Bolam Lake Camping Paddock

View prices & book 9.8 206 reviews
Visitor image of the peaceful paddock & lovely views (added by manager 11 Oct 2022)
Visitor image of the beautiful rainbow over the site
Green surroundings
Aerial view over the site

  • Dog-friendly wild camping site opposite Bolam Lake Country Park
  • A 25-minute drive from Hadrian’s Wall; 40 minutes from the coast
  • Barbecues permitted; walking/cycling routes and a food shop nearby
Wake up in peaceful paddocks surrounded by the Northumberland countryside and finish off the day with a lakeside walk. Bolam Lake Camping Paddock is a dog-friendly wild camping site opposite Bolam Lake Country Park, so head out in search of birds, picnic on the shores or grab a homemade scone from the cafĂ© and visitor centre as you please. These paddock pitches are enclosed in a peaceful area next to a woodland where it’s pretty sheltered, and they have rather scenic views of the surrounding farmland. Still, while it may be pretty nicely tucked away, there’s still much to do out and about. Belsay, a scenic village with a small shop and cafĂ©, is 45 minutes’ walk away (or a five-minute drive) and Ponteland is another spot with a selection of local shops, pubs, cafĂ©s, restaurants and takeaways. Of course, there’s Hadrian’s Wall too (Heddon-on-the-Wall is 25 minutes’ drive away). The splendid Northumberland coast is 40 minutes’ drive away, and to the north, the Scottish border is within reach too if you’re looking to cross into different territories. As for walking, well, there's certainly no shortage of trails around, including several routes that depart from the site. When you feel like mixing things up with a cycle instead, there are routes for both beginners and pros surrounding the site too. Wherever you end up during the day, you’ll likely want to make sure you’re back in time for sunset, as there are lots of ways to unwind – perhaps with a walk around the lake or knocking back a few burgers with a barbecue.

Campground type

Tent sites 6
RV & Motorhome sites 2
Open now
Opens 29 March
Please note
  • This campground/park has no on-site shower facilities.
  • Under 18s must be accompanied by their parents or legal guardians.
  • Group bookings of 4 or more adults are not permitted (couples and immediate family members excepted).
  • No bachelor/bachelorette parties permitted via Pitchup.com.
  • At least one of the party members must be aged 18 or over.
  • Guests are advised to bring a good quality torch with them as parts of the campground/park are unlit.

Languages spoken

English

Open from Fri, 29 Mar to

Reviews

99%

would recommend this campground to a friend

99%

would stay here again

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Only showing reviews for the last 30 months.

Nice field with wildlife around , very nice walks at the lake


Overall 10/10
Location 10
Value for money 10
Accommodation 10
Facilities / Activities 10
Customer service 10
Child friendliness 10
Cleanliness 10
Wifi 6
Anonymous The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Unpowered grass tent site

Liked: Nice field with wildlife around , very nice walks at the lake , friendly owners

Disliked: We were not able to use our own fire pit

Recommend to friends Visit again

- I loved how friendly and welcoming the owners were (David and


Overall 10/10
Location 10
Value for money 10
Accommodation 10
Facilities / Activities 10
Customer service 10
Child friendliness 10
Cleanliness 10
Wifi No rating
Rachael H. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Unpowered grass campervan site

Liked: - I loved how friendly and welcoming the owners were (David and Jill). - I loved that we were surrounded by beautiful horses and trees. - It was very peaceful. - David even brought us fresh plumbs and apples from his trees which were yummy! - Portable toilets were very clean. - Dish washing area also sparkling clean! - We would definitely stay here again if choosing to wild camp. We felt safe. - It is situated across the road from Bolam Lake which is beautiful.

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Thanks so much for your great feedback and the lovely photos taken from your pitch. Your comments are so helpful to us and to others who may be looking to book a camping trip that meets their needs. We offer simple camping but it's really important to us that the facilities are clean and that our guests have everything they need to make their stay enjoyable. It was great to meet you all and we hope that you visit again soon. Happy camping - great September weather too:)

Overall an amazing stay we have been back 3 times this month

Overall 10/10
Location 10
Value for money 10
Accommodation 10
Facilities / Activities 10
Customer service 10
Child friendliness 10
Cleanliness 10
Wifi 2
Emily M. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Unpowered grass tent site

Liked: Everything about the stay was amazing the facility’s, location you can hire camp fires, logs and fire lighters the value for you money is fab!!!

Disliked: Absolutely nothing everything was amazing. Owners are so helpful

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Thanks so much for sharing your feedback and we are so pleased that you enjoy your camping trips. We offer simple camping in a lovely location so we just want our guests to pitch up, be comfortable, relax and enjoy the countryside. Thank you for staying with us and we hope to see you again very soon.

The owners were so welcoming and lovely. The field was very well


Overall 10/10
Location 10
Value for money 10
Accommodation 10
Facilities / Activities 10
Customer service 10
Child friendliness 10
Cleanliness 10
Wifi 10
Melanie D. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Unpowered grass tent site

Liked: The owners were so welcoming and lovely. The field was very well kept. We were a little concerned that there was only portaloos but rest assured, they were so well kept, they even smelt nice! So please do not let this put you off at all! It’s lovely to see how much time and effort the owners put in to the site and keeping it well looked after along with all the guests. Thank you for having us and we will certainly recommend to friends and family. We look forward to hopefully seeing you again next summer.

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Thank you for sharing your great and informative feedback. It was brilliant to meet you all and we are so pleased that you enjoyed your stay with us - the great September weather helped too! :) We hope that you visit again next year.

Lovely spacious campsite, peaceful surroundings and incredibly warm reception from the hosts.


Overall 10/10
Location 10
Value for money 10
Accommodation 10
Facilities / Activities 10
Customer service 10
Child friendliness 10
Cleanliness 10
Wifi No rating
Anonymous The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Unpowered grass campervan site

Liked: Lovely spacious campsite, peaceful surroundings and incredibly warm reception from the hosts. Perfect getaway spot and reasonably priced too.

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Thank you so much for sharing your feedback as it's so helpful to us and to guests who may be looking to book a campsite that suits their needs. We really enjoy meeting the great people who stay with us and just want them to have a relaxing stay in a lovely part of Northumberland. Thanks for staying with us and we hope that you stay again in the future.

Wonderful, peaceful and very clean site. Greeted by David upon arrival and


Overall 10/10
Location 10
Value for money 10
Accommodation 10
Facilities / Activities 10
Customer service 10
Child friendliness 10
Cleanliness 10
Wifi No rating
Dave M. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Unpowered grass tent site

Liked: Wonderful, peaceful and very clean site. Greeted by David upon arrival and instantly made to feel very welcome which was further enhanced meeting Jill later in the day and all members of the family having lovely conversations with them individually. Nicely located, beautiful scenery and all in all thoroughly recommended for anybody looking to set up camp in the. Northumberland area.

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Thanks so much for sharing your feedback and we are so pleased that you enjoyed your stay with us. It was great to meet you all and we hope that you visit again soon. Thank you for sharing your photo too :)

Gem of a place

Overall 10/10
Location 10
Value for money 10
Accommodation 10
Facilities / Activities 8
Customer service 10
Child friendliness 10
Cleanliness 10
Wifi 10
Anonymous The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Unpowered grass tent site

Liked: Lovely clean site, very friendly helpful owners who were very approachable

Disliked: Disliked nothing

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Thanks so much for sharing your feedback and we are so pleased that you enjoyed your stay at our campsite. We offer simple camping but we hope that our guests can just pitch up, relax and enjoy the countryside. Thanks for staying with us and we hope that you visit again soon :)

Beautiful campsite with very welcoming hosts. The dark skies and shooting


Overall 10/10
Location 10
Value for money 8
Accommodation 10
Facilities / Activities No rating
Customer service 10
Child friendliness 10
Cleanliness 10
Wifi No rating
Anonymous The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Unpowered grass tent site

Liked: Beautiful campsite with very welcoming hosts. The dark skies and shooting stars were an unexpected treat!

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Thanks so much for sharing your feedback and it was great to meet you all. We are so pleased that you enjoyed your stay with us as guests seem to enjoy the lovely countryside during the day and relaxing around the firepit during the evening under the dark skies and stars. A great treat to spot shooting stars :) Thanks for staying with us and we hope that you visit the area again very soon.

Friendly Staff, level pitches, clean facilities, amazing views

Overall 10/10
Location 10
Value for money 10
Accommodation 10
Facilities / Activities 10
Customer service 10
Child friendliness 10
Cleanliness 10
Wifi No rating
Roxy J. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Unpowered grass tent site

Liked: Stayed here a few times now & love it, thats why i keep coming back. Jill & David are always about if your needing any help really friendly, great location, shop only a 5 mins away, beautiful lake opposite, another nice walk just round corner from the site 5 min drive away is shaftoe crag walk, facilties clean, mains drinking water available, i forgot my milk & Jill kindly brung me some for my cuppa so nice.

Disliked: Nothing

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Thanks so much for sharing your feedback and your great photos too. We are so pleased that you enjoyed your stay with us again and your comments are so helpful to campers looking to book a camping trip that suits their needs. Meeting our great guests and helping them to enjoy their stay in this lovely part of Northumberland that we are fortunate enough to call home is the best bit of running our lovely little campsite. Thanks for staying with us and we hope to see you again soon.

Love this campsite we didn’t want to leave

Overall 10/10
Location 10
Value for money 10
Accommodation 10
Facilities / Activities 10
Customer service 10
Child friendliness 10
Cleanliness 10
Wifi 10
Anonymous The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Unpowered grass tent site

Liked: Our 2nd visit these summer holidays and liked it as much as every other time we’ve visited Clean facilities ( great idea of the wood chipping outside toilets ) Lovely owners Spacious pitches and lots of space for children to play safely

Disliked: Nothing to dislike

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Thanks so much for your feedback and it was great to see you again. We hope that you had a peaceful and relaxing short break and thanks for sharing your great photographs. Our very best wishes and hope to see you again soon.


Features

Leisure on site

Bar or club house Cycle hire Evening entertainment Fishing Fitness centre Games room Indoor swimming pool Kids' club On-site restaurant/cafe Outdoor swimming pool Play area TV room Take away Tennis Watersports

Amenities on site

Bath available Car parking by site/unit Composting toilet Dog park Drying room Food shop Free wifi Ice pack freezing Internet access Laundry Parent & baby washroom Pick-up from public transport Portable toilet Pub toilets Public telephone Shower available Toilet block Washing-up area Wifi

Groups welcome

Family friendly Motorcycle friendly Single-sex groups welcome Student groups welcome

Rules

Barbecue provided Barbecues allowed Campfires allowed Commercial vehicles allowed Dogs allowed Dogs allowed all year

Themes

Wild camping

Utilities

Charging facilities Dump point Electric car charging point(s) Gas cylinders available Recycling available Renewable energy

Nearby amenities

Bar nearby Convenience store nearby Dog walk nearby

Type

Tiny (1-10 sites)

Accessibility

Disabled facilities

Nearby leisure

Climbing nearby Cycling nearby

Location

Bolam Lake Camping Paddock

Belsay

Northumberland

England

NE20 0HE

Directions

Timezone

Europe/London +0100 (GMT+01:00)

GPS

55.1332°N
-1.8688°W

Nearest transport

Coach
3.8 km The Arcade
3.8 km The Arcade
5 km Road end
Rail
12.3 km Morpeth Rail Station
14.8 km Newcastle Airport Metro
15.2 km Pegswood Rail Station
Ferry
30.7 km North Shields Ferry Terminal
31 km Newcastle International Ferry Terminal
31.3 km South Shields Ferry Terminal
Airport
14.7 km Newcastle International Airport

Please note: All distances on this page are calculated "as the crow flies" - please check actual distance depending on your mode of travel using the Get directions button above.

Local attractions

Want to feel like lord or lady for an afternoon? Belsay Hall, Castle and Gardens (10 minutes' drive) should soon ignite that fantasy. The medieval castle and gardens are one of a couple of historic properties around. The National Trust’s Wallington (10 minutes) has cycle hire so that visitors can take in views of the historical house the traditional way. Hikes-wise, Shaftoe Crags (10 minutes) has a circular walk with plenty of bouldering spots along the way. Hike along the historic Hadrian’s Wall to Housesteads Roman Fort (40 minutes) too. For beach time, Blyth and Cresswell are both excellent sandy options, and both about 40 minutes away – the former has beach huts while the latter has sand dunes. Those with kids are likely to be keeping their eyes peeled for easy entertainment options too. Very handily, Whitehouse Farm Centre (20 minutes) runs animal feeding sessions as well as things like tractor rides, and Go Ape Matfen (25 minutes) has a treetop assault course for the extra brave. Newcastle upon Tyne city centre (half an hour) has plenty of family-friendly attractions to add to that.

Water quality at nearby bathing waters

Name Distance Type 2020 2019 2018 2017
Newbiggin South 23.1 km Sea N/A Good Excellent Excellent
Newbiggin North 23.5 km Sea N/A Excellent Excellent Good
Blyth South Beach 23.8 km Sea N/A Excellent Excellent Excellent
Druridge Bay South 23.8 km Sea N/A Excellent Excellent Excellent
Seaton Sluice 25.4 km Sea N/A Excellent Excellent Excellent

Data source: European Environment Agency

Must see

Belsay Hall, Castle and Gardens 3.6 km

George Stephenson's Birthplace 17.5 km

Prudhoe Castle 18.7 km

Cragside House, Gardens and Estate 20.1 km

Chesters Roman Fort 20.8 km

National Trust

Wallington 6.1 km

Cherryburn 19.5 km

Cragside 20.6 km

Seaton Delaval Hall 24.3 km

Holy Jesus Hospital 24.5 km

Cycle routes

Find local routes on the National Cycle Network - over 12,000 miles of cycling routes.

Other

Bolam Lake - Shaftoe Craggs circular 0.1 km

BELSAY HALL 3.7 km

Hartburn Circular 4.6 km

CAPHEATON 5.1 km

WALLINGTON 5.9 km

Please note: All distances on this page are calculated "as the crow flies" - please check actual distance depending on your mode of travel using the Get directions button above.

Nearest campgrounds

Unfortunately, we have no nearby bookable sites.

Want to know more about camping in Northumberland?

Frequently asked questions

  • Does Bolam Lake Camping Paddock have a swimming pool? No View all features
  • Is Bolam Lake Camping Paddock dog friendly? Yes View all features
  • What attractions are near Bolam Lake Camping Paddock? Want to feel like lord or lady for an afternoon? Belsay Hall, Castle and Gardens (10 minutes' drive) should soon ignite that fantasy. The medieval castle and gardens are one of a 
 Read more
  • When can I check in and check out of Bolam Lake Camping Paddock?
    Camping and caravan
    Arrive:  2 p.m. –  Anytime
    Depart by:  noon
    Read more
  • How much does it cost to stay at Bolam Lake Camping Paddock? From $48.62 (for 1 night, 6 people) - prices may change depending on your dates and party.