Barkbeth Campsite

View prices & book 8.7 6 reviews
A tent on site
A tent on site
Tent and picnic blanket
Campsite
View of the site with skiddaw in the background
View from a tent
View of the site with skiddaw in the background
A tent on site
View from the site
1/26
Tent and picnic blanket
Campsite
View of the site with skiddaw in the background

  • Simple, pop-up site on a farm in the Lake District National Park
  • In the foothills of Skiddaw, 10 minutes' drive from Keswick
  • Dogs and barbecues welcome; half an hour’s walk to the pub
If you’ve been dreaming of a back-to-basics break, a wild-camping adventure or epic hiking excursions in the company of your dog, Barkbeth Campsite might just be the answer to your prayers. Open to the public only for 60 days a year, this quiet site on a working farm in the northern fringes of the Lake District National Park sits within a gently hilly landscape. Turn west and you might catch splendid glimpses of Bassenthwaite Lake; look south and the distinctive silhouette of Skiddaw looms in the distance. (Indeed, you’re in the foothills of Skiddaw here, and a short walk up the farm lane takes you on the direct footpath to the mountain.) When you need a break from these spectacular landscapes, or if you feel like visiting a cosy café or a lively market, the town of Keswick is easily reached via the A591 (10 minutes’ drive). After pitching your tent in the large grassy field (and perhaps after a good long hike), you might want a bite to eat. Stock up on grillables in Keswick, then set up your barbecue on a slate (there’s a supply of these right by the entrance gate). Alternatively, take a half-hour stroll to the pub in Bassenthwaite, where you can sample real ales and home-cooked food in a large beer garden. Amenities have been kept nicely minimal at Barkbeth Farm, to help preserve the peaceful rural vibe. That means pitches have no electricity (don’t forget your torch), but you will have access to a drinking-water tap, portable toilets and a unisex hot-shower cabin, plus a sink for washing up.

Site type

Tent pitches 10
Motorhome pitches 2
Open now
Opens 3 July
Please note
  • Under 18s must be accompanied by their parents or legal guardians.
  • Your dog must be tattooed or microchipped.
  • Discount cards and gift vouchers cannot be applied to bookings made via Pitchup.com.
  • Please note that the toilet facilities are unisex.

Languages spoken

English

Open from Fri 3 Jul to

No availability here for your search criteria

Pitch types & availability

Accommodation

Tent pitchesTouring caravan pitchesMotorhome pitchesLodges, cabins, pods or hutsCaravans for hireRent a tent
Choose your dates
2 adults
0 children
0 dogs
Dogs allowed

Reviews

8.7

Overall rating from 6 Pitchup.com customers

  • 50%
    10
  • 0%
    9
  • 33%
    8
  • 0%
    7
  • 16%
    6
  • 0%
    5
  • 0%
    4
  • 0%
    3
  • 0%
    2
  • 0%
    1
Location
 9
Value for money
 9
Accommodation
 No rating
Facilities / Activities
 7
Customer service
 9
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 9
Wifi
 1

83% would recommend this site to a friend

83% would stay here again

What customers say

Visitors praise the spectacular views, well-maintained grounds, and excellent location near Keswick, ideal for walking. The campsite is noted as quiet and easy to navigate, with daily cleaning of facilities. However, some found the facilities limited, particularly regarding the number of toilets and occasional water shortages. The compact field size meant children's play could encroach on pitches. While electric hook-ups were absent, running water was available.

Summary AI-generated from Pitchup.com customer reviews. Last updated 14/07/2026

Filter by topic

Reviews page 1 of 1
Arrival date (latest first)

Clean tidy everything you need thank…

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Facilities / Activities
 10
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 No rating
Nicola M. 3 reviews

Non-electric grass tent pitch

Liked Clean tidy everything you need thank you

Recommend to friends Visit again

Had an issue whilst traveling (personal)…

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Facilities / Activities
 8
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 No rating
Anonymous

Non-electric grass tent pitch

Liked Had an issue whilst traveling (personal) which meant we were going to be arriving later than expected, messaged the owner and he responded within minutes, excellent service. Campsite was clearly labelled and the views were exceptional! Brilliant campsite, would recommend!

Recommend to friends Visit again

Lovely setting, need to expand the facilities

Overall

6 out of 10
Location
 9
Value for money
 8
Facilities / Activities
 4
Customer service
 8
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 8
Wifi
 No rating
Sarah W. 6 reviews

Non-electric grass tent pitch

Liked The view is spectacular and the field is well maintained. Great location ready for walking or popping into Keswick.

Disliked It didn’t seem to have enough facilities (2 toilets for everyone, and it ran out of water so I wandered across to the drinking tap with soapy hands). The field is quite compact so as kids played football in the middle it just ended up with them running into your space if you want to sit outside. Thankfully not at capacity when we stayed.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Would come back again as easy to book and lovely location

Overall

8 out of 10
Location
 7
Value for money
 8
Facilities / Activities
 7
Customer service
 8
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 8
Wifi
 1
Anonymous

Non-electric grass motorhome pitch

Liked Quiet campsite. Easy to navigate to and the facilities were cleaned daily.

Disliked There were no electric hook up points but it was good enough with running drinking water available

Recommend to friends Visit again

Would stop again for a 1 night stay

Overall

8 out of 10
Location
 9
Value for money
 7
Facilities / Activities
 7
Customer service
 7
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 8
Wifi
 No rating
Chris B. 1 review

Non-electric grass motorhome pitch

Liked The pitch was great, small field and really convenient.

Disliked The portaloo maybe could of been a bit nicer but it was stated that was what they had so expected.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Great location…

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 9
Value for money
 9
Facilities / Activities
 No rating
Customer service
 No rating
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 No rating
Wifi
 No rating
James E. 6 reviews

Non-electric grass motorhome pitch

Liked Great location

Recommend to friends Visit again

Features

Portable toilet

Pop-up campsite

Campfires allowed

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

Groups welcome

D. of E. welcome Family friendly Motorcycle friendly Rallies welcome Single-sex groups welcome Student groups welcome

Rules

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

Themes

Lake and/or mountain Peaceful Remote location Spectacular scenery Walkers' paradise Wildlife haven

Utilities

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

Nearby amenities

Bar nearby Dog walk nearby

Type

Farm Pop-up campsite Small (11-25 pitches)

Accessibility

Accessible parking at pitch Level site, no steep slopes

Nearby leisure

Climbing nearby Cycling nearby Mountain biking nearby

Location

Barkbeth Campsite

Barkbeth Farm

Bassenthwaite

Keswick

Cumbria

England

CA12 4QY

Directions

Timezone

Europe/London BST (GMT+01:00)

GPS

54.67255°N
3.18004°W

Nearest transport

Coach
5.1 mi Bus Station
7.5 mi Gallowbarrow
7.6 mi Fairfield Junior School
Rail
8.5 mi Aspatria Rail Station
10.8 mi Wigton Rail Station
12.9 mi Maryport Rail Station
Ferry
5.4 mi Nichol End (Derwentwater) Ferry Landing
5.6 mi Keswick Ferry Landing
6.4 mi Hawes End Derwentwater Ferry Landing

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

With its narrow streets and independent shops, plus spectacular views of the surrounding fells, Keswick (10 minutes’ drive) is well worth a visit. Check out the Derwent Pencil Museum, where you can take a selfie next to an eight-metre long pencil, then head to Friars Crag, a scenic spot on the banks of Derwentwater. Red pandas, zebras and lynx are among the residents at Lake District Wildlife Park (10 minutes’ drive), which is also home to exotic birds like flamingoes and kookaburras. The centre runs interesting animal experiences – from birds of prey sessions, to walks with the alpacas. On a summer’s day, you might fancy a hike that leads you to water. Consider heading to Moss Force Waterfall (half an hour’s drive) or Scale Force Waterfall (35 minutes). Thought to be the highest fall in the Lake District, the latter thunders down a vertical granite wall, while Moss Force descends along a series of rock steps.

Water quality at nearby bathing waters

Name Distance Type 2020201920182017
Allonby 12.1 mi Sea N/AGoodGoodGood
St Bees 21.3 mi Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent
Southerness 21.8 mi Sea N/AGoodGoodExcellent
Seascale 22.8 mi Sea N/AGoodGoodGood
Sandyhills 26 mi Sea N/AN/APoorPoor

Data source: European Environment Agency

Must see

Mirehouse Historic House and Gardens 2.1 mi

Whinlatter Forest & Visitor Centre 4.7 mi

Castlerigg Stone Circle 5.8 mi

Ullswater Steamers 13 mi

Dalemain Historic House & Gardens 14.8 mi

National Trust

Wordsworth House and Garden 7.6 mi

Buttermere and Ennerdale 17.1 mi

Grasmere and Great Langdale 17.4 mi

Wasdale, Eskdale and Duddon 18.5 mi

Townend 21 mi

Cycle routes

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

Other

Ullock Pike - Longside Edge - Skiddaw 1.2 mi

Dodd Wood under Ullock Pike 2.1 mi

Bassenthwaite Osprey Walk 2.1 mi

Latrigg, Blease and Lonscale 4.6 mi

Newlands Valley 4.9 mi

Local events

  • Kendal Calling (Thursday, 30 July 2026 – Thursday, 30 July 2026)

    Penrith, Cumbria 19.2 mi

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.

Want to know more about camping in The Lake District and Cumbria?

Frequently asked questions

  • Does Barkbeth Campsite have a swimming pool? No View all features
  • Is Barkbeth Campsite dog friendly? Yes View all features
  • What attractions are near Barkbeth Campsite? With its narrow streets and independent shops, plus spectacular views of the surrounding fells, Keswick (10 minutes’ drive) is well worth a visit. Check out the Derwent Pencil Museum, where you can … Read more
  • When can I check in and check out of Barkbeth Campsite?
    Camping and touring
    Arrive:  11 a.m. –  9 p.m.
    Depart by:  10:30 a.m.
    On-site accommodation
    Arrive:  12 p.m. –  9 p.m.
    Depart by:  10:30 a.m.
    Read more
  • How much does it cost to stay at Barkbeth Campsite? From £25 (for 1 night, 2 adults) - prices may change depending on your dates and party.