Landal Whitbarrow Holiday Village
Landal Whitbarrow is a self-catering holiday village in a converted 18th-century farmstead at Berrier near Penrith, on the eastern edge of the Lake District National Park in Cumbria, north-west England. It sits at the foot of Blencathra fell between Penrith and Keswick, with stone cottages and lodges around a courtyard, most of them with a private hot tub, plus an indoor heated pool and spa, a cinema, a duck pond, open fell views and the A66 alongside for exploring the Lakes.
On this page
Is it worth it?
The quick read before the detail: who Whitbarrow suits, what's on site and the facts to skim first.
Landal Whitbarrow is a self-catering village of stone cottages and lodges in a converted farmstead near Penrith, on the eastern edge of the Lake District. Most units have a private hot tub, there's an indoor heated pool and a small spa, and the A66 alongside puts Ullswater, Derwentwater and much of the Lakes within a short drive. Three things are worth knowing before you book: there's one pool and no separate splash pool for non-swimmers, the on-site restaurant opens only Friday to Tuesday and there's no kids' club or supervised childcare, so children's activities are ones you do together or book by the session. Prices sit at the upper end of UK self-catering. You'll get the most from it if you want a quiet fell base with a hot tub and an indoor option for wet days, and less if you need a toddler pool, drop-off childcare or a restaurant open every night.
Best for
You want a quiet Lake District base in a converted farmstead, a private hot tub, an indoor pool for wet days and the A66 on hand for days out around Ullswater and Keswick, in self-catering cottages or lodges.
Maybe not for
You need a shallow toddler pool, drop-off childcare or a restaurant open every night of the week.
Best ages
Babies upwards, though with no kids' club and one main pool the youngest are always with you; the fit is strongest for children around one to ten, multi-generational groups and walkers using the A66 as a base for the fells.
What stands out
Private hot tubs in most units, the Exclusive lodges adding a private outdoor sauna and a genuine 18th-century farmstead setting under Blencathra.
What to check
The restaurant's Friday-to-Tuesday opening, and whether your unit can take a travel cot in a bedroom or only the living room.
Where is it?
Berrier, near Penrith on the eastern edge of the Lake District, about 8 miles from Penrith and 13 from Keswick, with the A66 alongside.
Quick facts for families
What the village is like
Where Whitbarrow sits, how it's laid out and the Landal parks it's easy to confuse it with.
Whitbarrow is built around a converted 18th-century Cumbrian farmstead, with stone cottages and lodges spread across the grounds around the original courtyard rather than in one block. It's at the foot of Blencathra on the eastern edge of the Lake District National Park, between Penrith about 8 miles east and Keswick about 13 miles west, with direct access from the A66. Most units look out to open fell views, and reviews describe it as quiet and rural, feeling remote despite the main road nearby. The park is compact and walkable for getting about day to day, though most families use the car to move a week's kit to and from the unit. For the wider area, see our Lake District guide.
A duck pond in the grounds is a favourite with small children, needing an adult alongside as any water does, and dogs are welcome in the pet-friendly units so long as they're kept on leads around the park. There's no beach here, since this is an inland fell resort. What you have instead of the seaside is the lakes, with Ullswater and Derwentwater about 10 miles off for boat trips and lake swimming.
One thing worth knowing when you book: Whitbarrow isn't Landal's only Cumbrian park. Landal also runs North Lakes at Aspatria, which has no pool, and Ullswater Heights, which is inside the National Park with its own restaurant and many of the same nearby attractions, so check you're booking the one under Blencathra with the A66 alongside if that's the setting you're after.
Where you'll stay
The three grades, every unit and which suit a family with a baby or toddler.
All the accommodation is self-catering and split across three grades. Classic units have no hot tub and are the entry level, taking in the stone cottages and the Ullswater Apartment. Luxe units add a private hot tub on the terrace or balcony. Exclusive units add a private hot tub and a private outdoor sauna. Every unit comes with free WiFi, a fully equipped kitchen, linen and towels and parking at or near the door. A security deposit is taken before you arrive. The table below is the full line-up with the sizes Landal publishes; the guidance after it is which suit a family with young children.
| Code | Unit | Sleeps | Bedrooms | Bathrooms | Hot tub | Grade | Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2C1 | Skiddaw | 2 | 1 double | 1 | No | Classic | circa 38 m² |
| 2C2 | Derwent | 2 | 1 double | 1 | No | Classic | circa 39.5 m² |
| 2CP2 | Derwent Pet | 2 | 1 double | 1 | No | Classic | – |
| 2-4CA1 | Ullswater Apartment | 2–4 | 1 double | 2 | No | Classic | circa 33.5 m² |
| 4L1 | Hesk | 4 | 2 (king + twin) | 2 | Private | Luxe | – |
| 4L2 | Souther | 4 | 2 (king + twin) | 2 | Private | Luxe | – |
| 4LP1 | Hesk Pet | 4 | 2 (king + twin) | 2 | Private | Luxe | – |
| 4LP2 | Souther Pet | 4 | 2 (king + twin) | 2 | Private | Luxe | – |
| 4C | Caldew Cottage Spa | 4 | 2 (double + twin) | 2 | Private | Luxe | circa 59 m² |
| 4C2 | Grasmere Spa (4-person) | 4 | 2 (king + 2 singles) | 2 | Private | Luxe | circa 59 m² |
| 6L2 | Fell Side | 6 | 3 (super king, twin, bunk + single) | 2 | Private | Luxe | – |
| 6L3 | Lonscale | 6 | 3 (double + 2 twin) | 2 | Private | Luxe | – |
| 6L4 | Grasmere Spa | 6 | 3 (king + 2 twin) | 2 | Private | Luxe | – |
| 6LP1 | Patterdale Pet | 6 | 4 (2 double + 2 single) | 2 | Private | Luxe | – |
| 6LP2 | Fell Side Pet | 6 | 3 (king + double + twin) | 2 | Private | Luxe | – |
| 6LP3 | Lonscale Pet | 6 | 3 (double + 2 twin) | 2 | Private | Luxe | – |
| 6LP4 | Grasmere Spa Pet | 6 | 3 (king + 2 twin) | 2 | Private | Luxe | – |
| 6EL1 | Peak View | 6 | 3 (king + double + twin) | 2 | Private + sauna | Exclusive | – |
| 6EL2 | Wansfell | 6 | 3 (king + double + twin) | 2 | Private + sauna | Exclusive | – |
| 6ELP1 | Peak View Pet | 6 | 3 (king + double + twin) | 2 | Private + sauna | Exclusive | – |
| 6ELP2 | Wansfell Pet | 6 | 3 (king + double + twin) | 2 | Private + sauna | Exclusive | – |
| 6-8C | Troutbeck Cottage Spa | 6–8 | 3 (double + twin + bunk) | 2 | Private | Luxe | circa 68 m² |
| 6CA1 | The Farmhouse 2 | 6 | 3 (king + double + twin) | 3 | Private | Luxe | circa 120 m² |
| 6CA2 | The Farmhouse 1 | 6 | 3 (king + double + twin) | 3 | Private | Luxe | circa 110 m² |
Landal publishes floor areas for most of the cottages and the two Farmhouse units; for the lodges, and for the pet-friendly Derwent cottage, it doesn't give a size, which is the dash in the table, so those are best judged by their bedrooms rather than an estimated area. Pet-friendly versions run across all three grades, so if you're bringing the dog you can still choose the grade you want.
For families the first question is whether a travel cot can go in a bedroom or only the living room. In the two-person Classic cottages Skiddaw and Derwent Pet, Landal's own listings note a cot can only be set up in the living room, not a bedroom, which is worth weighing if you need your baby to sleep in a separate room. The larger units, six-person and up, have dedicated bedrooms and don't carry that limitation.
Above the Classic cottages, the choice is mostly about size and grade. The Luxe lodges and cottages add a private hot tub, which guests say is serviced daily, and run from four-person units up to the six- to eight-person Troutbeck Cottage Spa. Some guests note Troutbeck has an upside-down layout, with the living room upstairs and the bedrooms below, so it's worth picturing before you book if stairs with a toddler would be awkward. The six-person lodges, Fell Side, Lonscale and Grasmere Spa, give you three bedrooms; Fell Side is listed as sleeping six across a super-king room, a twin and a room with a bunk and a single, so book it to that six-person figure. For larger or multi-generational groups, the two Farmhouse units sleep six across three bedrooms and three bathrooms, which reviewers single out as practical. The Exclusive lodges, Peak View and Wansfell and their pet versions, are the top tier, adding a private outdoor sauna to the hot tub, and guests rate them the best stay on the park.
Prices sit at the upper end of UK self-catering and vary by grade, size and season, so run your dates through Landal's booking system for the current cost.
Eden Bar & Restaurant
The one place to eat on site, and the two days a week it's closed.
The one place to eat and drink on the park is Eden Bar & Restaurant. The key thing to plan around is its opening: it runs Friday to Tuesday and is closed on Wednesdays and Thursdays. On the days it's open it does a full evening menu, Sunday roasts, local Cumbrian beers, cocktails and mocktails and homemade cakes, with bingo, live music and entertainment on some evenings. The mocktail list and family reviews make it welcoming for children.
Because it's the only kitchen on the park and shuts for two days midweek, plan the Wednesday and Thursday of your stay around cooking in your unit or driving out, to Penrith about 8 miles away or Keswick about 13. That's the main catch for anyone who'd rather not cook every night.
The pool and wellness
There's one indoor heated swimming pool, open to all ages and described in reviews as spotlessly clean. The point to weigh for the youngest children is that there's no separate splash pool or shallow toddler pool, so a baby or toddler who can't swim yet is in the one main pool with a parent throughout. If shallow water for a non-swimmer is essential, that's the gap to know about here. Its opening hours are in the Landal app. If you have a non-swimmer, bring your own armbands or floats.
Alongside the pool, a central wellness area has a hot tub, a sauna and a steam room, separate from the private hot tubs in the Luxe and Exclusive units. There's also an on-site fitness room. The Exclusive lodges add their own private outdoor sauna on top of all that.
Babies and toddlers
What there is for the youngest guests, and everything that fills a family day.
The units are self-catering with a full kitchen, so making up bottles and weaning are easy to manage yourself. A travel cot is available on request, measuring 58.4cm by 86.3cm, but it comes with no mattress and no bedding, so you'll need to bring your own cot mattress and linen, which is an easy thing to miss as most places supply them. High chairs are on request too, across every cottage and lodge. In the two-person Classic cottages, remember the cot can only go in the living room, not a bedroom.
The park is flat former farmland with stone paths and some gravel between the units, so a pushchair should manage short distances around the site, though there's no formal accessibility statement to confirm step-free routes. Because this is a converted farmstead, some ground is likely uneven beyond the core village, so if you're travelling with a wheelchair or a larger buggy, it's worth contacting Landal directly before booking to check the route to your specific unit. Plan to bath the baby and change nappies in your unit, and the duck pond is a reliable draw for toddlers, with an adult alongside. In the pool, the single all-ages pool and no shallow section mean the very youngest are always in the water with you.
On the parkThings to do
First, the thing that shapes a family's day: there's no kids' club and no supervised childcare on the park. Everything for children is either something you do together or a session you book, so a parent is always on hand. For under-twos in particular, that means the pool, the playroom and the outdoor space rather than any drop-off care.
Always open, with no booking, are an outdoor adventure playground, a children's playroom with a train set, books and table football that makes a good wet-weather bolthole, a mini golf putting green, an outdoor giant chessboard, frisbee golf and a pool table. The cinema room seats 20 and shows films from Netflix, Disney+ and Prime, with a PG on every couple of hours from 11am and a 12-rated film at 6.30pm; you can add a cinema box from the Eden Bar from noon, with popcorn, a drink, a chocolate bar and a biscuit, for a small charge. There's also a PlayStation room with two PS4s and a Nintendo Switch, open from noon to 9pm in hour-long slots, with a refundable deposit.
Bookable at reception, subject to availability, are Aqua Fun, archery, campfire and tipi building, a Craft Club and a magician event. In the school holidays there's a children's disco for ages two and up, at £5 per child (last checked June 2026).
The area and days out
The lakes and attractions within a short drive, and how you reach the park.
There's no beach, since Whitbarrow is an inland fell resort. The nearest coast, around the Solway Firth at Allonby or Silloth, is about 35 to 40 miles away, a 45 to 60 minute drive. What stands in for the seaside is the lakes: Ullswater and Derwentwater are about 10 miles off, two of the Lake District's most visited, with the Ullswater Steamers, boat trips and lake swimming, though they're lakes rather than sandy beaches.
The A66 position puts a lot within a short drive, and these are the distances Landal gives from the park. Rookin House Activity Centre, for horse riding and quad bikes, is 4 miles. The Aira Force waterfall, a National Trust spot reached on a rocky path with no buggy route, is 8 miles, as are the Rheged Centre near Penrith, a good rainy-day mix of exhibitions, cinema and café, and Lowther Castle with its adventure playground and gardens. The Ullswater Steamers and Castlerigg Stone Circle, open and easy to walk near Keswick, are 10 miles. Keswick's Theatre by the Lake and the optical-illusion Puzzling Place are 12 miles. Go Ape Whinlatter, with age minimums from 4 up, is 16 miles, the World of Beatrix Potter at Bowness is 24 miles, Carlisle is 27 miles and Walby Farm Park near Carlisle is 34 miles.
The nearest town is Penrith, about 8 miles east, which is where the supermarkets, pharmacies and shops are, Tesco and Sainsbury's among them. Keswick, about 13 miles west, is the other quick base for eating out and getting to the water.
Getting there and around
This is a self-drive destination. By car you come off the M6 at junction 40 by Penrith and head west on the A66 towards Keswick, with Berrier signposted a few miles along. Rough driving times are about 90 minutes from Manchester or Newcastle, around 110 from Leeds, 115 from Glasgow and about 5 hours from London. Check-in is from 4pm and check-out by 10am, with the facilities open to use before and after those times.
There's no shuttle or transfer. Penrith station on the West Coast Main Line is about 8 miles away, but there's no onward service laid on, so from the train you'd take a taxi, and in practice a car is how families get here and get about. Parking is provided by the units, with EV charging points on the park. The nearest airport, Manchester, is about 120 miles south, roughly two hours, with no transfer service.
Loves and gripes
What families rate and what they flag, how it compares and the weather by season.
Across the aggregator write-ups and guest reviews, families rate Whitbarrow well. Holiday Park Guru put it around 4.4 to 4.5 out of 5 in January 2026, with an 89% combined score.
What families love
- The spotlessly clean pool, a recurring high point.
- Fabulous, attentive staff.
- Clean, spacious, well-equipped cottages and lodges.
- The private hot tubs, well kept and serviced daily.
- The A66 setting for exploring the Lakes.
- The wet-weather resilience, with the indoor pool, cinema and playroom.
- The duck pond and the school-holiday children's disco.
Common gripes
- The midweek restaurant closure catching people out.
- The 8-mile drive to the nearest shops.
- No baby or splash pool for non-swimmers.
- WiFi not always coping with several devices streaming at once.
- Shared patios and hot-tub noise on some older units.
- Troutbeck Cottage Spa's upside-down layout.
- The remoteness, a positive for some and a drawback for others.
How it compares
What sets Whitbarrow apart is the private hot tubs in most units, the farmstead character, the A66 position for Lake District days out, the pet-friendly options and the Exclusive grade with its outdoor sauna. Against other family options in the area, Another Place, The Lake on Ullswater is a hotel with a supervised, Ofsted-registered kids' zone, so it has the childcare Whitbarrow doesn't, at a higher price and without self-catering; Whitbarrow is the cheaper, cook-your-own choice with no drop-off care. White Cross Bay, a Parkdean park, sits right on Windermere where Whitbarrow has no lake frontage, though both have indoor pools. There's no Center Parcs in Cumbria, so Whitbarrow fills a similar resort-village-with-a-pool niche for the area. Landal, the Dutch-origin operator behind it, runs around 25 UK parks and was named Best Medium UK Family Holiday Company at the 2019 British Travel Awards.
A mild, wet climateWeather and when to go
The park sits in the Cumbrian fells on the eastern side of the Lake District, at the foot of Blencathra, which gives it a little shelter from the wettest westerly weather, though rain is possible in any month. It's open year-round. Days run from around 5°C in winter to about 18°C in July and August, with sunshine from roughly an hour a day in midwinter to about six in high summer. The warmest, brightest months are May to September, with April and September the quieter shoulder options. Whatever the month, pack waterproofs, layers and proper footwear.
| Month | Daytime high | Overnight low | Rain | Wet days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7° | 1° | 218 mm | 18 |
| February | 7.5° | 1° | 192 mm | 16 |
| March | 9° | 2° | 167 mm | 15 |
| April | 12° | 3° | 114 mm | 14 |
| May | 15.5° | 5.5° | 114 mm | 13 |
| June | 17.5° | 8.5° | 109 mm | 14 |
| July | 20° | 10.5° | 108 mm | 12 |
| August | 19.5° | 10° | 133 mm | 13 |
| September | 17° | 8° | 153 mm | 14 |
| October | 13.5° | 6° | 242 mm | 19 |
| November | 9.5° | 3° | 216 mm | 20 |
| December | 7° | 1° | 230 mm | 18 |
Typical monthly averages from weather-station records. Whitbarrow is open year-round.
Health, shops and practicalities
Where to shop for supplies, the nearest medical help and the practical booking notes.
There's no shop on the park, so stock up before you arrive or on a run into Penrith, about 8 miles away, which has Tesco and Sainsbury's and the pharmacies, Boots among them. There's nothing closer for a forgotten essential, so it's a proper shop on the way in rather than a quick nip out.
For medical help, the nearest A&E is at the Cumberland Infirmary in Carlisle, about 27 miles away. Closer in, Penrith Community Hospital, about 8 miles off, has an Urgent Treatment Centre for non-life-threatening injuries and illness, currently open 8am to 10pm daily, though it has no A&E and those hours can change; outside them, NHS 111 is the route to urgent advice. Penrith also has GP surgeries and pharmacies.
On the practical side, a security deposit is taken before arrival, and pet-friendly units are available across all three grades if you're bringing the dog, kept on a lead around the park.
Questions
The things families ask most, useful links and when this guide was last updated.
Which nights can we not eat on site?
Wednesday and Thursday, when Eden Bar & Restaurant is closed. It opens Friday to Tuesday, so plan those two evenings around cooking in your unit or driving to Penrith or Keswick, and if you want a meal out midweek, aim it at one of the open nights.
Do we need to bring cot bedding?
Yes. The travel cot is on request but comes with no mattress and no linen, so pack a cot mattress and bedding to fit a cot of about 58 by 86cm. High chairs, by contrast, are provided on request across the units.
Is there childcare so we can get an evening to ourselves?
No. There's no kids' club, crèche or babysitting, so an evening out means taking the children with you or staying in once they're asleep. If drop-off childcare is a deal-breaker, a hotel such as Another Place on Ullswater has a supervised kids' zone where Whitbarrow doesn't.
Is there a shallow pool for a baby or toddler?
No, and it's the main thing to weigh for the youngest. There's one indoor pool for all ages with no separate splash or toddler pool, so a child who can't swim yet is in the water with a parent throughout. Bring your own armbands or floats.
Can we get there and manage without a car?
It's difficult. There's no shuttle or transfer, and though Penrith station is about 8 miles away, nothing runs from there to the park, so you'd rely on a taxi and then have no easy way to reach the shops or days out. Nearly all families drive.
Can our baby sleep in a separate room from us?
In the larger units, yes, they have dedicated bedrooms. In the two-person Classic cottages Skiddaw and Derwent Pet, a travel cot can only go in the living room, so if you need your baby to sleep behind a closed door, choose a bigger unit.
Is there a shop on site for nappies and milk?
No, there's no shop on the park, so bring what you'll need or stock up in Penrith, about 8 miles away, which has the supermarkets and pharmacies.
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Useful links
- Landal Whitbarrow Holiday Village: the park's own site for the cottages and lodges, the facilities and booking.
- The Lake District with little ones: our guide to the wider area, its towns and lakes and when to go.
Last updated July 2026.
