Coniston Hall Campsite

Coniston Hall is a sprawling site that sits in the grounds of a 16th century farm near the banks of Coniston Water; you'll know you've found the site when you spot the farmhouse's mighty chimneys. Whilst it's not quite waterside camping, with the site tucked just behind a row of trees, there is easy access to the lake. The site is a working farm and children will love the resident goats wandering the fields.

Coniston Water was famously home to many attempts to break the water speed record but these days is used more sedately, with the National Trust's restored steam yacht 'Gondola' touring the lake in the summer months. The lake is ideal for fishing, swimming and canoeing, with launches right next to the site. If it's raining or you fancy a little culture, famed Victorian art critic John Ruskin's house Brantwood is just the other side of the water. Coniston village is an easy walk and offers shops and several pubs, including The Black Bull Inn, home to the Coniston Brewing Company. The site is about a 30 minute drive from some of the Lake District's most famous spots, including Windermere, Ambleside and the Langdales.

A word to set expectations: the location is the star here and the setting is hard to beat, but this is a big, basic, first-come-first-served site and it can run hot and cold. Pitches are not always flat, showers are metered rather than free, and on a busy weekend a rowdy neighbouring group can carry across the fields, so it pays to arrive with the right expectations. Sitting so close to a lake does mean the site gets busy, but equally you can almost have it to yourself midweek. After a hard day's fun on the lake there's nothing like relaxing back at the tent as you spot the steam rising from 'Gondola' gliding past and wondering what you'll get up to tomorrow.