YHA Eskdale

Overview

Situated on the quieter side of the Lake District National Park is a gem of a hostel, YHA Eskdale. This purpose-built, 43 bed hostel, offers grounds to the front of the hostel for games and activities and extensive woodland grounds to the side and rear. The woodlands hide a fully mapped out nature trail, solar panel garden, wildlife pond, secluded nature hide, outdoor classroom and even a replica Celtic roundhouse with an outdoor oven!  Plus, if that’s not enough, the hostel itself features a good sized class/meeting room and a homely lounge/dining area with an open fire and views out to the garden and hills beyond.

The hostel offers amazing opportunities for school groups. Primary schools looking for a taste of history will love our Roman themed package. Our hands-on sessions allow pupils the opportunity to design their own Roman shields and practice formations before heading out on the one-and-a-half mile walk to the Hardknott Roman Fort. Here they can try out their new skills in an awe-inspiring location and home to the best preserved Roman Parade ground in the UK. Other activities include archery, an archaeological dig, timeline activities, writing postcards in Latin, learning about Celtic life in our replica roundhouse and our very special Roman Banquet.

For teachers requiring a residential that’s not purely focused on history, our Multi-Activity packages allow for team building activities or more adventurous sessions such as Ghyll scrambling, abseiling and climbing – all delivered by our expert partners at Mere Mountains.

As well as providing our own delivery packages YHA Eskdale makes a great base for school groups looking to lead their own activities. Local attractions including L’aal Ratty, Eskdale’s narrow gauge steam railway, Eskdale Mill – the oldest working corn mill in England, and Stanley Ghyll waterfalls are always popular. Just ask Kirk Ella St Andrew’s Community school, winners of the inaugural School travel Awards for Best Residential trip 2016 based on their annual trip to our wonderful hostel!

It’s not just all about Primary schools though as YHA Eskdale becomes popular for older groups studying a range of subjects including geography, geology and biology. Our classroom makes a great study room to follow-up on the day’s fieldwork. The hostel itself sits in a glaciated valley with good access to the local hills, tourist village of Coniston, local rivers and woodlands, plus coast and sand dune systems only a short drive away, making it perfect for a range of fieldwork.  Don’t forget you can always bolt on some adventurous activities to add something a little different to your stay

Finally, social groups will also find YHA Eskdale an enchanting and exhilarating option for a fabulous group getaway. We’re surrounded by great walks, with super views from Harter Fell, and access for routes going from just outside our door. Plus great cycling challenges, especially if you want to take on the challenge of Hardknott Pass. Our grounds offer the opportunity to enjoy wildlife, or take a drink from our licensed bar and sit quietly taking in the views. Catering is also available for all of our groups, so you won’t even need to cook after a long day on the hills. Our delicious groups menu offers plenty of variety and we’ll be as flexible as possible to fit meal times in with your itinerary.

In 2016 Kirk St Ella St Andrew’s Community Primary School won the My Best School Trip Award for their trip to YHA Eskdale. The judges were particularly impressed with the learning outcomes and the school are planning to spend their prize money on more trips to YHA Eskdale where pupils will get to visit a zoo, study conservation and do some hill hiking.

Why Groups love YHA Eskdale

Customer Satisfaction based on 86 scores

Learning Outside the Classroom

YHA is at the top of the class for educational visits. We have been awarded a Learning Outside the Classroom (LOtC) Award at 74 of our youth hostels across England and Wales.

For more information about the Learning Outside the Classroom Awards, please visit Learning Outside the Classroom.

Facilities