There’s nothing fancy about Brook Farm campsite in the Staffordshire countryside. It’s a simple site which offers back to basics camping in a farmer’s field. For self-sufficient campers who want little more than a place to pitch near the Peak District, this place will do very nicely indeed. You can bring the dog, you can have a campfire and, not only are you surrounded by lovely rural scenery, but you’re within easy reach of a heck of a lot. The site is just a couple of miles from Ashbourne, the southern gateway to the national park, and Alton Towers is a mere eight miles away. There’s also a farm shop, a pub, and a river within walking distance. What more could you want than that?
If your answer is “an on-site bar” or even just “a shower”, you had better look elsewhere. Brook Farm has neither. It simply offers electric and non-electric pitches in a flat field. In the winter months it’s campervans, caravans and motorhomes (with their own on-board facilities) only. From April to October, portaloos are brought in and tents are welcome too. Drinking water is on tap but it’s a cold-water site so there are no dishwashing sinks here either. What you will find is fire pits for hire with logs for sale at the garage down the road. You’ll also find fantastic views of countryside and, perhaps, cows and goats grazing in the field next door.
Brook Farm is in the rural village of Middle Mayfield, which boasts a village shop and a location just south of the market town of Ashbourne. It sits on the softer, southern side of the Peak District where Dovedale with its famous stepping stones is the big attraction. Seasoned walkers could hike there and back in a day but most people will opt for the 15-minute drive. Taking the car opens up other options too: Bakewell, Buxton, and Chatsworth to name a few places in the park. Carsington Water, Alton Towers, and Sudbury Hall on this side of its boundary.
Brook Farm is a small, back-to-basics site in a remote location close to the Peak District (10 minutes). It is suitable for tents, caravans, campervans and motorhomes, with spacious electric and non-electric grass pitches. for lovely countryside views, the cows like to say hello when in the field next door too!
Surrounded by open fields with plenty of space, the views here are mainly made up of various shades of green, in the form of fields and trees, with a few location bonus points thrown in for being on the banks of the Dove river.
Facilities include portable unisex toilets and drinking water. There is also a designated waste area. NB there are no showers.
Fire pits are available to hire, and logs and kindling can be purchased from a nearby garage. Picnic benches are available on request.
There is also one electric pitch available for tents too.
Dogs are welcome, and some lovely walks across the fields on the footpath running alongside the River Dove
Theres plenty of space to play with around this site, great swathes of space for kids / dogs to run around and for barbecues or campfires to be constructed safely away from the action.
Want to stretch your legs further? There are plenty of walks to be had in the surrounds; arguably one of the most rewarding is the one that takes 10 minutes to get to the local pub.
Alder Carr farm shop is a few minutes away and opens on a Saturday. Local takeaways in Ashbourne offer a delivery service, and there's a pub just a 10 minute walk away.
