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A great location about 15 mins walk (with kids) to Ambleside, and a really warm welcome from the staff. The site's also on a bus route between Grasmere / Keswick and Ambleside.
We all loved this site (2 adults, one age 6 one age 2 - and it was our first time camping together).
There are two main fields quite close to the shower block, plus an annexe. We were on the annexe - basically the side of the hill with a few spacious pitches cut into it. It was a beautiful place to pitch, more rustic than glamorous.
There's a children's playground on the site, as well as a few yurts and huts dotted about (for rent).
The showers & washing facilities were a bit basic, but I think they were in the middle of building a new block when we were there.
There's also a cafe at Rydal Hall, but we didn't try it.
We'll stay there again, and we'd ask for the annexe again, too.
Spent 2 nights here while walking from Penrith to Windermere. Well signposted on entry to Ambleside and on to Rydal.
Pitch was flat and clear, surrounded by trees and right next to the toilet block.
Facilities were basic but no cause for complaint at £5 a night.
Staff were exceptionally helpful, giving us the key to the drying room to allow us to dry out our kit after hours and providing a BBQ at no extra charge.
Surrounding area is small; the pub down the road was friendly and welcoming with reasonably priced food. Buses are frequent and Ambleside is an easy walk away, with a track straight out of the campsite as an easy alternative to the road.
Only complaints would be sheep wandering freely through the site and attempting to investigate our bags, and the site becoming slightly boggy even though the rain wasn't particularly bad.
What a fabulous weekend! 13 children and 11 adults and one dog in 6 tents. We could not have asked for more beautiful scenery and location, The playground was a godsend with 13 children. The little stream running through the camp kept all the children busy making dams and paddling.
The whole site was perfectly clean and tidy including the toilet and shower blocks. (cant understand the previous comments about the cleanliness of facilities). The pitches were well spaced and we were left to our own devices with no interruptions, there were 2 sheep that roamed freely and this added to the natural beauty of the site.
The barrier to the car park was opened for our convenience to load and unload then locked which was another bonus for us as it meant we were not constantly looking out for road safety with the children.
Will be returning to this site and would definitely recommend it to anyone. (Cant guarantee your weather though!).
Basic site, but has everything you need. Located in beautiful Lakeland scenery. Easy walk (even with our 3 children)into Ambleside, which has everything you need (pubs, shops, restaurants, banks, etc). There is a cafe and craft shop in the grounds of Rydal Hall, aswell as the gardens.
It also has extensive grounds to explore. There are many walks from the site, for all levels. Easy walks to Ambleside, and Grasmere, more demanding walks up mountains for those so inclined!
The site facilities are basic, don't expect luxury! the ground is literally rock hard-take plenty of spare pegs! You have to park in separate area away from camping areas and carry things across-bear in mind what you take! Sheep roam the camping areas freely-pitch in daylight, and don't leave food outside your tent, close the doors when away from the tent!
Might not be a site for everyone, but if you are after a basic, quiet, away from it all site, it could be for you. Remember it is run by a Christian organisation.
Lovely setting and at £10 per night was good value. Although our trip was spoiled by the lovely Lakeland rain 48 hours non-stop, soaked us through, and after 2 days we decided to call it a day and pull off a day early.
One point I have raised with the site owners is that on pitches 3 and 4 the only access is via steep slopes with no guidance to which is the safest routes to use especially when carrying the gear from your car to the pitches. Once wet this becomes like a mud slide. Great base for walks when the weather is good though.
Nestling in the beautiful Eskdale Valley close to Scafell, England's highest mountain and Wastwater, this site is a children's paradise in the heart of the Lake District. The first thing that meets you on arrival is the pond, fed by a stream and usually full of children paddling and playing on tyre rafts. The playground has zip wires, climbing frames, tyre rope-swings and adventure courses.
Grass pitches (some with EHU) for tents, motorhomes, VW-sized campervans (no caravans). Refurbished toilets, showers and laundry. Peace is the watchword on the campsite - catering mainly for families and couples with silence after 10.30pm. Don't forget your marshmallows - campfires are allowed in selected areas. Nearby shop and pub. And there's an added extra: the site sits along the route of the Ravenglass and Eskdale Steam Railway line, with it's own station. Choo Choo! Find out more here
Visited this site at the end of August a family of four in one big tent and the sister in law and hubby on the next pitch.
We got off to a bad start as it did nothing but rain on the 1st day so has to pitch the tent in awful conditions and could never get dry after that. The pitch was under a big tree so compounded the affect of the heavy rain on the tent.
So for the site, well the pitches are well spaced apart but surfaces are uneven and full of rocks and tree roots. We were plagued by roaming sheep at night and sheep dung around the pitch was in abundance, lovely. Surrounding area very picturesque and peaceful and quiet, plus a lovely walk into Ambleside. The toilet blocks were antiquated and in need of a spruce up.
All in all a below average stay for us probably the weather did not help, plus expecting a bit more value for our money.
Brilliant area to visit but a site we will not be returning to.
We have just arrived back from a fabulous bank holiday weekend at Rydal Hall. 4 adults, 3 children and 1 big dog. I agree with the other review posted about the area being of outstanding natural beauty, in fact it was breathtaking. However I do not agree with comments about the toliet facilites, either this person must have visited on a very busy weekend or they have really improved in this area. I am extremely fussy about toilets and showers especially where children are involved and the facilites here were spotless, the showers were hot and free. The site was quiet with spacious pitches and full of secret winding paths leading to beautiful views and wooded areas. Rydall hall itself is a sight to behold as is Wordsworths cottage at the bottom of Rydall Mount. There is a wonderfull scenic walk to Ambleside which is long but managble for children. The campsite itself was clean, quiet and safe with a lovely family atmsphere, there is a fire pit on site which is definitely worth visiting late evening. The one and only drawback was that the pitches are mainly on hills so the wind was a bit problematic when cooking food around the tent area - we managed by cooking in the living area of the tent, but it was a particularly windy weekend so dont let it put you off! All in all we all had a fabulous time and would recommend this site to anyone.
The location is outstanding in terms of natural beauty. The site is quite high and the pitches may be affected by wind. The ground was fairly rocky and quite a few pegs were bent in setting up. We had to use rocks to help secure the lines in order to prevent loss of the tent. This did work well. The site is ruin by The Diocese of Carlisle. The nearest shops are in Ambleside, just over a mile away. Parking is restricted and heavy traffic makes travel difficult in peak times/season.
It is important to well equipped with supplies. There is a nice walk from the grounds of Rydal Hall to Ambleside, except for the last 1/3 on a narrow footpath next to the road.
There is a policy of not allowing vehicles to be next to tents. This means walking to one of the parking ares, this can also mean a climb as the tent areas are mainly at different heights.
The main disadvantage was the washing and toilet facilities. These were the dirtiest I have yet witnessed with flies, and effluent on the shower area floor and a urinal that could be used by the Ministry of Defence.
My four year old would not go in as the smell was too foul, and my wife nearly packed up. There was a sign saying closed for cleaning between 11 & 11:30am. I took this as meaning that the toilets and showers were only checked one in 24 hours.
We decided to use them at 11:30hrs, only to find that they had not been cleaned. This was also apparent by some mould and large spiders webs that could not have developed over just one day.
The site has to be pre-booked (and pre-paid) and was expensive, about twice the price of other sites at £41 for two nights for three adults and one 4 year old. I had expected good wash facilities for the price, and their failure to to provide this prevent me recommending the site. We would not go back.
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Common Questions
Is Rydal Hall Campsite child friendly? YES, it accepts children View all facilities
Where is the nearest shop to Rydal Hall Campsite? There is a shop within 5 miles View all facilities
A day of all things motorhome and campervan. The show is held both in the main indoor arena and across the grounds. Catering, hot drinks and food options are available. Easy access to the site and free parking included. Win one of five pairs of day tickets
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The facilities shown on this website are a guide only, and you should check with the campsite direct before making any booking. The UKCampsite.co.uk will not be held responsible for any errors or omissions
Tent Pitches 
No Caravans 
No Motorhomes 
No Campervans 
Glamping Units 
No Statics for Hire 
No Statics for Sale 
No Seasonal Pitches 
No Electric Hookups 
No Hardstandings 
No Fully Serviced Pitches 
Families Welcome 
Not Members Only 
Rallies Welcome 
Not Naturist Site 
Dogs Welcome 
No Dogs Allowed 
Groups Welcome 
Toilet Facilities 
Hot Showers 
Washing Up 
No Bathroom 
No Baby Changing 
No Laundry 
Drinking Water 
Disabled Friendly 
No Chemical Disposal 
No Battery Charging 
No Gas Exchange 
Recycling Facilities 
No Kitchen Facilities 
Freezer / Fridge 
No Motorhome Point 
No Wifi Access 
Shop <5 miles 
Bar <5 miles 
Restaurant or Cafe or Takeaway On Site 
No Playground 
No TV Room 
No Games Room 
No Evening Ents 
Fishing <5 miles 
No Wild Swimming 
No Indoor Pool 
No Outdoor Pool 
No Horse Riding 
No Cycle Hire 
No Golf 
No Tennis 
No Beach 
Watersports <5 miles 
No Boat Launch 
No Sea Views 
Not Working Farm 
No Campfires Allowed 
Open All Year 
No Waterside Pitches 
Public Transport <1 mile
Offroad Dog Walk On Site or Direct Access 
A great location about 15 mins walk (with kids) to Ambleside, and a really warm welcome from the staff. The site's also on a bus route between Grasmere / Keswick and Ambleside.
