Recommended camping in Lake District & West Yorkshire please?

[DressMeUpInStitches]

As title says really.
Lakes all around.
Yorkshire around Ingleton, Sedbergh, Malham areas.

We generally like cheap & cheerful, not bothered about showers/hot taps etc. Just a good field with lots around nearby

[redjumper]

Gordale scar campsite at malham is in the Cool Camping or Tiny Campsites book, it's apparently beautiful and basic and sounds like your kind of thing. Ive never been but its on my list.
I love Knight Stainforth campsite in settle, it's on the river.
Also Waterside House farm in pooley bridge in the lakes is amazing. It's on the lake but it's a fairly big site with nice showers, boat hire, playground etc so maybe not what you want. It's a lovely walk into Pooley bridge which has nice pubs cafes and shops.

[BoobleMcB]

Hillcroft Caravan Park or Park Foot in Pooley Bridge, Ullswater. Highly recommend either. We go at least once a year

[NannyR]

I came on to mention gordale scar too, I've never stayed there but I've walked past and the setting is gorgeous.

[BarchesterFlowers]

goredale scar setting is beautiful but the place is a tip. I grew up a couple of miles from there and it has always been a tip.

UK campsite reviews are not that favourable either. I tend to avoid many 'cool' sites though.

Try Heber Farm at Buckden, very honest place, lovely people, camping meadow is just a field on the hill behind the village. You have to cross the road to the farm for a shower.

There is a lovely 1 mile flat walk to The George at Hubberholme.

[PossumInAPearTree]

Campsite in grange in borrowdale is a great setting. Basic camping. The car free field can get a few student groups in some weekends but is quiet during the week and the car field is quiet at weekends.

[redjumper]

Good to hear personal experience of gordale scar. Why do you avoid 'Cool sites? What's wrong with them?

[BikeRunSki]

Those parts of Yorkshire are North Yorkshire, You might get more input if you repost for N Yorks.

In the Lakes, we really like the NT sites at Great Langdale and Low Wray.

[BarchesterFlowers]

We have had some rubbish experiences at cool camping places, tiny sites being a complete exception. Catgill at Bolton Abbey was one of them (can't recommend that one OP), not far from home but we wanted to do a particular walk so stayed overnight. Unmarked pitches are one thing, not knowing when to say we are full is another. Compete lack of owner control when we were there in every sense.

Another rotten experience in the lakes near Keswick when we couldn't get into Low Wray one time last year - far too many people/tents allowed for the amount of space. I told the owner I thought that everyone was pitched much too close together (like camping in a car park) and his response was something like "folk put too much store on photos on the internet".

I find the 'cool' ethos tends to equal slight overcrowding and raised prices, like the owners get slightly carried away with the £ coming in and make hay while the sun shines.

We have a much better experience at C&CC club small sites.

NT Low Wray is lovely, a regular weekend getaway for us.

How Stean Gorge is another one we use for weekends, also nice OP, not particularly close to anywhere you mentioned but nidderdale is beautiful and only 15 or so miles from Malham.

We were at Malham today for a walk, 20 miles from home and it was 6 degrees vs 12 degrees when we left home .

[redjumper]

Good to know, thanks. Do you like c&cc sites then? We're thinking of joining but we were with caravan club last year and thought its was awful - always booked up and the sites seemed to fussy eg no ball games, lots of rules. Is c&cc a bit friendlier? We have a campervan but like tent sites really where out kids can play with other kids.
Sorry to hijack your post op!

[BarchesterFlowers]

We do far better with certified sites, C&CC. Or places where you know what you are getting like NT. I use UK Campsite reviews for everything and try to remember to leave a review.

I have never been to a C&CC main site, whatever they are called, too structured for me.

DD always makes friends/plays games, in the streams/woods with other children.

I like the fact that at the smaller sites/NT there is someone who gives a care/would enforce the rules if they felt they had to.

This is the sort of thing you might get with a certified site, really lovely place.

[TheHouseOfIllRepute]

Cragg hill farm Horton-in-Ribblesdale
Lovely spot next to the river with lots of safe parts for kids to play. A nice walk to Helweth Bridge pub for food
Very basic

[redjumper]

That does look lovely, exactly our kind of thing. Thanks

[SoulAccount]

Side Farm, right on the shore of Ullswater at the Southern end of the lake.

Great walks direct from the campsite.

[SoulAccount]

OMG - The TripAdvisor Report on Gordale Scar has a photo of the washing up sinks.

[BarchesterFlowers]

That is pretty much what I would expect from riding my pony past it when I was growing up.

You have to pay a fee to get into Cool Camping as a site owner, they obviously decided his location made him cool enough.

[redjumper]

Urgh that's disgusting. Think I'll take gordale scar off my list!

[BoobleMcB]

Honestly OP, I couldn't recommend Pooley Bridge enough. Especially Park Foot and Hilltop

[NannyR]

Bloody hell! I've just looked at those photos on trip advisor, my apologies for recommending gordale scar - how does he get away with charging people to stay there?
It's a pity because the location is so lovely, it could have potential to be a great campsite.

Someone mentioned catgill campsite at Bolton Abbey, I've stayed there several times and think it's a great campsite, BUT, I stay during the week, early July before the schools break up, when there are only around five tents on the whole field, I've been there on a Friday night when the place turns into an overcrowded, noisy chaos. So, maybe one to avoid at busy times.

[SoulAccount]

Gordale Scar looks fabulous as a site and location. The neatly stacked disposable BBQs don't bother me as much as the wading up sinks area.

[TheOnlyLivingBoyInNewCross]

Great Langdale NT is lovely - right at the end of the valley, gorgeous setting, easy to get up onto the fells. Good pub nearby too for food.

Massive campsite right on the shores of Coniston too, here

Or this place, Rydal Hall, is in a gorgeous setting. Don't be put off by the Christian Conference Centre bit; the site itself is huge, and beautiful, with great facilities. Half way between Ambleside and Grasmere - easy to walk to both, and loads of good walking nearby.

[BarchesterFlowers]

It is the usual story though soul irrespective of the state of the place it is a free for all with far too many people allowed for the facilities, if you can call them that. It is like a junk yard outside despite the glorious surroundings, think Darling Buds of May crossed with the biggest rag and bone man's yard in the world.

Same as Catgill - noisy, crowded, groups, mind you the facilities there are great.

We have a pett toilet which allows us to camp in places with just a tap, nothing else so I don't need much at all but I wouldn't go to Goredale Farm.

[SoulAccount]

Ah, I see, overcrowded to boot.

[DressMeUpInStitches]

Thanks redjumper gordale sounds ideal!

[DressMeUpInStitches]

I reall should read the whole thread before I reply!
Thanks for your post barchester

[DressMeUpInStitches]

possum we've stayed at the Grange campsite a few times. It's great, if not a little busy at times.
I'd like to try the others further down the valley towards seatoller