Rydal Hall Campsite
Cumbria
Historic estate camping 2.5 miles from Grasmere, near Ambleside
About Rydal Hall Campsite
Rydal Hall Campsite occupies part of the wider Rydal Hall estate, a working retreat and conference centre set in thirty acres of grounds between Grasmere and Ambleside. The camping field sits close to Rydal Beck and the estate's landscaped gardens, with views up towards Fairfield and the surrounding fells, and the setting feels considerably more parkland than a typical roadside site.
Facilities are straightforward rather than luxurious: a modern toilet and shower block, a washing-up area, sockets for charging equipment and a freezer for ice blocks, with electricity on site drawn partly from the estate's own hydro-electric plant and solar panels. All thirty-two grass pitches are non-electric and tents only, with a maximum tent size of five metres by five metres, which keeps the field feeling open and uncluttered even when busy. Fire pits are permitted in designated areas, adding to the informal, low-key atmosphere.
The estate's own tearoom serves scones, cakes, soups and sandwiches through the day, and an evening bar offers local ales and lagers, so campers rarely need to leave the grounds for food and drink. Rydal Hall itself and its landscaped gardens, including a restored formal garden and grotto, are open for wandering, and the site's location on the path between Grasmere and Ambleside makes it a genuinely useful base for walking to either village rather than driving. The site is open from January to mid-November each year.