Left-side
Above_leader
UK France Luxury

The very best campsites in the UK & France

Previous Campsite Next Campsite See all campsites in Lake District

★★★★☆

Eden Valley

Visit Website Contact Now
Mains Farm, Kirkoswald, Penrith, Cumbria, CA10 1DH
01768 898342
19 20 27
 

We say

The Eden Valley is Cumbria’s forgotten secret. While the Lake District grabs all the red carpet treatment, this glacial valley on the eastern side of the M6 slips quietly past the paparazzi with barely a lens turned in its direction. Now it’s fair to say that it doesn’t have quite the same front cover appeal as the National Park with its mountains and lakes, but then it doesn’t attract the same hordes of tourists either. Eden Valley campsite is part of a sprawling acreage of sheep farm just outside the village of Kirkoswald. Round the corner from the farmhouse is the walled orchard and former kitchen garden that provides the site its six simple pitches, two on a raised area and four down among the trees. The one in the middle’s a pear tree, which is handy for fruit fans when in season, and the one in the corner is a myrtle tree dating back to when Queen Victoria married Prince Albert in 1840 and she had a sprig of myrtle in her wedding bouquet, beginning a tradition that continues to this day. It’s supposed to ward off witches, so no doubt Prince William will be keen to slip some into Kate’s bouquet. Away from the main farm site and a couple of minutes up the road with all your gear in the back of farmer-owner Robert’s flatbed truck is a very private little wild camping spot, which can be reserved by private arrangement. It’s in a small hollow, sheltered by a hill on one side and on the other by a copse of trees and a small beck (that’s local lingo for a stream) and with only the sheep for company. But it’s the semi-secret walled garden that’s the place to be as the sun settles behind the western hills. The lush sandstone of the farm buildings glows pink, perhaps a partridge will settle in the pear tree, and Eden Valley will seem like a secret you’ll want to keep.

They say

Are you the owner?

Claim Your Site or Sign In

You say

★★★★★

Eden Valley

We visited this campsite with seven kids under seven and only four grown ups.... it was a risk but because of the hugely warm welcome, the excellent provisions on site, wonderful visitor attractions within five miles and the kind weather, we had an absolutely fantastic bank holiday weekend. Thank you, Robert and Julie!

The location is dreamy with red sandstone farm buildings and fields of sheep with their lams surrounding the campsite. The river Eden is a field away - safe enough distance not to worry but close enough to go fishing. I even spotted my first ever kingfisher whilst taking an early morning walk with my restless two year old... amazing!

We visited Lacy's caves, Long meg and her daughers and the watermill at little salkeld - all very popular with every member of our party. Happy camping days! We shall be back!!

★★★★★

Eden Valley

Robert and his wife Julie were very welcoming and showed us to the walled Orchard. We had 2 tents next to one another on an elevated grass pitch within the orchard. 4 adults, 5 children and the weather was kind too. This is a great site with everything you will need including, toilets, washrooms, hot showers, kitchen and washing facilities if required. Superb views, very quiet and more than enough space even if it gets busy. Fantastic walks long or short for all ages, small childrens play area for the younger ones but loads of space for the older children to play football or cricket or whatever you like to do. Nothing was too much trouble and Robert and Julie are there to help and advise if you need. This is a really great spot and we will be going back.

★★★★★

Eden Valley

Stayed twice this year - in the orchard and in the 'wild camping ' spot. Both times Julie and Robert were really helpful and enthusiastic without being fussy or overbearing. This is a beautiful spot, a stone's throw from the Lakes if you must have mountains, but why bother when the Eden Valley lives up to its name? The site's facilities are available to you whever you pitch, and do the job very well without being over fussy or formal. Wildlife is a major bonus; bats, barn owls, buzzards and, the first time for us, a pair of otters in the river at twilight.

★★★★★

Eden Valley

My wife, infant son and I had a wonder although damp bank holiday weekend camping here. Robert and Julie were very welcoming and suggesting a number of walks which started from the campsite and we very much enjoyed them. Facilities were clean and well maintained. We will definitly be going back.

☆☆☆☆☆

Eden Valley

We stayed at Mains Farm Campsite on May Bank Holiday weekend, we were greeted by Julie who showed us to our pitch, we were in the orchard which was lovely. You leave your car in the carpark after unloading, and with being surrounded by fields with cows and sheep you really felt like you were in the countryside. We went on some of the walks which Robert and Julie advised us on, and they were all lovely. The toilets and showers were nice, kept clean, and lots of warm water. On our second night, it was VERY windy! So we were a bit worried about our tent, Robert gave us reassurance by offering the use of a spare bunkhouse to use if we needed it and showed us a sitting room in an old potatoe store that we sat night in with our friends for the night. All in all the campsite is lovely and Robert and Julie are both very friendly and helpful.

★★★★☆

Eden Valley

My fiancé and I spent four nights at this delightful campsite just before easter 2011. Robert & Julie offer a warm welcome and lots of helpful insight in to the local area to make the most of your stay. There are lots of lovely walks right from the farm and we visited the lake district and Hadrian’s wall during our stay. We paid the very reasonable £1 a day and enjoyed wifi in the tent - a first for us but handy for checking out where to go on our trips out. Showers were free, hot and had decent pressure. The facilities were well cared for and kept clean. Mother nature was very much around you at this working sheep farm, lots of gorgeous new lambs bouncing about in the field next to us, fish jumping in the river at the bottom (we didn’t see the otters or king fishers but can easily believe they were there), barn owl next to the orchard, swallows screaming over the cobbled court yard.... truly idyllic. On our last night Robert arranged for us to have a fire pit BBQ in a sheltered coppice on a small beach by the river (£8 for it to be filled, delivered and lit - bargain), beautiful sunset peppered by bats chasing across the water.

Have your say

Sign In  to add a review.

Nearby Campsites

Location

UK - England - Lake District - Cumbria

Getting There

Come off the M6 at either junction 40 or 41 and follow the A6 north to Plumpton. Take the B6413 towards Lazonby and go down through the village over the single-track bridge and up the hill into Kirkoswald. Turn right at the large white house (there’s a small camping sign on the wall) and follow the road to the farm. The site entrance is on the right.

Public Transport

The closest mainline station is Penrith (about 9 miles away). Otherwise pick up the picturesque Settle–Carlisle line and get off at Lazonby, from where you can arrange to be picked up by Robert or Julie.

The Damage

It’s £8 per adult, per night and kids up to 14 are just £1 (bargain – if only they were always this cheap). The bunkhouse is £15 per person per night but you need to bring your own sleeping bag/linen.

On Site

There are 5 showers and 5 toilets (including one large wet room with disabled access) and a kitchen with hob, microwave oven, and washing-up facilities. If you fancy a fire there’s a brazier available and if you’re into fishing it’s £10–£15 per day to game fish (but not coarse fish) in the river.

Off Site

Although on the ‘wrong’ side of the M6 for the Lake District, the site’s only 25 minutes by car from Ullswater and the foot of Blencathra’s just over half an hour away. It’s also only a few pedal strokes away from the C2C (coast to coast) cycle route, and there are loads of local footpaths to explore if you want to stay on foot, including, a little further afield, the Pennine Way.

Open

Open all year.

Food

Milk and bread can be purchased from the farmhouse (if ordered in advance) or there’s a new, small village shop in nearby Kirkoswald. Otherwise the Lazonby Co-op is a few miles away. In the other direction, check out the Little Salkeld Watermill (01768 881523) for organic bread and other goodies. For good pub grub and hand-pulled ales there’s the Featherstone Arms (01768 898284) in the village, or for gastropub food go to the Highland Drove (01768 898 349) in Great Salkeld.

Cool

Boutique and bijou farm camping in a small orchard and kitchen garden.

Who's In

Tents only. There’s a separate caravan/campervan site. Dogs (and other pets) allowed.

Tags

Campfires permitted  Dogs welcome  Good for kids  Remote location 

© 2013 Punk Publishing. All rights reserved. No part of this site may be reproduced without our written permission.

Visit Cool Places - our sister site, to find the best places to eat, drink and sleep in the UK

close
    Cool Camping Campsite and Caravan Search Progress
    Right-side