White Cross Bay Holiday Park
White Cross Bay is a Parkdean holiday park on the wooded eastern shore of Lake Windermere, near Troutbeck Bridge in the Lake District. You stay in a self-catering caravan or lodge, with direct access to the lake, a marina and a boardwalk, and the only indoor pool at any Parkdean park in the Lakes. It suits families who want a base for Windermere, Ambleside and the fells, with somewhere warm to swim when the weather turns, and dogs are welcome throughout.
On this page
Is it worth it?
The quick read before the detail: who the park suits, what's on site and what to check first.
White Cross Bay is a Parkdean holiday park in woodland on the eastern shore of Lake Windermere, and the thing that sets it apart from the other Parkdean parks in the Lakes is its indoor pool, which counts for a lot in an area that sees this much rain. You stay in a self-catering caravan or lodge, there's direct access to the lake with a marina and boardwalk rather than a beach, and dogs are welcome everywhere. What you don't get is a separate toddler pool, a crèche or childcare service, or a full entertainment programme outside the school holidays, and both the WiFi and the phone signal can be patchy. You'll get the most from it if you want a base for exploring Windermere, Ambleside and the fells, with somewhere warm to swim when the weather closes in.
Best for
You want a Lake District base with an indoor pool for wet days, a self-catering caravan or lodge, direct access to Windermere and dogs welcome throughout.
Maybe not for
You want a sandy beach, a separate toddler pool, a full entertainment programme outside school holidays, or reliable phone signal and WiFi.
Best ages
Any age. Activities run from babies up, but there's no crèche or kids' club, so you're with your children throughout.
What stands out
The only Parkdean park in the Lakes with an indoor pool, a wooded lakeside setting with its own marina, and dogs welcome everywhere with no restrictions.
What to check
Whether a travel cot fits your caravan model, pool session times, and the entertainment programme for your dates.
Where is it?
On the eastern shore of Lake Windermere near Troutbeck Bridge, LA23 1LF, three miles from Bowness and just outside Windermere.
Quick facts for families
What the park is like
Where it sits, how it's laid out and what getting around is like with young children.
White Cross Bay sits in mature woodland on the eastern shore of Lake Windermere, near Troutbeck Bridge and just outside the town of Windermere. The setting is countryside and trees, with the lake along one edge, so it feels tucked away rather than on a main road. It's the only Parkdean park in the Lake District with an indoor pool, which is the single reason many families pick it over the brand's other Lakes parks. Parkdean pitches it at families, couples and dog owners alike, and it works best as a base for exploring: Windermere, Bowness, Ambleside and Hawkshead are all close, and the fells behind are Wainwright walking country. For more on the wider area, see our Lake District guide.
You stay in a caravan or lodge spread through the woodland, with the shared facilities gathered together near the centre: the indoor pool, The Boathouse bar and restaurant, a Costa Coffee kiosk and a convenience store. Down at the water there's a marina and a lakeside boardwalk. There's no sandy beach here, the shoreline is wooded, so families reach the lake by the marina and boardwalk rather than a strand of sand. Visitors often mention red deer and rabbits among the trees, which children tend to enjoy.
Getting around is on foot through the woods, and the paths can be uneven and dark under the trees after dusk, so a torch is worth packing. Dedicated parking beside your unit is a paid extra rather than a given, so without it you may park a short walk from the caravan. It's a small point, but one to weigh if you're carrying a sleeping toddler and a week's luggage.
The caravans and lodges
Every grade with its official size, what's included, and which suit a family with a baby or toddler.
Accommodation is self-catering caravans and lodges only, with no hotel rooms. Models come with two or three bedrooms and sleep up to eight. Parkdean grade both caravans and lodges by size, not by quality: as the brand's own wording puts it, a Bronze caravan is the smallest and a Gold caravan is the largest. Each grade also comes in a Premium version, which is the same size with more modern fixtures and decor. This is a Parkdean-wide system rather than something specific to White Cross Bay. The tables below carry the official sizes; the guidance after them is which suit a family with young children.
The caravans
| Grade | Size | Finish | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bronze | 240 sq ft (≈22 m²) | Standard | The smallest caravan; suits a couple or a small family. |
| Bronze Premium | 240 sq ft (≈22 m²) | Premium | The same size as the Bronze with more modern fixtures and decor. |
| Silver | 384 sq ft (≈36 m²) | Standard | A middle size, and the balance of space against price. |
| Silver Premium | 384 sq ft (≈36 m²) | Premium | The same size as the Silver with an upgraded finish. |
| Gold | 432 sq ft (≈40 m²) | Standard | The largest caravan. |
| Gold Premium | 432 sq ft (≈40 m²) | Premium | The same size as the Gold with the top caravan finish. |
Every caravan grade comes with a Hub Pass, which is the wristband that gets you into the pool and the on-park entertainment. Heating and double glazing, a fully equipped kitchen with a fridge, stove, utensils, cutlery and crockery, a bathroom with a shower and beds made up on arrival are all included too. What's not included is towels, so you bring your own for any caravan grade. Dedicated parking beside the unit, decking with outdoor seating, an ensuite, a lake view and, in the lodges only, a hot tub are all paid extras rather than standard. A hot tub isn't available on the caravans at all, even as an upgrade.
The lodges
| Grade | Size | Finish | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Superior | 456 sq ft (≈42 m²) | Standard | The smallest lodge, a step up in space from a Gold caravan. |
| Deluxe | 800 sq ft (≈74 m²) | Standard | Generous space that suits a larger family. |
| Prestige | 800 sq ft (≈74 m²) | Premium | The same size as the Deluxe with a premium finish. |
The lodges are the roomier choice and come with a few things the caravans don't. Towels are included, and the lodges have open-plan living, a spacious kitchen and dining area and a private veranda; Parkdean's lodges are 20 ft wide as a rule. The optional extras are the same list as the caravans, dedicated parking, decking, an ensuite and a lake view, with one addition: a hot tub is available on any lodge grade as a paid upgrade. Dog-friendly units are available across the grades.
For a family, the choice comes down to space and how much you'll use the extras. The smallest caravans suit a couple or a small family, and the Silver is the middle ground of space against price. If you want room to spread out, a Gold caravan or a lodge gives you more of it, and a lodge adds towels and a veranda. On price, caravan holidays start from £185, and lodge and hot tub lodge holidays both start from £297 (last checked July 2026); a hot tub is a paid upgrade even where the headline lodge price matches, so a stay with one added costs more than that starting figure. Prices climb through the year: Parkdean's own figures for 2026 put early summer stays from £387 and summer stays from £555 (last checked June 2026). These are operator-set and change, so check Parkdean's own site for your dates. A £25 deposit option is available when you book more than 16 weeks ahead.
One detail matters if you're travelling with a baby. Parkdean say a travel cot typically fits only in the living area of a caravan, not the main bedroom, and that this depends on the size and model you book. The lodges are far larger, but Parkdean don't set out cot space in them either, so it's worth asking about a specific unit when you book. Travel cots and high chairs aren't provided as standard; you bring your own or hire them (see babies and toddlers, below).
Eating and food shopping
The one restaurant, the coffee and the shop, and how the narrow all-inclusive add-on works.
There's one place to eat on the park, The Boathouse Bar & Restaurant. It serves family comfort food, from snacks and light bites to hearty mains and desserts, with a children's menu and high chairs to hire, and there's a beer garden for when the weather allows. You can order a takeaway to eat in your caravan or lodge. The same room doubles as the showbar in the evening, so it's where the entertainment happens too. Opening hours vary by season, so check them on arrival rather than counting on a fixed time.
Alongside it, a Costa Coffee kiosk covers the morning coffee, and a small convenience store handles top-ups. Parkdean's own advice is to do the main shop before you arrive and use the store for the odds and ends, which is sound: it's a small shop, and the nearest big supermarkets are in Windermere and Bowness. Every caravan and lodge is fully equipped for self-catering, with a fridge, stove, utensils, cutlery and crockery, so most families cook for themselves.
Parkdean runs an all-inclusive food add-on here, but it comes with tight conditions. It's available only on four-night stays arriving on a Monday, and not during school holidays. When it applies, it covers breakfast, lunch and dinner mains from the standard and children's menus at The Boathouse. It doesn't cover Costa, the convenience store, the late-night takeaway or the branded outlets. For most families the dates won't line up, so self-catering with a proper shop beforehand is the usual approach.
The pool and water facilities
The indoor pool is the park's headline facility, and the reason it stands out among the Lakes parks in a climate this wet. It's a heated indoor pool, with access included in the Hub Pass. Sessions are pre-booked online through Manage My Booking, from up to ten weeks before you travel, so you reserve your slots rather than turning up on spec. Alongside the pool there's a sauna, a steam room and a spa bath.
There's a single indoor pool and no separate toddler or splash pool, so babies and early walkers paddle in the shallow end of the main pool rather than a dedicated shallow one. That's a real difference from some other Lakes parks, and it matters most if you're travelling with an under-three who isn't swimming yet.
The pool runs a free programme of water fitness, adult swim and lane swimming. Parkdean's brand-wide activities list also includes children's swim sessions, Aqua Paddlers for threes to sevens, Aqua Jets for fours and up and Water Walkerz for fives and up, which may run here in season, so check the programme for your dates.
Direct access to WindermereThe lake and marina
The park has direct access to Lake Windermere, England's largest lake at about 10.5 miles long and the centre of a great deal of what you'd do in the area, from cruises to lakeside walks. The shoreline at the park is wooded rather than a beach, so you reach the water by the marina and a lakeside boardwalk. There's boat launching and mooring for guests who bring their own boat, both of which you arrange with the park before you arrive rather than on the day.
The lake isn't a swimming beach in the usual sense. Parkdean don't promote wild swimming, and Windermere's water stays cold, so it's more a place to look at, boat on and walk beside than to paddle in with small children. For splashing about, the indoor pool is the safer bet.
Babies and toddlers
This is a self-catering holiday rather than a managed resort, so there's no crèche, no kids' club, no Ofsted-registered childcare and no babysitting. The activities that run are parent-supervised, not drop-off, so you're with your children throughout and can't book an evening to yourselves. It's the clearest difference between White Cross Bay and a resort-hotel like Another Place on Ullswater, which does have supervised sessions.
Of the activities Parkdean lists, the youngest-friendly is Pipsqueak's Mouse House, a live show for ages nought and up, with messy play, football and the adventure playground pitched at roughly twos to fives. As with the swim sessions, these come from Parkdean's brand-wide programme, so treat them as likely in season rather than a fixed schedule here.
Baby kit isn't provided as standard. Travel cots and high chairs can be hired for £15 per item (last checked June 2026), booked online or by phone with your holiday, so factor that in or bring your own. There's no dedicated toddler pool, so under-threes paddle in the main indoor pool with you.
Things to do on park
What fills a family day on site, and how the entertainment programme changes with the season.
Away from the pool and the lake, the park has woodland trails, an adventure playground, a multi-sports court and an amusement arcade. Beyond that, the activity and entertainment programme is drawn from Parkdean's brand-wide catalogue, and this is the part to read carefully. Parkdean's own line for White Cross Bay is that there's occasional entertainment, with an enhanced programme during school holidays. In practice that means the fuller programme runs in peak weeks, and outside the school holidays it's noticeably quieter, with some activities not running at all.
When the programme is in full swing, the daytime catalogue covers character appearances by the Starland Krew (one character at a time rather than the full squad), the Pipsqueak's Mouse House show, messy play, pottery painting, football and battle blasters, among others. Evenings at The Boathouse showbar bring a kids' disco, Starland Krazy, live acts under Park Live, bingo and adult karaoke. There's also a run of grown-up activities such as gin and yoga, quiz nights, wine tasting, a murder mystery, boules and line dancing, which the full programme lists in more depth on Parkdean's site.
Many activities run on sign-up numbers, so they may be cancelled if not enough people book. In term time, plan your days around what's off the park as much as on it. There's no kids' club or crèche behind any of this; it's all parent-supervised.
The area and days out
The park's real draw is its position for exploring Windermere and the southern Lakes. Bowness-on-Windermere is three miles away, with a bus every twenty minutes, and has shops, cafés, restaurants, boat hire and a Windermere Lake Cruises pier. Further out, the distances are approximate: Ambleside is about six miles north, Hawkshead about five miles west, Grasmere about eleven miles, and Kendal, the "gateway to the Lakes", about ten to twelve miles south-east. Keswick and Derwentwater are a longer run north.
Windermere Lake Cruises are the most popular way to see the lake, with piers at Bowness, Ambleside, Brockhole and the Windermere Jetty Museum, and boats that connect to the Lakes Aquarium at the southern end. The World of Beatrix Potter in Bowness is a walk-through attraction open daily from 10am to 4.30pm, with a Peter Rabbit café inside open 10.30am to 4pm, and it suits young children well. The Lakes Aquarium at Lakeside lets under-threes in free and is reachable by cruise boat, which makes the journey part of the day out. Brockhole on Windermere, on the western shore, has Zip World activities and food on site; a BeWILDerwood adventure park is billed as coming soon there rather than open, so don't plan around it yet.
There's plenty more within reach, including Go Ape and Treetop Trek high-ropes courses, the Windermere Jetty Museum, the Lakeside and Haverthwaite heritage railway, Ullswater Steamers, Coniston Launch, the Lakeland Climbing Centre, Dove Cottage in Grasmere and Kannku 4x4 off-road adventures. If you want to get onto the water yourself, the Windermere Outdoor Adventure Centre and Low Wood Bay Watersports Centre both run instruction on the lake, beyond the park's own boat launching. Walkers have the classic Windermere routes on the doorstep, from the Fairfield Horseshoe and the Langdale Pikes to a Kentmere Valley circular; Parkdean's local guide lists a good spread of them.
How it compares
How it stacks up against the other Lakes parks, what guests rate, the journey in and the weather.
Within the Lake District holiday parks, the indoor pool is what most comparisons come down to. Fallbarrow, Parkdean's park right in Bowness, has excellent lake access but no indoor pool, so White Cross Bay's three-mile distance from Bowness buys you a warm swim on a wet day. Both are well rated. Limefitt, also Parkdean, sits in the Windermere valley with neither a pool nor lake access, and rates highly for quiet, nature-focused stays rather than rainy-day facilities.
Outside Parkdean, Landal Whitbarrow has both an adult pool and a dedicated children's splash pool, plus crazy golf and a toddler play area, so it's the stronger pick for structured toddler water play, though it has no lake access. Another Place, The Lake on Ullswater is a different proposition again: it's a hotel at hotel prices, with an Ofsted-registered kids' club for threes to twelves and supervised toddler sessions for the under-threes, which White Cross Bay doesn't offer. White Cross Bay suits families who want self-catering flexibility and a holiday-park feel at a more accessible price, with the lakeside setting and the indoor pool as its two strongest cards.
What guests sayLoves and gripes
On the numbers, White Cross Bay carries a TripAdvisor score of 4.3 out of 5 on its own page, and around 81% across TripAdvisor and Google combined by one aggregator's calculation. The same aggregator, Holiday Park Guru, named it the best overall and best value Lake District holiday park in early 2026, with the indoor pool the deciding factor. Scores shift as new reviews land, so check the current figure before you rely on it.
What families love
- The indoor pool, valued most in an area with weather as unpredictable as this.
- The wooded lakeside setting, with visitors often reporting deer and rabbits about the site.
- A convenient base for exploring Windermere, Bowness and Ambleside.
- Dogs welcome throughout, with dog-friendly caravans and lodges.
Common gripes
- Entertainment cut back noticeably outside the school holidays.
- Intermittent WiFi and unreliable phone signal.
- A small convenience store, so a proper shop is needed before arrival.
- No dedicated toddler pool, just the one indoor pool.
- Travel cots that fit the caravan living area rather than a bedroom.
Getting there and when to go
By road, you come off the M6 at junction 36 near Kendal and take the A591 north towards Windermere and Troutbeck Bridge, with the postcode LA23 1LF for the satnav. The nearest railway station is Windermere, about two miles from the park, with bus connections onward, and Bowness three miles away has that bus every twenty minutes. There's no resort transfer service, so you make your own way in; if you're flying, Manchester Airport is roughly 80 to 90 miles south, about two hours by car depending on traffic. For young children and a car full of luggage, driving is the straightforward option.
On timing, May and September give the best balance of milder, drier weather against quieter, cheaper weeks, before and after the peak-summer crowds and prices of July and August. Whenever you go, rain is a realistic prospect, which is why the indoor pool is a wet-day fallback to plan around rather than a bonus.
When to goWeather
The Lake District is one of the wettest parts of England, and the Windermere area is wet in every month, with even the driest month bringing a fair amount of rain. Rain is possible on any day of the year, so treat the indoor pool as a core part of the plan. The figures below cover the main season, with daytime highs and overnight lows from Parkdean's own park page.
| 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.
The upshot for families is that the weather can turn on any day, in any month, so a wet-weather plan matters more here than in a sunnier spot. With the indoor pool on site and plenty of indoor days out within a short drive, a rainy stretch is manageable rather than a write-off.
Practicalities
Dogs, connectivity, terrain and the nearest health services.
Dogs. Dogs are welcome everywhere on the park, with no restrictions and no exceptions, and there are dog-friendly caravans and lodges. The Lake District has extensive dog-friendly walking on the doorstep, which is a large part of why the park draws dog owners.
WiFi and signal. Parkdean are upfront that WiFi can be intermittent, as can the phone signal, so download what the children will need before you arrive and lean into the break from screens. There's free WiFi in the shared venues, but don't count on a strong signal at your unit.
Terrain and access. The park is in woodland, the paths can be uneven, and it gets dark under the trees after sundown, so pack a torch and expect a pushchair to work harder here than on flat tarmac. Parkdean offer accessible caravans and lodges across many of their parks, but whether White Cross Bay has accessible units isn't confirmed, so contact the park directly if you need one. There's a launderette on site.
Health and supplies. The nearest A&E is at Westmorland General Hospital in Kendal, about ten to twelve miles away (01539 732288), and NHS 111 is the right first call for anything non-urgent during your stay. Windermere town centre, about two miles off, has pharmacy provision for the everyday bits. For a bigger shop, Windermere and Bowness have the supermarkets. Parkdean's parks, White Cross Bay included, have had investment in recent years since the group rebranded from its former Park Resorts name.
Questions
The things families ask most, useful links and when this guide was last updated.
Does a Gold caravan mean better quality than a Bronze?
No, the grades are about floor space. A Gold is the largest caravan and a Bronze the smallest, both built to the same standard, so you choose the grade for how much room you need. If you'd like a more modern interior at that size, book its Premium version.
Will a travel cot fit in the bedroom?
Often not in a caravan. Parkdean say a cot usually has to go in the living area, and which model you book affects it, so ask them to point you to a unit that takes one. A lodge has far more room, though it's still worth checking for the one you want. None are provided, so bring your own or hire one.
Do we need to book the pool in advance?
Yes. You reserve pool slots yourself on the Manage My Booking site, which opens up to ten weeks ahead, so get them in early rather than hoping for space on the day.
Is there any childcare so we can get an evening to ourselves?
No, so a night off isn't really on the cards. Nobody minds the children for you here, and an evening out means bringing them along. The Boathouse has a children's menu and high chairs to hire if you do.
Can we get all our meals covered here?
Rarely, because the all-inclusive deal is tightly limited. It comes only with a four-night stay starting on a Monday outside the school holidays, and even then it pays for mains at The Boathouse alone, not Costa, the shop or the takeaway. Most people cook in and shop before they come.
Can we get there without a car?
It can be done, but it takes some planning with young children. No transfer runs to the park, so you'd take the train to Windermere station two miles off, or the Bowness bus that comes every twenty minutes from three miles away. Most families find it simpler to drive, leaving the M6 at junction 36.
See more White Cross Bay photos
Open the White Cross Bay photo gallery →
Useful links
- White Cross Bay Holiday Park: the park's own site for caravans, lodges, facilities and booking.
- The Lake District with little ones: our guide to the wider area, its walks and when to go.
Last updated July 2026.
