Next month I have a few days to myself so looking at a solo camping trip to ride the new Ragley Big Wig. Electric hook up isn’t needed, but would like decent showers and a bit of peace and quiet. Somewhere within a couple of miles of trails for both bike and running would be the dream, especially if it’s a less popular/heavily used area. I’ll be going during the week and after Easter holidays are over so hopefully quite quiet anyway. It’s just a way for me to decompress as the last 3 years or so have been really hard for me to manage bipolar and being semi off-grid will be an awesome reset for me.

Thanks for any suggestions anywhere in Britain

Glen Nevis at Fort William. A fantastic site in a stunning location

Pencelli has a lovely site, pub over the road, the classic Gap route from the door

Campsite in Hayfield for Peaks classics from the door.

Norton Farm in Corfe Castle for Purbecks fun.

Kielder Campsite is decent with good facilities.

Some MTB trails and plenty of gravel riding.

Stayed at Hardhurst Farm Camping & Caravan Site on the edge of Hope. Ideal for riding from and although the facilities were basic they were good and food was available from the farm

Upvote for Pencelli: brilliant site with good riding (and running options) and pubs nearby.

Pencelli is a good call.
Hayfield is gooderer one.
My top shout would be Rhayader though. Out of the way, will be fairly quiet at that time, and some brilliant Elan Valley riding ‘from the door’.

The adventure campsite at dyfi. Great riding straight from the site.

Comrie Croft?

Turner Hall Farm in the Duddon Valley underneath Walna Scar.

Kielder Campsite is a good call – phone coverage is terrible there, so should feel nicely off grid whilst also having a pub, trails and solitude to hand.

In my bit of the lakes- chapel house farm or hollows farm in borrowdale, Skye farm in Buttermere, the one at the south end of ullswater accessed from Patterdale (name escapes me) are all ideally placed for bikes and trails. Duddon valley as above is a quiet corner of the lakes.

+1 Comrie. Camp on the meadow and watch the stars or camp in the woods and enjoy some solitude, either way you can enjoy a camp fire. Good food on site. Plenty of riding options

Stone Close campsite in the middle of of Dalby is about as far from anything you can get in England.
Dark skies and ride straight out into the forest. Bit of a hike to the pub though but shops, pubs, bike shop etc. in Thonton le Dale at the entrance to the forest and cafe in the forestry visitor centre about a mile away during the daytime.
The Site (including prices)

3rd for Comrie…

Watching with interest. I need to take some time off during the Easter holidays and would like to avoid the crowds. We’ll have a 2 year old with us so not looking for crazy riding but a few local facilities and some half decent trails would be a bonus.

Comrie Croft?

Glassie Farm in Aberfeldy?

https://www.thebunkhouse.co.uk/bikes

Not stayed here but looks decent on the website.

Prices

Plenty of riding around Dunkeld.

The riding around Ballater and Aboyne are top of my list to ride this summer, there is plenty of campsites around there. Glenlivet trail centre isn’t too far away either.

Listings

I think glentress campsite is decent

You should be ok at kielder in April, as long as it’s not warm. After that you’ll be prey for the fog that bites.

Cae Gwynn farm opposite CYB. It’s pretty remote so no pub nearby. Saying that the burgers at the trail centre are awesome and I guess they have a beer or two in the fridge.
Views in the morning are breathtaking and if I could post a photo, all would agree it’s the greatest photo ever taken.

Ballater or Comrie Croft.

Turner Hall Farm in the Duddon Valley underneath Walna Scar.

Does it have ‘decent showers’ these days? I remember it as being amazing, but basic.

Looking at availability on a few of these places and it looks like we’ve missed the boat.

Torridon.
The field below the youth hostel is sheltered and free to use, you just pay to use the showers in the toilet block alongside.
Cafe & shop at the other end of the village. Torridon Inn is a ten minute ride away and does great food.
Running loop around Liathaich from the site.
Beinn Damph and Coulags-Annat fun/challenging routes by bike without driving.
Lots of other routes nearby.
Applecrossing route from Kenmore is a short drive away.

Came to say Torridon but beaten to it.

Well it looks like I’m off to Dalby. Only £10 a night is crazy value and seems to be decent trails there. I particularly like the quiet after 10pm rule on the site… headphones and a book in the evening with a coconut milk hot chocolate sounds awesome

Have fun.

Not too far away is some cracking natural trail riding.

North Yorks Moors Mountain Bike Routes

Burrowhayes Farm Campsite near Porlock in Somerset is good. You can ride and run some great trails straight out thr back of the campsite up on to the hills of Exmoor, or you can head towards the coast.

burrowhayes.co.uk

Inver mill near dunkeld.
Fabulous wee quiet campsite.

Not sure how bike friendly you need it to be but it has a fence you can chain a bike to. That’s about it for bike facilities.

Literally surrounded by great riding.

Torridon.
The field below the youth hostel is sheltered and free to use

Is it still an absolute midge infested bog?

The campsite next to afan bike park is my go to for this. It’s often basically empty. In a clear sky zone and you can’t get much closer to trails!

Hope the weather holds fair for you when there.
If you decide to cycle to Thornton le Dale from Dalby to get supplies /pub / cafe then the track and bridleway on the other side of the river than the road from Low Dalby is a bit less hilly than the road, v. pretty and no cars. I rode it on the tandem so it’s in no way technical riding though.
Also for exploring the Moor to Sea routes are worth a look. More countryside riding than trail riding though. The trail centre will have all the info on the trail trails.

https://www.northyorkmoors.org.uk/visiting/enjoy-outdoors/cycling/moor-to-sea-cycle-network

Is it still an absolute midge infested bog?

As is the Torridon area…but yes, it seemed that way last year.

I’d recommend the wee campsite in Lochcarron if you’re going up to Torridon in the future. More food and drink options and just along the road from the Coulags path.

the one at the south end of ullswater accessed from Patterdale

I hope I’ve got the right one, just booked for the bank holiday. No online booking though, just by email. Old school.