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Reviews of Rydal Hall Campsite
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Rydal Hall Campsite
Ambleside
Ambleside
Cumbria (Browse area)
LA22 9LX
Tel: 015394 32050
Visit their website Check Digital TV coverage See Weather Forecast
   
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Pitches:
Open: 01/01/2024 to 31/12/2024
01/01/2025 to 31/12/2025
Rating: 
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 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 |
 Show Full Facilities |
| Who's it for |
 Families Welcome |
 Not Members Only |
 Rallies Welcome |
 Not Naturist Site |
 Dogs Welcome |
 No Dogs Allowed |
 Groups Welcome |
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| Facilities |
 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 |
| Activities |
 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 |
| Other Features |
 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 |
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Reviews:
37 in total, now showing 11 to 20
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| Date of Visit: August 2013 |
Unit: Tent |
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| Reviewer: Debsdenton |
1 review from this member |
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 We have stayed at this site several times now and I think it is my favourite. We love the fact that there are several smaller areas rather than one huge field, the pub nearby is great, as is the tea shop.
You can easily walk into Ambleside, and (longer walk but very nice) Grasmere as well, and it is in a great position for hillwalking.
The facilities are lovely, although I would agree with the review which complained about the cleaning. I think it is over the top and not very customer-friendly to completely shut the facilities for cleaning at key times.
The only other thing I would watch for is that they can sometimes 'cram' you in at peak times which is the downside of their unique pitches. Still, we will be returning! 
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| Date of Visit: August 2013 |
Unit: Tent |
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| Reviewer: Pitchers |
1 review from this member |
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Brilliant campsite. We stayed here for just over a week with 2 children aged 5 and 7. We were allocated a great pitch not too far from the toilet block. Clean facilities and adequate number of showers - which are free so no rummaging for change. Some pitches were quite far from the toilet block and some were up high which may not suit those with young children. We would actually request one of the higher up pitches next time for the view. Yes, you do have to park and then carry your stuff but that means a car free area to play in and great views.
Waterfalls on site were a real bonus along with the streams, the peace gardens and the formal Hall gardens too.
25 minute walk to Ambleside along a good footpath. After a meal and some wine we did get taxi back which was only £5. Good pub nearby with Acoustic night where they made us welcome and gave the children shakers to join in.
Only bad point was that the freezer couldn't cope and didn't actually freeze our icepacks. This was not really a problem just an observation. We will definitely return.
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| Date of Visit: August 2012 |
Unit: Tent |
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| Reviewer: Jbb1003 |
6 reviews from this member |
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Had a very pleasant stay at the end of August. Some rain, but the site is generally hilly, and therefore drains very well. I don't think I saw any puddles anywhere apart from the potholes on the driveway. I really like the layout of the campsite - small groups of tents separated by patches of rough ground really improve the view. In general it's a quiet campsite. There was a group one night, and I was woken up by their instructors yapping away at about midnight - however they quietened down instantly when I stuck my head out of the tent.
The wash block is excellent, warm, and in response to another review, did have soap. The showers are a little on the hot side though, which was a problem for my three year old, so I washed her in the sink instead!
There are regular and frequent buses to Ambleside/Grasmere at the foot of the hill, excellent access to the fell up Nab Scar, and it's a flat easy walk of about a mile and a half into Ambleside.
Food at Potted Out in Grasmere was excellent, but don't go there for friendly service! Neighbours said the cream teas at Cote How are expensive but very good. The Badger in Rydal does ok food, but in my opinion is trying to be a gastropub when it isn't really there. Good for emergencies when you're too knackered to cook.
Sheep are both a pro (if your eldest likes them) and a con (if their bleating wakes your youngest up for the first night or two). Chickens are just a pain really, I could do without them, but I suppose they add character.
Adventure playground is a bit run-down. Freezer was broken for the last couple of days, so no freezing icepacks, but the Tesco in Ambleside had ice.
We were on Vodafone, and got intermittent network connection - generally just enough to get the weather forecast, but you wouldn't want to rely on it.
The major bug bear for me was the toilet cleaning. The toilet block is completely closed from 6am-7am (and this realistically meant 7. 15). At that time in the morning the backup loo (at the cafe) isn't open, so it gets a bit problematic when your 3-year old needs a poo at 7am - and I got up at 6. 30 one morning to go for a run, and it was 7. 20 before I could get going. I can't see why they can't have the ladies open while the mens are cleaned, and then vice versa.
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| Date of Visit: August 2012 |
Unit: Tent |
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| Reviewer: Cate19 |
7 reviews from this member |
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Just returned from a wet weekend at Rydal Hall. Lovely campsite set in the grounds of Rydal Hall. Great facilities with large showers with plenty of space & hot water.
No danger of getting wet clothes as loads of space to put stuff. Great views of the fells from our pitch. Adventure playground for children set away from the tents in the trees.
The only downside to this site is that you have to park the car in a car park & carry all your stuff up the hill to your tent. This is the only negative though.
There is a tea room on site which does good soup & cakes etc. Site within walking distance of Ambleside & Grasmere.
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| Date of Visit: August 2012 |
Unit: Tent |
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| Reviewer: Shrap |
1 review from this member |
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For the past two years, my friend & I have made Rydal campsite our site of choice when camping in the Lake District.
The campsite itself is unique. It's not just a flat piece of land where everyone pitches tents next to each other. Rydal campsite is mostly set on flat areas dotted about on a hilly landscape, which gives the resident a sense of freedom, as you have more choice of where you can pitch your tent.
Other interesting features are the free roaming sheep and chickens which are more than likely to pay you and your tent a visit from time to time!
The Rydal campsite staff are polite and helpful, the facilities are excellent, which includes hot showers, hot and cold running water, washing up basins, toilets, wash areas and tumble dryer facilities - all of which are well maintained and cleaned on a daily basis.
The only major problem I have with Rydal campsite is the deteriorating state of the tracks leading to the campsites. They are ravaged with potholes and are very uneven. I am sure this could be improved in the winter months with a resurfacing.
Also, the car parking situation could be improved. Sometimes it's very hard to find a space and you are forced to park at another site. Bay markings would come in handy. As a result of absent markings, a lot of residents ended up parking their cars in rather inconsiderate positions which took up too much room.
The inclusion of a small on site grocers would also come in handy. However, the site does have a rather charming coffee shop that sells hearty food such as soup, sandwiches & panini's.
Overall, Rydal campsite is about as good as it gets. It's a great site which very little to complain about. My only advice to people who are planning on taking a motor vehicle - go slow and watch for pot holes!
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| Date of Visit: September 2011 |
Unit: Tent |
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| Reviewer: Geddart |
2 reviews from this member |
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Just a quick but very important note about the setup at Rydal Mount; you cant take your car to your tent if you're on the main (upper) field so be sure to ask for the lower field if you're infirm, with children, find gradients hard work or need to live out the back of your car (like we very often do) on shorter stays. If your pitch is on the upper field you will have to carry all equipment from the car park to the pitch. This can involve several trips and the incline is quite steep. Not great for the infirm or those with lots of kit. This kind of tarnished my view about the place as Ive never come across this arrangement before
We had a very nice peaceful stay though, spent the day in Ambleside then had a couple of bottles of Chilean red sat by our off-ground campfire beneath a clear moonlit sky with lots of stars.
All other facilities graded just fine. Free firewood was a bonus. Good playpark that I'm sure the kids would've enjoyed, but it was just me and the Mrs on this occasion. I wouldn't go back though because of the car thing.
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| Date of Visit: October 2011 |
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| Reviewer: Candy Floss |
8 reviews from this member |
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Third time to the site have now stayed in:-
Tent
Yurt
Yes people you have to leave your car at the bottom of the camping field. Read the notes when booking in ! Find it shocking that people could leave a negative feedback about this site because they never did their homework!
You are in the most stunning location. Truly breathtaking. Everything you could wish for.
Lovely staff, new shower/toilets.
History on your doorstep, waterfalls, historic grounds with an allotment, tea rooms, rivers to swim in all on your site for you to enjoy!. Pub with in walking distance.
Get a grip this place is the best !
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| Date of Visit: July 2011 |
Unit: Other |
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| Reviewer: Bagpussruth |
6 reviews from this member |
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We stayed at this site in a camping pod. For those not in the know a camping pod is a bit like a glorfied garden shed. The advantages over a tent is that you don't have to worry about leaks and have a nice dry porch to cook your food under.
The camping pods were in a field of their own close to the footpath through the site. Our field had a stream running through it. As far as I could tell during the stay there were no rules about noise anywhere or what times people needed to be quiet by. Our camping pod was missing it's window blind (we were not told this on arrival) so we had to spend the stay rigging up a blanket curtain so my daughter could get to sleep and so we weren't woken at dawn by the daylight. The other pods seemed to have their blinds in tact.
As others have said the grounds are lovely and there's plenty to explore. A nice walk to do is to follow the river up to the hills (stopping at their really good adventure playground/assault course en route), taking a dip in Buckstones jump at the end of your walk.
Some companies do ghyll scrambling up the river so if you have older kids it might be worth looking up. Rydal water is also very close to the site, as is Loughrigg Fell. For more energetic walkers there's also plenty of long walks you can start from the site - Fairfield Horseshoe being one of them.
The site does not have a shop, and the cafe did not appear to do breakfasts (a missed opportunity perhaps?). During our stay we drove to Ambleside to stock up on shopping and to eat out once. Most the areas operate a parking disc system, so when you park you need to display a disc showing your arrival time - these discs can be picked up from most shops/hotels in the area. If the site wanted to boost it's eco credentials it could offer more to people - like selling basic provisions, so they don't have to use their cars so frequently to go out to buy things.
The loo/toilet block was new so was in good condition. I didn't ever have to queue for a shower whilst we were there despite the site being full. The showers were free, and the water was just the right temp. The showers are push button ones. There were a few drinking water taps dotted about - the water is taken from the fells high up on the mountain side.
A few small negatives about the facilities - the toilet block didn't have any soap provided - I can understand using your own if your going in to have a wash or shower but it's a pain to have to remember to take a bar each time you go to the loo, and it wouldn't cost much to provide some soap.
There is also no way of mopping up the shower after you have been in, so each time I went to shower the showers were covered in mud on the floors.
The washing up facilities are behind the block. Everyone kept them clear and it was nice to have an undercover outdoor area to wash up your things. There were no bins there to dispose of any food bits etc.
In the bathrooms there is a sign advising people to recycle. The recycling facilities are by the tea room - a short walk from the shower block.
It's a shame there aren't more recycling facilitates dotted about - some compost bins would be useful, or that the recycling can't be situated by the washing up area.
The sign also advises people to take their rubbish home. On this premise we assumed there were no general rubbish bins on the site so we were initially taking our rubbish away to dispose of it in public bins. On taking our first lot of recycling to the area we discovered there were actually general rubbish bins there.
The site was generally very quiet during the evening. One evening we got woken up by people coming back late and makingnoise. It's nice that the site is so relaxed but I think perhaps a noise curfew or something similar could be useful.
There was also a large church group staying in the field next to us who entertained us during the evenings by singing lots of hyms. Towards the end of our stay it became a bit annoying as it was during my daughters bedtime, and even inside the pod the noise could be heard which kept her up.
Our camping pod was reasonably good. Nothing is provided so you have to take everything you will need. There were 2 adults and 1 child staying in the pod and we agreed it would have been nice to have had more shelving or hooks.
If you stay in a pod I would advise taking a few plastic boxes with lids on to store bits outside in. There are sheep roaming all round the site which the little one loved.
Do not leave any rubbish outside - either the sheep will get at it or the local magpie. Both ourselves and our pod neighbours had problems with this as we had not realised to begin with. Again it would have been usful to have been informed about this to avoid our rubbish going everywhere!
On balance a lovely peaceful, quiet and beautiful campsite. A few minor niggles but these are well worth tolerating for the lovely scenery and walks to be had.
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| Date of Visit: June 2011 |
Unit: Tent |
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| Reviewer: Brian.merritt |
5 reviews from this member |
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I stayed here in my tent for four nights. What a great place!. Made welcome, site was very clean and the shower and toilet facilities have only just been rebuilt.
Kept very clean. I stayed there during the week but the week before (half term) was full. You wouldn't think of it being full because it was so clean. Lovely teashop and great cakes. Also it is a 15 minute walk into town.
In this part of the Lake District again I will stay here. The pitch allocated to me was just for one tent - so I had the solitude I wanted.
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| Date of Visit: May 2011 |
Unit: Tent |
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| Reviewer: Rince |
2 reviews from this member |
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Lovely location. The site is set over several areas. We were in the top field next to the kitchen garden. It was 5 mins walk through the woods to the toilet block. The only facility near the field was a tap. There were no bins.
The new toilet block was still not finished although in use. This could have been designed a lot better. There are 4 toilets in the ladies, 3 sinks. No mirrors, no bins, no soap, no hairdryers, no plugs to plug in your own hairdryer. They ran out of toilet paper several times. The floors were dirty and if they had left a mop we would have cleaned it ourselves. There are 5 showers which are unisex, large enough, but the drainage was awful and the whole block flooded. We had to walk through a wet corridor to get to the toilets. We complained about this and also the lack of loo roll, but they didn't seem bothered.
They also told us they were fully booked for the weekend, yet there were hardly any tents there, so I think they like to keep it quiet and tents spaced out.
We visited the Badger bar at the bottom of the road, it does a good pint, average food, rubbish decor. We also went to Dodds Italian restaurant in Ambleside, very good food, average price, child friendly, would recommend going there.
To be honest its a lovely setting, near to Ambleside and Grasmere, but the facilities let it down.
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Is Rydal Hall Campsite child friendly? YES, it accepts children View all facilities
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