This family-friendly grade II listed Regency style building, in a glorious setting overlooking tranquil Esthwaite Water, is an ideal base for cheap family breaks, school trips and activity breaks. Great for walking and cycling holidays, nearby Grizedale Forest also offers some of the country’s best routes if you're looking for a mountain biking holiday.
Explore the surrounding Beatrix Potter country from here, or there’s easy access to the southern fells and Lake Windermere. YHA Hawkshead also offers our biggest choice of Camping and Cabins - with an atmospheric village of camping pods, cabins and tipis in our grounds. Expect tranquil views, fabulous beer and plenty of Regency charm.
FREE WI-FI available in communal areas for guests!
The Hostel
YHA Hawkshead is a grade II listed building that has 106 beds in a selection of dorm rooms and private rooms, some of which are en-suite. The Youth Hostel has many great facilities including a conference room, self-catering kitchen and social areas. There is a spacious lounge which is perfect for relaxing after a busy day, a dining room, and a games room. Camping and camping pods are also available.
Tipis
Get all the fun of camping but without any of the set up stresses with these beautiful tipis - part of the YHA Glamping experience. These spacious tipis are fully kitted out with bedding and can sleep four people on mattresses. They have a wooden floor which is partly carpeted and a lockable coffee table chest which you can store you belongings in and use as a table. There's also eco-friendly solar lighting and two comfy waterproof bean bags for you to chill out on during the day. This cosy glamping option is perfect for those who love camping but not roughing it.
There are two tipis available at YHA Hawkshead and they are available to book throughout the year for stays between Easter and the end of October. Tipi guests have use of an external toilet and shower block and self-catering kitchen.
Camping Pods
This hostel offers eight camping pods including the Standard Pod which sleeps two people (on two futon beds) and the Large Pod which sleeps four (on a double futon and two single beds). Enjoy luxury camping without the luxury price tag. These wooden pods have heating and an outdoor seating area - perfect for disposable BBQs, bring all your usual camping gear, apart from sleeping bags and mats, but sleep sheltered from the elements.
Cabins
The large cabin at YHA Hawkshead has four beds - one double with a single over the top and another set of two bunk beds - and sleeps four or five people comfortably. In the daytime, the fully furnished heated large cabins double up as living areas. All bedding is included so relax and sleep under the stars in this wooden cabin where you'll be well protected from the elements. Guests are welcome to use all of the hostel facilities including the bathroom and self-catering kitchen.
When YHA Hawkshead has sole use bookings, the campsite and the pod village are still available, however there will be no access to the hostel facilities. There will still be access to the camping toilet and shower facilities, as well as the camping wash-up area. When booking camping or camping pods at YHA Hawkshead, please contact the hostel directly to check whether this is the case.
Camping
Please note that camping is sold per person and not per pitch and so, during the booking process, you will need to select the number of people that you wish to camp.
The YHA Hawkshead campsite is situated in the Victorian kitchen garden, a picturesque spot that is perfect for organised groups, families or people travelling on their own. Surrounded by woodland with a stream running alongside the site, it's the perfect spot to pitch your tent.
Facilities
The camping site can accommodate up to 10 family sized tents and a couple of small one man tents.
Campers have full access to indoor showers and toilets which are just 10 metres from the camping field.
There is also full access to a self-catering kitchen a similar distance away.
There are no BBQ facilities on site but guests are welcome to bring their own.
Parking
Cars cannot be taken onto the main camping field. We have plenty of parking near the campsite
Check In
Check in from 3pm, check out before 10am.
Opening Times
The campsite is open all year round.
Important Information
Campfires are strictly prohibited.
To book your stay, click the Book Now button above.
This hostel is occasionally made available for hire on an exclusive basis. This means that you can have the place to yourself and choose how many of your friends, family, club mates, etc., join you. We allocate availability for exclusive use in blocks, typically up to 90 days in the future. If you are looking for space to stay with us on a normal shared basis, and can’t see any availability three months or more into the future, then this hostel may be being held for Exclusive Hire. You can check availability for Exclusive Hire on our dedicated website, or use our live chat service for more information.
YHA Hawkshead benefits from a courtyard building which is also available for exclusive use.
There is free parking on site and an overflow car park for use during busy times.
Dogs can stay on our campsite and in our camping pods, cabins and tipis. There is a £5 charge per dog per night for our camping pod, cabin and tipi accommodation which is payable upon arrival. You can bring your dog for free if you are camping in your own tent.
Pets are not permitted in the hostel accommodation at YHA Hawkshead however, assistance dogs are welcome throughout, please advise upon booking.
Accessibility
At YHA Hawkshead we strive to cater for everybody.Unfortunately none of our bedrooms or washrooms is accessible to modern standards.
We have:
For more information please download the full access statement here (108KB)
