Camp by the beck at Puddlemire and you’ll easily discover the joy of the great outdoors and may just feel like you’ve been transported back in time. The camping field is car free, off grid and without wifi. It offers good old-fashioned camping for folk with tents and there are three furnished bell tents too. Stay here and campfires by the stream provide the entertainment, hammocks provide relaxation and the surrounding fells provide a lovely view. And, as it’s situated on a working farm, there are cows for neighbours as well. It’s an all-round lovely site in an all-round lovely location that positions you not far from Kirby Lonsdale, between two of England’s best-loved national parks: the Lake District and the Yorkshire Dales.
While things are kept simple at Puddlemire, there are a few thoughtful touches that make life on site a little easier. The first of these are the furnished bell tents – a blessing for anyone who doesn’t fancy pitching a tent. The second is the provision of private compost loos and showers for the glampers and five of the 25 camping pitches (the others have shared facilities). Perhaps the best of all, though, is the friendly welcome you get when you first arrive from the family behind the farm. Shirley, Robin or Josh will meet you in the car park and then transport you and your gear down the hill to your pitch or bell tent, via all-terrain gator. It’s a handy service that's a big highlight for the kids.
The short journey gives you a chance to take in the view and an insight into where’s within visiting distance. You can see Lake District fells, the Howgill Hills of the Dales and Ingleborough, where the folds in the landscape hide Ingleton waterfalls. Immediately behind you are Newbiggin Crags, which provide a lovely local walk and a buffer between you and the M6 which is closer than you can imagine while you’re camping in this peaceful spot. Its proximity makes it easy to get here and easy to get away at the end of your stay… if you can persuade your kids to leave, that is.
You can walk out of site on local footpaths and tracks to head up Farleton Fell and Newbiggin Crags where a limestone pavement is an interesting geological feature to explore and scramble over. The market town of Kirby Lonsdale, where Cumbria meets the Yorkshire Dales, is five miles away. This historic town has lots of independent shops and is a good starting place for a walk to see the 14th-century Devil’s Bridge. Ingleton Waterfalls Trail (11 miles) is another popular walk within the Yorkshire Dales National Park and the whole area is great for hiking and biking. In the other direction from site, you can head to the coast at the top of Morecambe Bay where there are lovely coves and beaches around Silverdale (eight miles) and, just inland, an RSPB reserve, Leighton Moss (seven miles). It’s the same distance to Sizergh which sits on the south eastern edge of the Lake District National Park, with its medieval castle, gardens and wider estate. Kendal is 10 miles away and Lake Windermere is only 18 miles from site, with the rest of the Lake District and all its attractions to explore, should you wish too.
The Plough Inn, just under two miles from site, is the closest place for a meal or a drink out and it’s close enough to walk to if you fancy it across fields and along tracks. There are plenty of options to eat out in Kirby Lonsdale (five miles) too where you’ll also find the closest shops. The town has a good selection of independents and there’s a market on Thursdays too. Kitridding Farm Shop (four miles) is a great place to buy locally-reared meat and Low Sizergh Barn Farm Shop (10 miles) is worth the drive for its good selection of products. It also has a cafe.
