Compare 23 lodges near Ullswater, closest first – filter by hot tubs, pets, pools and more, then check dates and prices.
Hillcroft Park is set in the beautiful Ullswater Valley in the Lake District National Park, sitting above the pretty lakeside village of Pooley Bridge and Lake Ullswater, a 5-minute walk from the park.
Allow yourself to be immersed in the peaceful and tranquil environment of this award-winning Best in Britain Hillcroft Park has to offer.
Hartsop Fold Lodges is part of our Wanderwood Lodge Holidays Collection.
Flusco Wood is part of our exclusive Bouja Luxury Boutique Breaks Collection, nestling in beautiful woodland just 4½ miles from magnificent Ullswater.
Tucked away in the lush green foothills of Blencathra Fells, Whitbarrow is situated halfway between the market towns of Penrith and Keswick.
Lowside Farm Glamping is an idyllic rural park comprising of a selection of Pods each with wonderful views over the adjoining countryside, due to the location of the site it benefits from stunning sunsets and sunrises over the rolling hills of the Lake District National Park.
Lowther Park is a beautifully well kept holiday park that delivers on a tranquil feel but also provides facilities for all the family to enjoy.
Ullswater Heights is part of our Evermore Lodge Holidays Collection, boasting hand-picked lodges and a secluded glamping village featuring deluxe safari tents, all complete with their very own decking and steamy hot tubs set in the landscaped grounds of a former quarry and providing the perfect backdrop for your Cumbrian holiday.
Located at the base of Carrock and Bowscale Fells and the picturesque Blencathra Mountain, Thanet Well Lodge Retreat boasts the most spectacular views from its dramatic and truly unique setting on the edge of Greystoke Forest which forms the ‘gateway’ to the Lake District National Park.
Limefitt Holiday Park, nestled in the stunning Lake District, offers guests an authentic countryside experience with its range of outdoor-focused amenities and direct access to some of England’s most breathtaking landscapes.
Calthwaite Hall is uniquely set on the footprint of the barns used for a historic dairy farm and accompanying country house and gardens, this truly magical setting mixes historic country living with contemporary sophistication.
White Cross Bay stands as a getaway in the stunning Lake District, offering an ideal blend of leisure and outdoor adventure.
Bassenthwaite Lakeside Lodges is part of our Wanderwood Lodge Holidays Collection, nestling on the shores of Bassenthwaite Lake at the foot of dramatic Skiddaw Mountain.
Situated in the lovely setting of Bowness-on-Windermere, Cumbria, Fallbarrow Holiday Park offers a unique blend of tranquility and activity, making it an ideal destination for those looking to explore the Lake District.
The park is located in Bassenthwaite, Keswick, which is a small Lakeland village that has been voted the most peaceful place in the UK for staycations.
Picture it: mist lifting off the water at Pooley Bridge, a Victorian steamer pulling away from the pier, and the ridges of Helvellyn catching the first sun at the far end of the lake. Ullswater winds for seven and a half miles through the eastern fells of the Lake District, and the national park calls it the second largest lake in England. It’s an easy hop from the M6 at Penrith. The walking from its shores is some of the best in Cumbria.
We’ve picked six parks with lodges near Ullswater, from hillside holiday lodges a five-minute walk from Pooley Bridge to Scandinavian-style cabins by Brotherswater. Drive times are by road from the middle of the lake.
All six take dogs. Five have hot tubs.
The two Hillcroft parks win on location, as you can stroll down to the shore and the village pubs without the car. Head south and Hartsop Fold sits in the quieter end of the valley, beyond Patterdale. Flusco Wood and Whitbarrow are to the north, handy for Penrith and the road to Keswick.
Tap a column heading to sort the table.
| Lodge park | Drive (mins) | Sleeps | Hot tubs | Pets |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hillcroft Park Glamping | 6 | 2 | No | Yes |
| Hillcroft Park | 7 | 14 | Yes | Yes |
| Flusco Wood | 10 | 4 | Yes | Yes |
| Whitbarrow | 13 | 8 | Yes | Yes |
| Hartsop Fold | 14 | 4 | Yes | Yes |
| Ullswater Heights | 14 | 8 | Yes | Yes |
Driving Distance: About 7 minutes (4.3 miles) | Sleeps: Up to 14 | Hot tubs: Yes | Pet friendly? Yes
What to expect: Rolling hillside above the lakeside village of Pooley Bridge, with views across the water to the fells. Guests rate it 4.8 out of 5. The lake is a five-minute walk away, so a pint at the Sun Inn is right on the doorstep.
Who’ll love it? Big groups, as the largest holiday homes sleep up to 14. Dogs are welcome, some lodges have hot tubs and there’s fishing too.
Good to know: some stays here are adults only, so check the listing if you’re bringing children.
Driving Distance: About 6 minutes (4.2 miles) | Sleeps: Up to 2 | Hot tubs: No | Pet friendly? Yes
Same hillside, smaller footprint. This is Hillcroft’s glamping side, the highest rated place in this guide with a perfect 5.0 from guests, and it has a Best in Britain award to its name.
It sleeps two, so it suits couples and solo walkers. Dogs can come along. Walking, cycling, fishing, sailing, climbing and canoeing are all close by, and Pooley Bridge is five minutes downhill.
Driving Distance: About 14 minutes (7.6 miles) | Sleeps: Up to 4 | Hot tubs: Yes | Pet friendly? Yes
What to expect: Scandinavian-style lodges between Brotherswater and Ullswater, each with a big verandah for watching the night sky. There’s heated storage for muddy boots and wet coats. Red deer and red squirrels live nearby. Guests rate it 4.7.
Who’ll love it? Couples and small families of up to four, especially walkers. Drive south over the Kirkstone Pass for the cafes of Ambleside, with Wordsworth’s Grasmere a little further on.
Driving Distance: About 10 minutes (7.3 miles) | Sleeps: Up to 4 | Hot tubs: Yes | Pet friendly? Yes
Tucked into woodland four and a half miles from Ullswater, Flusco Wood is part of the Bouja Luxury Boutique Breaks collection, so expect contemporary, luxurious lodges. Better still for dog owners, there’s an enclosed dog walking area. Let the dog run off lead while you sit in the hot tub with a coffee.
Guests rate it 4.8, and the lodges sleep up to four.
Driving Distance: About 13 minutes (8.7 miles) | Sleeps: Up to 8 | Hot tubs: Yes | Pet friendly? Yes | Indoor pool: Yes
What to expect: An 18th century Cumbrian farm turned into a little holiday village, with cobbled lanes between stone buildings in the foothills of the Blencathra fells. It’s halfway between Penrith and Keswick.
Who’ll love it? Families. It’s the only park here with an indoor pool and it runs activities for children, lodges sleep up to eight and dogs are welcome. Keswick and the easy family climb of Catbells are a short drive west.
Driving Distance: About 14 minutes (10.0 miles) | Sleeps: Up to 8 | Hot tubs: Yes | Pet friendly? Yes
What to expect: Lodges and a glamping village of deluxe safari tents in the landscaped grounds of an old quarry, each with its own decking and hot tub. The Lake House bar and restaurant and the Lake House Street Kitchen serve food on site. There’s a covered, heated outdoor dining area too.
Who’ll love it? Families and groups of up to eight who’d rather not drive to dinner, and couples after glamping with a hot tub.
Each park suits a different kind of break, so start with who’s coming.
Five of the six have log cabins and luxury lodges with hot tubs. Browse every lodge with a hot tub in the UK. Or narrow it to dog friendly lodges if the dog’s coming too.
Ullswater Steamers sail 363 days a year from piers at Pooley Bridge, Howtown and Glenridding. Lady of the Lake first sailed in 1877, so she’s been crossing this water for nearly 150 years! Raven followed in 1889. Glenridding to Howtown takes about 35 minutes, and end to end is about an hour.
The Ullswater Steamers timetable listed a round-the-lake adult return at £26 when we checked, with dogs at £1.50 a trip on a short lead. The Aira Force pier isn’t running, as the operator lists it as closed until 2027. Reach the falls by car or bus instead.
Water thunders 21 metres (70 feet) down a rocky gorge at Aira Force, with footbridges above and below where you’ll feel the spray. The Howard family planted over 200 conifers below the falls in 1846, and red squirrels still scamper through the woods.
National Trust members park free, and charges apply for everyone else. The tearoom opens 10am to 4pm. Our guide to lodges near Aira Force has more on the walks from the car park.
Eric Robson opened the Ullswater Way on 25 April 2016, a 20 mile waymarked loop of lakeshore, woodland and open fell. You don’t have to do it all. The Glenridding to Howtown section is 6.5 miles of rocky, undulating path, and Wainwright called it “the most beautiful and rewarding walk in Lakeland”. Catch the steamer back.
You’ll cross the UK’s first stainless steel road bridge into the village, opened in October 2020 after Storm Desmond swept the old stone one away in 2015. The Sun Inn has Jennings ales and a beer garden with a play area. A few doors along, the 17th century Crown Inn has a terrace over the River Eamont.
For a short leg stretch, climb wooded Dunmallard Hill, an Iron Age hillfort site carpeted in bluebells in spring. It’s about a mile and a half.
Glenridding is the walkers’ village at the southern tip, with the steamer pier, an information centre and the Travellers Rest pub. From here the classic route climbs Helvellyn, at 950 metres England’s third highest mountain, by the knife-edge scramble of Striding Edge. Allow about five hours. Walkers warn against trying it in high winds.
Want the best view for the least effort? Park by St Peter’s church above Howtown and it’s about half an hour of grassy climbing to the 388 metre top of Hallin Fell. Martindale beyond has England’s oldest native herd of red deer, and our guide to lodges near Hallin Fell covers this quiet side of the lake.
Dalemain, a mile from the lake on the A592, is a salmon pink Georgian house wrapped round a 12th century pele tower, and it hosts the marmalade awards each spring. Lowther Castle’s ruins and gardens open daily except Christmas Day, 10am to 5pm in summer and 10am to 4pm in winter.
Glenridding Sailing Centre hires out sailing boats, canoes and kayaks. At Pooley Bridge, Lakeland Boat Hire has motor and rowing boats, and Alfresco Adventures at Park Foot rents paddleboards from April to October. Swimmers like the easy access by Glenridding pier. Take it seriously, as the water stays around 11°C even in summer.
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Spring and early autumn are the sweet spot, with long walking days and fewer cars at Aira Force. Tap a month for the details.
Yes. Five of the six parks here have lodges with hot tubs: Hillcroft Park, Hartsop Fold, Flusco Wood, Whitbarrow and Ullswater Heights. Check each listing, as not every lodge on a park has one.
Hillcroft Park and Hillcroft Park Glamping, above Pooley Bridge, about a five-minute walk from the lake.
All six parks welcome pets. Dogs can ride the Ullswater Steamers for £1.50 a trip on a short lead, but not on the seats or upper decks.
Yes. Hillcroft Park Glamping sleeps two near Pooley Bridge, and Ullswater Heights has a glamping village of deluxe safari tents, each with a hot tub.
Yes, and Glenridding pier and Pooley Bridge are popular spots. The water is cold all year, around 11°C at best in summer, so swim with others and keep well clear of the steamers.
Take the train to Penrith, then the 508 bus to Pooley Bridge (about 20 minutes) or Glenridding (about 40). You’ll still need a taxi or lift to most of the parks.
They do. Ullswater Steamers sail 363 days a year, though high winds can cancel sailings, so check on the day.
The Ullswater Way is a 20 mile loop. Most people walk a section and use the steamer or the 508 bus to get back.
The fells, the boats and the hot tub are all waiting. Have a look at more Lake District lodges, or book a holiday lodge and start planning your days on the water.
