to us were up talking till 4am. They weren't loud or partying but tents are thin so could hear everything they were talking about sat at their fire pit.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Clean Bottled water available Good location…

Overall

5 out of 10
Location
7
Value for money
8
Accommodation
4
Facilities / Activities
1
Customer service
5
Child friendliness
3
Cleanliness
8
Wifi
1
Josh C.

Non-electric grass tent or trailer tent pitch

Liked Clean
Bottled water available
Good location

Disliked No policy on noise
Some other campers were loud until early hours
Got crowded on Saturday night

Recommend to friends Visit again

A really nice place to visit

Overall

3 out of 10
Location
10
Value for money
2
Accommodation
3
Facilities / Activities
2
Customer service
1
Child friendliness
5
Cleanliness
5
Wifi
1
Joanna H.

Non-electric grass tent or trailer tent pitch

Liked Helton is next to Askham and a castle which is loveky.

Disliked I paid for wood at £15per night and never received it. There is nowhere to speak to anyone. I reached out via email address provided to ask for the wood refund at £30 but no one got back to me which doesnt seen fair.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Chilled campsite Easy to find The queens head pub local to campsite but…

Overall

7 out of 10
Location
6
Value for money
5
Accommodation
6
Facilities / Activities
6
Customer service
5
Child friendliness
5
Cleanliness
6
Wifi
1
Anonymous

Non-electric grass tent or trailer tent pitch

Liked Chilled campsite
Easy to find
The queens head pub local to campsite but nothing else in walking distance
Toilet roll issue others spoke about was fine, it didn't run out on a Saturday

Disliked Very basic campsite which we knew about

Recommend to friends Visit again

Its a nice area…

Overall

1 out of 10
Location
10
Value for money
3
Accommodation
2
Facilities / Activities
3
Customer service
1
Child friendliness
5
Cleanliness
3
Wifi
1
Joanna H.

Non-electric grass tent or trailer tent pitch

Liked Its a nice area

Disliked I paid for wood at £15per night and never received it. There is nowhere to speak to anyone. I reached out via email address provided to ask for the wood refund at £30 but no one got back to me which doesnt seen fair.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Got what you pay for in the lakes, pretty basic, facilities ok.

Overall

7 out of 10
Location
7
Value for money
8
Accommodation
6
Facilities / Activities
5
Customer service
7
Child friendliness
No rating
Cleanliness
7
Wifi
No rating
Kristen T.

Non-electric grass tent or trailer tent pitch

Liked Simple, quiet enough, greeted on arrival, great for one night. a couple of pubs in the next village.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Really basic but perfectly situated for amazing views

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
10
Value for money
10
Accommodation
No rating
Facilities / Activities
7
Customer service
10
Child friendliness
10
Cleanliness
10
Wifi
No rating
Ronnie A.

Non-electric grass tent or trailer tent pitch

Liked The peace and tranquility of the place and amazing views. Friendly and helpful staff. I will definitely be returning.

Disliked Nothing to dislike

Recommend to friends Visit again

We really enjoyed our stay here. It was peaceful and had amazing views

Overall

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

Non-electric grass tent or trailer tent pitch

Liked Lovely campsite with amazing views. Clean and spacious.

Disliked Nothing

Recommend to friends Visit again

Loved the space And the freedom to pitch up where we liked…

Overall

2 out of 10
Location
10
Value for money
7
Accommodation
No rating
Facilities / Activities
No rating
Customer service
7
Child friendliness
10
Cleanliness
1
Wifi
2
Anonymous

Non-electric grass tent or trailer tent pitch

Liked Loved the space
And the freedom to pitch up where we liked
And fire pits where a nice touch

Disliked The toilets ran out of toliet roll
And no one replaced them
Toilets where very dirty and the doors didn’t fit which ment very little privacy
And there was a tiny sink to wash your hands again no soap to ensure hygiene
While this is advertised as a basic campsite it was very dirty

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

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

Budget/backpacker Peaceful Spectacular scenery Walkers' paradise

Utilities

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

Nearby amenities

Bar nearby Dog walk nearby Nearby farmers' market Public transport nearby Shop nearby

Type

Farm Medium (26-50 pitches) Pop-up campground

Nearby leisure

Climbing nearby Cycle hire nearby Cycling nearby Fishing nearby Horse riding nearby Mountain biking nearby Outdoor pool nearby Restaurant nearby Sailing nearby Watersports nearby

Location

Helton Campsite

Helton

Askham

Pooley Bridge

Cumbria

England

CA10 2QB

Directions

Timezone

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

GPS

54.58753°N
2.76028°W

Route directions

Go all the way through the village of Helton, past the triangle field on the way to Bampton. Just as you pass the triangle field, you will see the site to your right.

Nearest transport

Coach
8.3 km Rail Station
21.9 km Kelsick Road opposite Library
22.3 km Lakeside House for Dove Cottage
Rail
8.3 km Penrith North Lakes Rail Station
13.4 km Langwathby Rail Station
17.7 km Appleby Rail Station
Ferry
5 km Pooley Bridge Ullswater Ferry Landing
6.9 km Howtown Ullswater Ferry Landing
12.8 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

Walking trails for all abilities are plentiful in the Lake District – from Helton your options include lakeside ambling by Ullswater (10 minutes’ drive) or the short stroll to Aira Force waterfall (25 minutes) or more challenging outings like the ascent of Helvellyn (half an hour). Those aren’t the only options for exploring though – the area around Pooley Bridge (10 minutes) has boat hire, various watersports and horse riding centres. The natural views are spectacular, of course, but there are some lovely buildings to see too – nearby Lowther Castle & Gardens (10 minutes) is worth a visit for the grand building, the 130-acre gardens and the adventure playground, and the Grade I-listed Dalemain Mansion & Historic Gardens (15 minutes) is equally lovely. If the weather takes a turn, there are several things to keep you busy in Keswick (35 minutes), including the Derwent Pencil Museum, Puzzling Place and tours of the Keswick Brewing Company.

Water quality at nearby bathing waters

Name Distance Type 2020201920182017
Allonby 47.8 km Sea N/AGoodGoodGood

Data source: European Environment Agency

Must see

Dalemain Historic House & Gardens 6.1 km

The Rheged Centre 6.8 km

Ullswater Steamers 12.8 km

Rydal Mount and Gardens 21.2 km

Castlerigg Stone Circle 21.9 km

National Trust

Acorn Bank Garden and Watermill 12.4 km

Townend 22.1 km

Grasmere and Great Langdale 23.7 km

Windermere and Troutbeck 24.2 km

Beatrix Potter Gallery 28.3 km

Cycle routes

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

Other

ASKHAM HALL 2.4 km

LOWTHER CASTLE 2.5 km

Pooley Bridge - Loadpot Hill - Howtown - Pooley Bridge 4.8 km

Pooley Bridge and Heughscar Hill 4.8 km

DALEMAIN 6 km

Local events

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

    Penrith, England 3.4 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?

Frequently asked questions

  • Does Helton Campsite have a swimming pool? No View all features
  • Is Helton Campsite dog friendly? Yes View all features
  • What attractions are near Helton Campsite? Walking trails for all abilities are plentiful in the Lake District – from Helton your options include lakeside ambling by Ullswater (10 minutes’ drive) or the short stroll to Aira Force waterfall … Read more
  • When can I check in and check out of Helton Campsite?
    Camping and touring
    Arrive:  Anytime –  Anytime
    Depart by:  Anytime
    Read more
  • How much does it cost to stay at Helton Campsite? From R549,87 (for 1 night, 2 adults) - prices may change depending on your dates and party.