Been looking around and have read this old thread

Thinking about the Lake District for a summer camping holiday this year for myself and the missus. Never been before so just wanting some tips/tricks.

We’ve got no kiddies at the moment, so family friendly camp sites aren’t a concern. We’ve got a large tent so pitches big enough for a 6x4m tent will be required. Like the look and sound of Great Langdale. Site doesn’t need entertainment etc, doesn’t need to be state of the art clean and appointed – we can and would rather have something with a conservation angle and ‘green’ feel to it.

We’re (i’m) wanting a campsite within walking/staggering distance of some good pub/pubs, I’m a big beer fan and a fan of big beers. Some good walking nearby and we’ll be taking bikes, so some gentle local cycling with option of my mate and his missus joining us for a few days – we can maybe ship the better halves off to get pampered for a few hours whilst we hit up some trails.

Like I say, never been so what is there to do? We’ll be coming down from East Scotland (Dundee).

coniston hall farm.

noisy parts, quiet parts, it is huge, pitch by the lake.
nice easy walk to 4 pubs, 2 of which are spot on ale wise.

The national trust site at langdale would hit the spot I suspect.

not a big fan of Coniston Hall myself very poor showers toilets and it gets mental @ the weekends with big groups of noisy feckers ! but it is a great location and great ale on tap!
My recommendation would be Low Wray Campsite on the shores of Windermere lots of different types of camping and decent pubs a short but hilly bike ride away. It is a NT site so pricey!
https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/features/low-wray-campsite
Closed at the minute due to flooding

I like the one at Grizedale Farm but there’s only one pub a short walk away. It’s enough for me and there’s great riding straight from the campsite.

It is a NT site so pricey!

yeah, noticed same for Great Langdale…but goes towards a good cause I suppose.

I’ll check out the recommendations!

cheers

NT site in Wasdale is good – 30 min walk to pub at Wasdale Head. Lots of big mountains nearby for walking. Pretty hardcore biking if you do the 4 Passes (I haven’t yet).
Skye Farm in Buttermere is a cute site but pretty basic. Quiet with a stream running through it…cars park other side of river…very basic amenities and quite undulating, but with amazing setting and couple of decent pubs within 2 min walk. NT site at Great Langdale is great position with some great pubs within minutes – you must have heard of the famous ODG…fantastic walking – Bowfell, Langdale Pikes, Crinkle Crags. Bays Brown site at other end of same valley is huge but a bit soulless but handily placed next to Chapel Stile for beers at Wainwrights or the better Britannia Inn at Elterwater. Some good sites in Glenridding. Skyeside at Brotherswater is good for high biking and great walking too and great beers (Loweswater Gold is a Lakes classic) in the pub on site.
Borrowdale is a beautiful valley great for walking and biking in the Northern Lakes – quite a few sites there too. You’re spoilt for choice TBH 😉

Turner Hall Farm in the Duddon Valley. Beautiful site, right next to Walna Scar and a quick stagger from the pub at Seathwaite. Basic facilities though.

I think the NT sites tend to be too busy and noisy.

Hoathwaite.

Quiet, not like Coniston hall, and also next to a great pub in Torver.

+1 for the NT site at Great Langdale. Great walking form the site (Langdale Pikes is one of my favourite routes) and 3 good pubs within an easy stagger.

Coniston Hall would not be my choice, stayed there on my stag weekend, we were a long way off being the noisiest group there!

Wasdale. Lots of options for hard, easy, mental riding/walking/running. Nice pub too. Off there tonight as it happens 🙂

Well back in my student days I used to love the Great Langdale site – largely because of the proximity of the Old Dungeon Ghyll, Raven Crag, Gimmer, etc. It was always a bit rowdy but with with several pints down my neck on a Friday night that didn’t seem too much of a concern.

Sadly I find now I can’t cope easily with the noise on most of the major campsites. Owners do little more than pay lip service to “rules” concerning disturbance to others.

Still, grumpiness apart, Langdale is still a great spot. Turner Hall Farm in Duddon brings back great memories, though when I last went it was basically a tap in a field. I don’t know how it is now. The location is brilliant, it’s fairly quiet (because there is no lake perhaps?) and the pub in Seathwaite is good. Excellent access to Harter fell, Coniston fells, Eskdale (park at Cockley Beck for a brilliant ascent of Scafell Pike up Little Narrowcove).

I understand there are also very good sites at Boot in Eskdale and over at Patterdale (Ullswater), Side Farm. Brother’s Water used to be pretty good too.

Wasdale. Lots of options for hard, easy, mental riding/walking/running. Nice pub too. Off there tonight as it happens

I was disappointed to find that the Wasdale Head Inn has now added facilities for their camping field eg showers etc. In the good old days there was one loo, one sink, cold water only and a field.

Next they’ll be adding Wifi and iPads for each pitch….

what is there to do?

Very much outdoorsy – walking, biking, canoeing / rowing boats (lakes), Go Ape / ziplines, all sorts of activities. Kendal / Windermere / Ambleside and Keswick get very busy in summer. I would stay north to avoid the crowds if you go in the English school holidays. For biking, Whinlatter or Grizedale are good for easy to navigate, graded trails. Or pootle around one of the lakes. I like Glenridding for access to hiking (Helvellyn), canoeing, waterfalls etc, but not so much ‘gentle’ MTB.

Most campsites in the Lakes do not have pitches, or site entertainment, they tend to be fields where you just camp where you want.

http://www.thequietsite.co.uk/ good fecilities and a pub on site

I quite like Side Farm on Ullswater. Ullswater singletrack from the tent door 🙂

Yes, I’ve yet to visit Side Farm but it’s on the list for biking and walking.

Brilliant! cheers folks, got some reading and research to be doing now!

OK… Narrowed down our choice to a few quiet sites.

Sykes
Gill head
Grizedale

Anyone have experience of these sites?