Camping in Grasmere

Grasmere itself has no campsite within the village, hemmed in as it is by steep fells and a lake, but a short drive south towards Ambleside opens up some of the best-regarded camping in the central Lake District. The Rothay valley between Grasmere and Ambleside holds a cluster of well-established sites, from a historic estate campsite with its own tearoom to a caravan park set in mature woodland, all within a fifteen-minute drive of Grasmere village and often closer to the fells than the hotels in the village itself.

These sites cover most styles of camping. Rydal Hall Campsite, on the grounds of a historic estate midway between Grasmere and Ambleside, has a distinctly traditional, low-key character with grass pitches, a tearoom and an evening bar, and no electric hook-ups. Tarn Foot Farm, tucked beneath Loughrigg Fell near its own tarn, is simpler again - a basic, tents-only site valued for its quiet setting rather than its facilities. Skelwith Fold Caravan Park, by contrast, is a substantial five-star-rated holiday park set in over a hundred acres of ancient woodland, with proper shower blocks, a shop, a playground and space for tents, caravans and motorhomes alike.

Between them these three sites cover most camping preferences within easy reach of Grasmere, though none is directly in the village, so a car (or at minimum a bike) is genuinely useful for anyone camping and wanting to explore Grasmere's shops, pubs and walks each day rather than just the immediate surroundings.