Cross Dormont Camp Site
A working hill farm above Ullswater with some of the most expansive lake-and-fell views in the Lake District, where the place entirely compensates for the basics.
Cross Dormont sits on the southern shore of Ullswater in the Lake District National Park, elevated above the lake on a genuine working hill farm. The pitches face out across the water toward the fells beyond, and the view is the site: Ullswater below, Helvellyn and the surrounding mountains behind, sky all around. It is the kind of panorama that earns the drive.
The camping here is unambiguously back-to-basics. Bring drinking water, your own washing-up setup, and low expectations of the shower block. The site's honest value is its position: lake access directly across the road for swimming, canoeing, and small boats; hill walks departing from behind the farmhouse; Ullswater Steamers within reach. Pooley Bridge, with its pubs and shops, is a 30-minute walk.
Under current management, the owners have a reputation for being welcoming and genuinely accommodating. The 66-pitch site takes tents and motorhomes across the main field and a smaller adjacent area, and there is a playground on site for families. Pitches are grass on a slope, with the best views from the elevated ground at the top.
Before you book
- Facilities are minimal and variable: showers are coin-operated and the wash block has had inconsistent maintenance reviews. Bring your own drinking water and soap.
- No campfires permitted on site.
“A site defined entirely by where it is rather than what it has: an elevated working farm above Ullswater with direct lake access, fell walks from the gate, and views that make the basics easy to forgive.”
Why it made the cut
- Panoramic views across Ullswater and toward Helvellyn from grass pitches on a working hill farm
- Direct lake access across the road for wild swimming, canoeing, and small boats
- Hill walks start immediately behind the farmhouse, with Ullswater Steamers and Pooley Bridge reachable on foot
- Genuinely independent family-run operation in the heart of the Lake District National Park
The Feeling
Lovingly scruffy · Off grid real · Mixed tempo
Good For
- Family
- Solo
- Date
Best For
- Panoramic Ullswater views from grass pitches on a working hill farm
- Back-to-basics camping with playground and BBQ facilities
- Walking access to The Ullswater Way and Lake District National Park trails
In Campr's collections
- Mountain eyriesAn elevated working farm pitch above Ullswater where you look across the lake to Helvellyn and wake up already in it.
- Wild swimming hqLake access directly across the road from the pitches: Ullswater is there for swimming, canoeing, and small boats as soon as you lace up.
- Farm fields properA working hill farm on Ullswater's southern shore in the Lake District National Park, with no holiday-park pretence whatsoever.
Facilities
Quick answers
- Does Cross Dormont Camp Site allow dogs?
- Yes, dogs are welcome at Cross Dormont Camp Site, kept on a lead.
- What kind of stays does Cross Dormont Camp Site offer?
- Tent, Motorhome, by a lake.
- How much does Cross Dormont Camp Site cost?
- Pitches from £25 per night. Book directly with the site.
- Where is Cross Dormont Camp Site?
- Howtown, Penrith CA10 2NA, UK.
Where it is
Howtown, Penrith CA10 2NA, UK
By a lake · Cumbria · North West · 54.596° N, 2.836° W
Open in OpenStreetMapIndependent Rating
Based on 158 Google reviews
