lake district camping, wilderness style with campfires (BUT SHOWERS). no probs with composting toilets...

[AitchTwoOhOneTwo]

where oh where would you recommend, laydeez and gennilmen?
not too far from M6 as well, if i was feeling picky.

no one? where is slubber when i need her?

the only campsite I know of that allows campfires is Fisher Ground

Long way from the M6 though, but then so is anything worth going to!

It can get very busy there too.

cheers... i'll be driving with the kids on my own so am hoping to keep it fairly westish.

Fisherground is west.
I think you want east!

Aitch, it meets none of your criteria except being close to the M6, on the Penrith junction, but what about Side Farm? Nicely undeveloped, right on the shore of Ullswater with it's own little coves and beaches, good walks from the site without even crossing a road. No campfires, but off-the-ground barbecues are allowed. We make a firepit type fire when no campfires allowed. http://www.google.co.uk/#hl=en&gs_nf=1&cp=8&gs_id=t&xhr=t&q=side+farm+campsite&pf=p&output=search&sclient=psy-ab&pbx=1&oq=side+far&aq=0&aqi=g4&aql=&gs_sm=&gs_upl=&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&fp=f14f288213313b0b&biw=1366&bih=596 Side Farm

Side Farm

Fisherground is lovely once you get used to the prison camp wardens!

Fisherground campsite is one of the noisiest places on Earth though. It is always full of people who don't shut up, ever!

oh no, no prison camps. what i really want is a forest glade and wilderness. (with showers). cheers for that, blu, will have a look.

oh that looks perfect and i love it round there but they say no advance booking, and since someone is coming over from the states i do need this nailed down in advance. bummer.

You could try the one at Glenridding - Gillside farm I see they have expanded into caravans - but the site seems very unreconstructed and has lovely pitches under the trees right by the thundering beck. Again in a fab location, srtaight from your tent up Helvellyn, or Catstycam, or on a short walk to the idyllic Lanty's Tarn. I have only walked thorugh the site, not camped there.

i like the look of the pub...

Gillside is good, though can get crowded. The caravans have been there since I first went there in 04 - it's a separate bit on the other side of the track, they're not part of the main campsite.

will look into it further, thanks. it does look a bit caravanny so good to know they are a bit apart.

No Gillside not really caravanny at all walked past it several times and thought how good it looks, just a field full of tents! The caravans are on the other side of the track so def separate..... :)
Tricky to find somewhere in the lakes that allows fires -its such a populart place that all the sites seem so "organised" and rule orientated if that makes sense! grizedale capsite does tho and if ur tents small enough u can have a pitch in the forrest.....

oh now that looks GREAT. how hilarious that they didn't mind that they took all the photos in such shitey weather. why pretend, eh?

Ooh doesn't Grizedale look good.

Soz Aitch my only Lakes recommendation is Eskdale which is no fires, and prob too west for you. They do do pies though. Hand made pies which is almost as good as a fire.

Aitch, I have been walking through that campsite every year for 5 years and have never even noticed the caravans!
Some of the pitches look sloping, though.

ooh, Grizedale looks nice!

mmmmmm pies! - have promptly added Eskdale to my "to do" list for this year!!!

Hollows farm at Grange is very undeveloped(disclaimer - it's a while since i've been) but no fires, I'm afraid!

Gibraltar Farm in Silverdale has a wooded field that you can hire exclusively for a group, but not sure if you can just go as a family. There are caves in the woods and a huge rock with trees growing out of it for exciting climbing purposes . You are also allowed campfires. The pictures on the website don't do the site justice, as they just show the main site if I remember rightly.

WE ARE A GROUP!

ah bollix, we aren't that big a group. still, worth a look for normal pitches anyway, cheers. funny how the sites in the LD all seem so much more manicured than up here. (probably cos they're making some dosh).

We stayed in Gillside farm on the tent side, it is really quiet and only has a shower block but thats all it has no club etc, although there is a small shop onsite but its round near the caravan side.

We didnt have a campfire but used an old bucket bbq to have a fire in and this was fine. Dont think many allow fires as it does make the grass look awful and if everyone did it there would just be charred circles everywhere!

i also camped in pooly bridge later in the summer but it was really busy and very noisy a completely different experience again.