Camping and fishing go together like hand in glove. Nothing beats a night under canvas snoozing beneath the stars until dawn appears, calling your cue to crawl from the sleeping bag and cast the very first line across the lake. Sometimes, though, the dream is a little different from reality. You tackle with the fishing tackle, wrestle with your guy ropes and wake to find the sun climbing hurriedly into the sky. A small crowd of fellow fishermen have already encircled the water. Things never go quite as you first planned.
Stonebridge Fishing Lakes, however, seems to be the pleasing answer to these regular fishing woes. With complimentary lakeside fishing and a pre-pitched tent that’s closer to a small outdoor hotel suite then the old canvas you’ve got at home, a few nights here push reality far closer to the countryside getaway of your dreams.
Plotted in a meadowy space adjacent to the fishery’s caravanning area – so those determined for the old school methods are still welcome to tag along – Stonebridge's pre-pitched offerings are found nestled on the shores of the fishing lake.
Down by the lake, three bell tents also stand out against the greens of the surrounding foliage. Raised on wooden decking, that ensures a level surface as well as an excellent view of the water, each are kitted inside in a similar style. Double beds await, with a sofa bed for extra guests, and old-style lanterns perch on wooden bedside tables. A healthy scattering of bunting adds to the thoroughly English feel of it all too, while furniture out on the deck allows you to make the most of long summer evenings – English weather and all. Added to that, a further larger tent – with two comfortable double beds but not set on decking – is found on the other side of the lake.
Facilities-wise, there are toilets, showers and each pitch has its own individual outdoor kitchen, compete with all the pots, pans and caboodle you'll need. A firepit is ideal for warm evening barbecues but for a quick starter there is also an excellent cooking stove, for a more speedy, practical meal.
You don’t have to be Freddie Fisherman to come glamping here though. An onsite angling shop means you can buy a rod and gear if you don’t have your own, or, of course, you can simply enjoy the pleasant waterside setting and spend your days exploring the surrounding area instead. It’s a 25-minute drive east to the North York Moors National Park, a hiker's paradise, and a similar length to the Yorkshire Dales in the west. Or you can stay and take on the local footpaths that head directly from Stonebridge Fishing Lakes – the best leading you a mile and a half to The Black Horse Pub… you won’t want to go any further than that!
