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10 of the best Lake District & Cumbria caravan holiday parks - 2021
The Lake District and Cumbria is (in my view) one of the UK's most stunning regions and it's great for a family holiday, if you can overlook the rain and exceedingly slow roads...
There are more than 30 holiday parks to choose from, but we've picked out 10 of the best by looking at location, facilities and reviews. We've included a mix of busy caravan parks which are run by chains such as Haven and Park Resorts/Parkdean Resorts, as well as some independent holiday parks and posher lodges.
Some holiday parks have lakeside locations around popular spots like Windermere and Ullswater, whilst others require a bit of driving from pleasant Cumbrian spots outside The Lakes.
We did a quick price comparison too, which looks at how much a family of four would pay for a week during the summer holidays. You'll be able to get much lower prices outside of the peak weeks.
There are more than 30 holiday parks to choose from, but we've picked out 10 of the best by looking at location, facilities and reviews. We've included a mix of busy caravan parks which are run by chains such as Haven and Park Resorts/Parkdean Resorts, as well as some independent holiday parks and posher lodges.
Some holiday parks have lakeside locations around popular spots like Windermere and Ullswater, whilst others require a bit of driving from pleasant Cumbrian spots outside The Lakes.
We did a quick price comparison too, which looks at how much a family of four would pay for a week during the summer holidays. You'll be able to get much lower prices outside of the peak weeks.
1. Avon Wood Holiday Park Windermere (simple site alongside Windermere, great reviews)
**Winner: best value Lake District holiday park**
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If you’re looking for flumes, bingo nights and minigolf for the kids…don’t stay at Avon Wood Holiday Park.
However, I’d certainly consider it if you want a quiet place to stay with a great reputation. Reviewers frequently give it 5 out of 5, despite it not really having a whole lot to do on the site itself. The key thing here is the location, in woodland alongside Windermere. It’s also got its own access to the Lake so you can bring your own canoe or boat and spend a few days bobbing about. Most of the accommodation is fairly pricey lodges, but we’ve included it in our best Lake District caravan park list as they do have some caravans which are hundreds of pounds cheaper. You’ll need a car (or a boat) if you stay at Avon Wood. Price: £785 for a family of four in a Bowness caravan for a week in August 2021. This particular grade of caravan was new in 2018. |
There are good views from some of the hot tubs at Avon Wood Holiday Park...
...and the accommodation is highly rated by customers
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2. Haven Lakeland Leisure Park Grange-over-sands (busy Haven park, indoor pool, 30 minute drive to The Lakes)
**Haven Offers: Last minute bargains from £120 + October Half Term from £299 + 2022 Holidays from £49**
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Haven has only got one holiday park in Cumbria but Lakeland Leisure Park gets a solid 4/5 from most reviewers.
It's not right in the Lake District, so you'll need a car if you want to do some exploring (Coniston is half an hour's drive). It's by the coast, which is fine for walks but isn't really a bucket-and-spade sort of area. I'd say the main appeal of Lakeland is the range of facilities onsite - as is the case with most Haven holiday parks. Lakeland has indoor and outdoor swimming pools, a 9 hole golf course, crazy golf, bowling alley, tennis and a boating lake. There are also kids' clubs, places to eat and various activities that you pay extra for, including a football academy and pottery painting. Of course, you'll probably want to be out exploring The Lakes but if it rains for three days solid, the onsite facilities will be very welcome. Unless of course you enjoy the feeling of rain dripping off your nose and onto your map... It's also one of the best value Haven holiday parks we've found, particularly if you're travelling as a group of five or six. Price: £569 for a week in a standard caravan for a family of four in August 2021 |
Haven's Lakeland Leisure Park isn't in the Lake District but it's still a pretty location...
...and they have modern accommodation and lots of facilities
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3. White Cross Bay Holiday Park Windermere (lakeside location, popular family park, indoor swimming pool)
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Park Resorts/ Parkdean Resorts has got four holiday parks in the Lake District and three of them make our top 10 guide because of their reviews and facilities (Fallbarrow, White Cross Bay and Limefitt).
They’re all around Windermere and all get very good reviews (either 4 or 4.5 out of 5 on TripAdvisor). Personally, I’d go for White Cross Bay holiday park as it’s a bit closer to Windermere and the only one with an indoor swimming pool, which I suspect would be useful given the Lake District’s ‘occasional’ rainy days. There’s also a sports court, sauna and steam room, playground, bar and restaurant and a marina so you can even bring your own boat (you have to pre-book for that). There are also kids' activities, mostly based around the swimming pool. You can sometimes get a good deal by renting direct from owners at White Cross Bay. Price: £1049 for a week in a pet-friendly Brantwood caravan for a family of four in August 2021. |
White Cross Bay Holiday Park is in a terrific lakeside location...
...and it's got a good-sized indoor swimming pool
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4. Limefitt Holiday Park Windermere (idyllic location, basic facilities)
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Limefitt Holiday Park is another Park Resorts/ Parkdean Resorts site near Windermere, in a valley a couple of miles from the Lake. It scores well with reviewers, averaging 4.5 out of 5 on TripAdvisor.
The park isn’t as well equipped as some bigger parks but it does have a pub, games room, playground and the option to try out pony trekking, which you pay extra for. There isn't a swimming pool. I’d put this one into the category of a quiet holiday park, rather than one of those big family holiday parks where you can expect to endure screaming children on bicycles at 11pm every night… At the time of writing, all types of accommodation were getting good scores from reviewers. Price: £1029 for a Fairfield Lodge for a family of four, for a week in August 2021. The lodges were actually cheaper than the caravans, whereas it's normally the other way round. |
Limefitt Holiday Park is in a pretty valley in the Lakes...
...and it offers the chance to go horse riding
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5. Whitbarrow Village, near Penrith (posh family holiday park, indoor swimming pool, hot tubs)
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Whitbarrow Village isn't cheap but it's aimed at families and is posher than most holiday parks on our Lake District and Cumbria guide. The accommodation is described as cottages rather than caravans but it's a large site with plenty of space to run around and the sorts of activities you get at busy holiday parks.
Whitbarrow has got an indoor swimming pool, sauna, gym, toddlers' play area, table tennis, crazy golf, adventure playground and giant chess. Most of the accommodation has hot tubs so you can bubble the days away. Reviews are currently at 4.5 out of 5 on TripAdvisor. It's between Penrith and Keswick, so you can be at Ullswater in about 15-20 minutes. It's also easy to access from the M6. Overall, Whitbarrow is a great choice...if you can afford it. Price: £1885 for a week in a 'Caldew' cottage for a family of four in August 2021 |
Whitbarrow Village has some high quality facilities, including an indoor pool...
...and a modern restaurant
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6. Fallbarrow Holiday Park Windermere (great lakeside location, basic facilities, very good reviews)
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Fallbarrow Holiday Park is the third Park Resorts/ Parkdean Resorts caravan site to make it into our Lake District top 10 holiday park guide.
Its main attraction is its location, right in the heart of Windermere with marina access so you can bring your boat along (unfortunately my million pound yacht is currently out of action…). There are also other basic facilities, such as a playground, games room and bar. There isn’t a swimming pool or sports area, so I would see it as a pleasant base for exploring rather than somewhere to spend the whole week. Reviews average 4.5 out of 5 on TripAdvisor or nearly 9/10 on Hoseasons (that's the same score, for those who aren't maths geniuses). Price: £1039 for a week in a 'Sedgewick' caravan for a family of four in August 2020. Some of the similarly priced caravans sleep six people, so could work as a good value for larger families. |
Fallbarrow Holiday Park has caravans overlooking Windermere...
...and facilities include a modern bar and restaurant
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7. Stanwix Park Holiday Centre (cheap coastal park with indoor swimming pool, 30 minute drive to The Lakes)
**Winner: cheapest Lake District and Cumbria holiday park**
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Stanwix Park is one to consider if you want a combination of beach days out and Lake District exploring. It’s in Silloth, which has a shingly sort of beach so not exactly sandcastle territory, but nice for a wander.
It's about 30 minutes drive to the edge of the Lake District, but bear in mind that the roads in the Lakes are very slow so it will 90 minutes to two hours to get to Windermere on a busy day (yes, that does say two hours). On the plus side, Stanwix Park is well equipped with things to do onsite, including large indoor and outdoor swimming pools, an adventure playground, soft play area, kids' clubs, gym, tennis, 10 pin bowling, pool and snooker. There's an extra charge for some activities. Reviews average about 4 out of 5 on TripAdvisor, or about 8 out of 10 on Hoseasons when I checked. The promotional video won seven Baftas, including Most Content Couple in a TV Advert... Price: £480 for a 'Coniston' apartment for a family of four for a week in August 2021. Most of the accommodation is caravans, but the cheapest option was an apartment when we searched. It's got one bedroom, so two people will be sleeping on a sofa bed in the lounge. The cheapest two bedroom caravan was £556. |
Stanwix Park is unusual because it has a good sized indoor swimming pool...
...and a large outdoor swimming pool
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8. Hillcroft Caravan Park Ullswater (great location and reviews, quiet park, basic facilities onsite)
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Hillcroft Caravan Park is in a nice spot towards the north of the Lake District, so it's a bit less touristy than Windermere.
There's not a lot on site, but it get very good reviews (4.5/5 from most reviewers when I checked) and is a decent base for walking or getting to Ullswater. It's also not too far from the M6 so it's quicker to get to than some holiday parks. If you're coming from Manchester or Newcastle it will only take about 90 minutes in the car The park only has a play area and table tennis, so don't plan to spend all your time here. Although to be honest, if you come to the Lake District and then spend the whole week in a caravan, you've kind of missed the point. Most of the accommodation is caravans but they do also have lodges with hot tubs. Price: £1035 for a family of four, staying for a week in August 2021 in a pet-friendly 'Atlanta' holiday home or a 'Vogue' caravan. Lodges with hot tubs were about £300 extra for the same dates. |
Hillcroft Caravan Park is a quiet and highly rated park...
...with hot tubs in some lodges if you want to upgrade
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9. Bassenthwaite Lakeside Lodges, near Keswick (posh lodges with hot tubs, lakeside location)
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Bassenthwaite Lakeside Lodges are a bit posher and pricier than most holiday parks, but we've included it because of its 5/5 reviews on TripAdvisor.
As you may have guessed from the name, it overlooks Bassenthwaite Lake and has terrific views from some of the accommodation. The location is near to Keswick in the north of The Lakes, so it's a good choice if you're coming from Carlisle or Glasgow. Facilities onsite are limited to a children's playground but some of the more expensive accommodation does have hot tubs (parp) and there's plenty to do in Keswick including the, er, Pencil Museum. Roads in the Lake District are slower than a snail with a hangover, so it'll take you well over an hour to get to Windermere. Price: £1385 for a week in a Honister country lodge for a family of four in August 2021 |
There are great reviews from Bassenthwaite Lakeside Lodges...
...as well as a simple playground for children
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10. Wild Rose Park Ormside (good base for seeing Pennines, Dales and Lakes with a car)
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Wild Rose Park isn’t actually in the Lake District but it’s only half an hour’s drive away and is also near to the Yorkshire Dales so you can explore a bit of both.
Customer reviews average 4.5 out of 5 and it’s got a decent range of facilities, including an outdoor swimming pool (a bit optimistic perhaps?), a restaurant and bar, play area and badminton. I wouldn’t say there’s enough on site to spend a long time, but the caravans get good reviews from customers. It's also one the cheaper holiday park out of our list of the 10 best Lake District and Cumbria caravan parks. If you want to test your eyesight, Barnard Castle is a 40 minute drive away. Price: £655 for a week in a 'rose gold' caravan for a family of four in August 2021. |
Wild Rose Park is in a leafy location about half an hour from the Lakes...
...and the accommodation gets good reviews from customers
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Price comparison of 10 of the Lake District and Cumbria's best caravan holiday parks
Obviously our price comparison only looked at one week, but here are the results for what it's worth.
We looked for the cheapest accommodation available for a week's holiday in early August 2021, for a family of two adults and two children. We didn't include any extras or upgrades. We searched in November 2020.
From the cheapest to the most expensive:
We looked for the cheapest accommodation available for a week's holiday in early August 2021, for a family of two adults and two children. We didn't include any extras or upgrades. We searched in November 2020.
From the cheapest to the most expensive:
- Stanwix Park Holiday Park - £480 **Cheapest caravan holiday park**
- Haven Lakeland Leisure Park - £569
- Wild Rose Park - £655
- Avon Wood Holiday Park - £785 **Best value caravan holiday park**
- Limefitt Holiday Park - £1029
- Hillcroft Caravan Park - £1035
- Fallbarrow Holiday Park - £1039
- White Cross Bay - £1049
- Bassenthwaite Lakeside Lodges - £1385
- Whitbarrow Village - £1885
Images from Haven, Booking.com, Parkdean Resorts, Hillcroft Park and Hoseasons.
