Camping in Pooley Bridge

Pooley Bridge and the northern end of Ullswater are well provided for when it comes to camping, with several well-established sites making the most of the flat, sheltered land where the lake meets the River Eamont. As with anywhere in England, wild camping without the landowner's permission is not legal, so it's worth sticking to one of the recognised campsites in the area rather than pitching up on open fell or lakeshore land - the exception being the small, historically tolerated pockets of wild camping permitted on some high fells elsewhere in the Lake District, which do not extend to the low-lying land around Pooley Bridge.

The best-known option is Waterside House, a family-run campsite on a working farm about a mile from the village on Ullswater's northern shore, offering grass and hard-standing pitches for tents, campervans and caravans, several with lake views, alongside glamping tipis, rowing boat and kayak hire, and direct access to the water for paddling or swimming. Its position at the foot of Barton Fell also makes it a good base for walking and mountain biking. Other farm sites and small caravan parks are dotted around the wider Eden Valley and along the lake's northern and eastern shores, generally quieter and more basic than the larger holiday parks found further south around Ullswater.

Terrain around Pooley Bridge is gentler than much of the central Lake District - rolling farmland and low fells rather than high crags - which makes it a comfortable spot for families and less experienced campers, while still giving easy access to tougher walking on Hallin Fell, the Helvellyn range and beyond. The camping season here runs broadly from Easter to the end of October, with July and August the busiest and best for warm-water swimming and paddleboarding, while spring and early autumn offer quieter pitches, cooler nights and often clearer views across the lake. Given the region's reputation for changeable weather, it pays to come prepared for rain whatever the season, and to book ahead for peak weekends.