Hello, wonder if you guys can assist?
I am in search of a campsite in the Lake District. I'm used to bivvying or camping in the middle of nowhere with my bike in Scotland so have never actually been to a "proper" campsite! I also know very little about the Lake District.
My girlfriend and I are going to the Lakes for a couple of nights in a few weeks.
We're looking for a place to park the car, set up a big tent I have... somewhere we can walk to a town/pub, maybe rent a canoe or kayak and do some paddling and do some light hill walking - my girlfriend isn't too into outdoorsy stuff the way I am.
And if there was somewhere I can sneak in a couple of hours on the bike while she goes to the pub for a pint, that would be perfect!
I was down in Coniston a couple of months ago and loved it. It kind of meets all those criteria - I'm sure I could nip off on the bike up to Walna Scar and come back down again. It has pubs/cafes/restaurants and looked like you could rent little boats or canoes too.
So, a campsite there - or maybe somewhere better?
I'm sure you'll be inundated with suggestions. We've just come back from Keswick where there are a number of campsites in and around the town and I'm sure you can rent a canoe or kayak and have a paddle around Derwent Water. I've stayed at a campsite right in town on the lake shore which is great as its only a 5 minute walk into town where there are an abundance of decent pubs and eating places. This week we stayed about 25 mins walk outside of Keswick, a good campsite but the walk back is all uphill and a bit of a slog so not that convenient for the town, but a good campsite all the same (Castlerigg farm). Also good for a bike ride with the Whinlatter pass and Honnister passes nearby if you want a road ride, or for MTB Whinlatter trail centre and loads of natural riding in and around the area. There is another thread on here about camping near Helvellyn at Ullswater so that is worth a look too.
But in the Lakes you will have lots of options.
Lots and lots of good options...but lots are near a pub rather than near towns (with the exception of Keswick and Ulverston I think). If you want to paddle something, then somewhere round Derwent Water would be a good choice. Accessible for Keswick, and boat hire from Platty+ is a good option. Borrowdale is also a gorgeous valley, and parts of the Borrowdale bash are very accessible. Also, the cafe in Grange is nice, and if you don’t mind camping outside town then Chapel House farm is beautifully sited.
The Keswick lakeside campsite wobbliscott mentions is a good call (the one we use is run by the Camping and Caravanning Club but they accept non-members). There's also Scotgate in Braithwaite a little further out of Keswick. Loads of good pubs in Keswick and a couple in Braithwaite.
From Keswick there's good low-level walking (up to Walla Crag and along to Ashness Bridge then back along the Derwen****er shore is a nice walk if you don't want to get out in the wilds). From Braithwaite there's various easyish walks around Coledale, Newlands Valley and Swinside or you can loop up to Barf and Lord's Seat and back down via Whinlatter. You can ride the bridleway up to Whinlatter, loop the Borrowdale Bash from the town on the bike, or even hit Skiddaw.
The National Trust campsite at Wasdale Head is worth consideration.
Doesn't really fulfil any of your criteria but, if your girlfriend isn't outdoorsy, Park Cliffe might be good. You are able to rent private bathrooms which can really make camping a whole lot nicer, especially if its wet. Not a lively party site but does have a bar.
Have a look at Sykeside over near Brotherswater. Lovely spot over there.
Loads of options for walks. Pub nearby. Handy for Ullswater/Glenridding.
Hillcroft farm pooly bridge is one of our regular stays. It would be ideal for someone new to camping. The new toilet/shower block is so posh we spent serious money bringing the bathroom in our house up to a similar standard.
The campsite is above the town so it's a walk to the pubs but has easy access to the hills. Lots to do on the lake.
Ukcampsite is your friend for stuff like this.
It's my go to orricle when I'm after somewhere
Hoathwaite in Torver, just south of Coniston. Bike path to Coniston, but good food pub in Torver (Wilson Arms).
Had a look at them, and think I'm going to go with Sykeside. It's the one that most seems like "camping" to me. The Torver one looked good, but reckon I'd like to see a different part of the Lakes from my last trip.
Thanks for all the suggestions though - I imagine I'll be back there sometime anyway.
I really like Sykeside other than not being particularly cheap.
Great Langdale is good, and it's a stone's throw from the Old Dungeon Ghill which is a great pub. Only downside is you can't pre-book (or couldn't last time I was there), so you need to get there early to secure a decent pitch.
+1 for Great Langdale. There's also a NT pub in walking distance that does good food, lots of walking options and you don't have to venture far for good off-road cycling either. You can certainly book the family field, not sure about the other areas.
The Wray campsite doesn't have a pub but is otherwise great for those looking for other stuff to do as you can get boats from there up and down the lake.
