YHA Buttermere

The hostel was tidy, quaint, quiet and pretty much what this expect from a £60 per night youth hostel.|The staff were friendly and helpful. |The ablutions were tired but the showered were hot and ok.|The beds were very comfortable and clean. |We didn’t eat there but heard that the breakfast and food options were good.|The hostel itself was perfectly located for people wishing quick and easy access to Buttermere and the many walking routes surrounding it.|I’d definitely stay here again. |Local pubs were lovely with lovely food being served and decent beers on tap.

Location is ideal for exploring Buttermere and its neighbouring areas. We chose the self-catered option and had lots of space to store all our food. The room was spacious for three but smelled quite damp on arrival. The biggest issue we had was with hot water - no hot showers, no hot water in our basin - we told staff about this who were very accommodating with a late checkout and recommended we use the outdoor shower which ran on a separate boiler. Beware parking gets very busy from 5pm-9am.

We had a wonderful stay at the YHA. It's in the ideal location for exploring the many treasures of Buttermere. I particularly enjoyed staying in the landpods, nestled amongst the nature. The rooks nesting above us were a welcome addition, lulling us into the mornings with their dulcet and mellifluous tones. Anyone who had a bad experience with these feathered friends probably watched Alfred Hitchcock's "the birds" at a very young age.

Fantastic Youth Hostel. All the staff were friendly and helpful. Lovely location with pubs nearby. We stayed in the dorms and it was pretty hot with such a small window though. Highly recommend!

We booked a camping pitch for a week, but on arrival, we found that there were several nests of rooks, crows, and jackdaws in the trees above the pitch. The picnic tables were covered in their poo. The screeching and cawing was deafening, non-stop, 70 - 90 decibel from 4am till 10.30 pm. It was very, very loud. We found it impossible to enjoy sitting outside the tent, and we left the next morning. The management had no sympathy, claiming it was just normal wildlife noise. Locals said this was a known and recurring annual event at brooding season. There are measures that can be taken to encourage the birds to move on, but at this site, the birds appear to be more welcome than guests. Do not camp here, or book pods. You won't sleep well

This is a beautiful, well-run hostel in an exquisite location with easy access to the lake and fells. Simple clean rooms, tasty breakfast and friendly staff is a winning combination. Everything a youth hostel should be.

If you're hoping for a peaceful camping experience, this is not the place. The pitches and pods are directly under tall trees packed with several nesting rooks, crows, and jackdaws. From 4:30 AM to 10:30 PM, the noise is constant—shrill shrieking and aggressive cawing, easily reaching 70–90 dB in May / June. It’s not background birdsong—it’s a full-on assault on your senses that starts before sunrise and doesn't let up until well after dark. It gets to you. You can't tune it out, and it ruins any chance of rest, relaxation, or enjoying the outdoors. ||||We couldn't sleep in. We couldn't relax. We couldn’t even cook outside without the stress of the noise grinding us down. The picnic tables were covered in bird droppings—completely unusable. While our tent wasn’t too badly hit, the area around us was filthy, and being under constant threat of falling mess made everything feel unhygienic.||||We raised our concerns, but staff shrugged it off, saying, “wildlife noise is to be expected when camping outdoors.” That may be true—but this is extreme! It’s clear they’re aware of the issue but choose not to do anything about it. There are no quieter or cleaner pitch options—everything is under the same bird-filled canopy.||||Also: There are sheep in Buttermere that roam freely, which adds a nice touch of countryside charm. However, we found sheep droppings scattered all over the pitch area. People should be aware that YHA makes no effort to clean or prepare the site before your arrival—so be ready to clear it yourself if you want a clean spot to pitch your tent. ||||So: Unless you enjoy being surrounded by non-stop crow chaos, enjoy very loud shrieking, and being hit with the white blessing from above, avoid this site altogether. ||The overwhelming sound penetrates the pods too. Until they offer alternative pitches away from the nesting zones, or until they choose to deal with the nests, this campsite is simply not fit for a restful or comfortable stay.

Absolutely beltin little place. A tad run down but the rooms are clean, beds are comfy, staff are friendly and it's in a prime location for the lake and some decent walks. Breakfast was lovely and lots of choice. Great place to stay Views from the carpark and lounge added