Gill Head Farm

View prices & book 9.5 1,300 reviews
Camp life (added by visitor 18 Jul 2022)
Exterior
Tent pitches
Our pitch set up near the little stream

  • Working hill farm in the north of the Lake District National Park
  • A 15-minute drive from Keswick and Penrith; 10 minutes from Ullswater
  • Stunning views of Blencathra and the Northern Fells
Check out those views… family-run Gill Head Farm is a scenic place indeed, with a backdrop of Blencathra and the Northern Fells. And it’s a cinch to get to as well – this site on the banks of Trout Beck is less than a mile from the A66, so you can get your fix of proper rural time without having to navigate miles of winding lanes. It’s often said that visitors to the Lake District National Park are spoilt for choice when it comes to activities – and that’s certainly true at this Cumbria site. Days of hikes, horse riding, watersports, climbing, visiting historic houses and wild swimming are among the many options around here. If you don’t know where to start, have a chat with the owners – as outdoorsy folk themselves they’re happy to help plan your adventures and offer up local tips. Whatever you get up to by day, it also must be noted that those views make a great setting for an evening by the campfire – handily, there are firepits to hire on site, and bags of logs and kindling for sale. What if it’s not campfire weather? Retreat to the indoor communal area which has comfy seating, a dining area and a little kitchen area (with microwaves, kettles, a fridge and a freezer) – or take the 15-minute walk to the local pub. To stock up on food for your barbecues/picnics there are plenty of shops in Penrith and Keswick, both 15 minutes’ drive away (or get to Keswick on the bus). Back at base, facilities include a laundry room and a shower/toilet block that was done up in 2019 to offer spacious and clean amenities. Please note that group bookings are strictly not allowed at Gill Head Farm. Due to the rural location, the wifi also does not cover the whole site and is limited to a hotspot in the communal room.

Site type

Touring caravan pitches 8
Motorhome pitches 8
Lodges, cabins, pods or huts 11
Tent pitches 10
Open now
Opens 22 March
Please note
  • Group bookings of 2 or more units (e.g. tent, touring caravan, motorhome or accommodation hire) travelling together are not permitted via Pitchup.com.
  • Group bookings of 3 or more adults are not permitted (couples and immediate family members excepted).
  • Single-sex bookings of 4 or more people (couples and immediate family members excepted) are not permitted via Pitchup.com.
  • No hen/stag parties permitted via Pitchup.com.
  • Bookings must not be for more than 14 consecutive nights.
  • The site caters for families (immediate members) and couples only - bookings from all other forms of groups are not accepted.
  • At least one of the party members must be aged 21 or over.
  • Minimum spacing of 4 metres between pitches.
  • This is a quiet site: no music is allowed.
  • If making a fire, the fuel, logs and coal have to be purchased on site.
  • Guests are advised to bring a good quality torch with them as parts of the site are unlit.
  • No naked flames are allowed inside the hired accommodation units.
  • No electric barbecues allowed.
  • Roof tents, trailer tents and campervans are only permitted on the gravel pitches.

Languages spoken

English

Open from Fri, 22 Mar to

Pitch types & availability

Reviews

96%

would recommend this site to a friend

95%

would stay here again

  • 81%
    10
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Only showing reviews for the last 30 months.

Toilets clean and site well situated…

Overall 10/10
Location 10
Value for money 10
Accommodation 10
Facilities / Activities 8
Customer service 10
Child friendliness No rating
Cleanliness 10
Wifi 6
Rebecca S. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Electric grass and gravel touring pitch

Liked: Toilets clean and site well situated

Recommend to friends Visit again

Fabulous views, plentiful facilities and welcoming host. Will be back!

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

Electric optional grass tent pitch

Liked: The great location and the stunning views it offered. Owners were very welcoming and helpful. All the facilities were spotlessly clean and excellent, the showers in particular were fantastic! I thoroughly enjoyed my 6 night stay and look forward to returning for my next visit to the lakes.

Recommend to friends Visit again

This is my third visit and will be back again!

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

Non-electric grass tent pitch

Liked: Clean facilities, friendly staff, communal room ideal good location

Recommend to friends Visit again

Excellent site with excellent facilities

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

Non-electric grass tent pitch

Liked: The location is simply breathtaking with views of the fells surrounding the site The choice of accommodation is brilliant and varied from glamping pods to simple tent pitches We chose to camp and our views of the fells were great The amenities are brilliant with a communal lounge with freezer and fridge and even microwave and a big tv With access to covered cooking stations where you can use your camping stoves undercover and washing up sinks next door food prep was great The toilet and shower block was fresh and clean and easily accessible

Recommend to friends Visit again

Nice and quiet campsite, good facilities and a little shop with a…

Overall 10/10
Location 10
Value for money 10
Accommodation 10
Facilities / Activities 8
Customer service 10
Child friendliness 10
Cleanliness 10
Wifi 2
Dan R. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Non-electric grass tent pitch

Liked: Nice and quiet campsite, good facilities and a little shop with a good pub in walking distance which was ideal for the dogs as well

Recommend to friends Visit again

Lovely site, excellent and clean facilities

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

Electric optional grass tent pitch

Liked: The view was amazing, everyone was friendly, the facilities were amazing, will definitely be back.’

Recommend to friends Visit again

Stayed in kipper cabin toilet on site could have been closer…

Overall 6/10
Location 4
Value for money 4
Accommodation 6
Facilities / Activities 4
Customer service 4
Child friendliness 6
Cleanliness 8
Wifi 4
Malcolm S. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Kipper cabin

Liked: Stayed in kipper cabin toilet on site could have been closer and could of supplied free logs daily instead at extra cost of 6 pounds 50pence per day ok for break could of been better dont go to local pub very expensive and poor quality food

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Hi Thanks for your comments. For clarity there is a chemical toilet provided at the cabin (3m away) which you clearly used during your stay, in addition to the ( 3 other sets of ) site facilities which are a short walk away. Logs are available for sale to use in the woodburner at the cabin at your discretion in addition to the complimentary oil radiator (which was on full blast when I went to clean the cabin) which provides free heat during your stay. Unfortunately it appears that you won't be returning but thanks for the opportunity to provide some feedback, Regards Mark Amanda and Mark

Great views we went on the back field and there was amazing…

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

Electric optional grass tent pitch

Liked: Great views we went on the back field and there was amazing views over the Lake District. Hosts were lovely and very accommodating and explained where everything is. You can purchase a fire pit and logs for £20 for the evening. 15 minute drive from Keswick and loads of walks nearby you can do.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Great area and lovely staff

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

Electric optional grass tent pitch

Liked: Great facilities and very helpful farmer.

Disliked: Only slight downside was the noise from the main road. Only reason it wasn't a 5 star rating

Recommend to friends Visit again

Great stay and would definitely come again and recommend to anyone

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

Non-electric grass tent pitch

Liked: Clean facilities Excellent service from the owners of the farm and gave us a tour of the place when we first arrived as we’ve never stayed before Plenty of facilities too Great location only 15 minutes from Keswick which was our main destination Beautiful views

Disliked: The reception sold out of fire pits quickly The reception opening times are 9-11 and 3-5 which can be quite difficult sometimes depending what you’re doing Very little service at the site and no WiFi

Recommend to friends Visit again


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 pitch/unit 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

Peaceful Remote location Spectacular scenery Walkers' paradise Wildlife haven

Utilities

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

Nearby amenities

Bar nearby Dog walk nearby Nearby farmers' market Public transport nearby Shop nearby

Type

Farm Medium (26-50 pitches)

Accessibility

Disabled facilities

Nearby leisure

Canoeing/kayaking nearby Climbing nearby Cycle hire nearby Cycling nearby Fishing nearby Golf nearby Horse riding nearby Indoor pool nearby Mountain biking nearby Outdoor pool nearby Restaurant nearby Sailing nearby Tennis nearby Watersports nearby

Touring and motorhomes

Seasonal pitches

Location

Gill Head Farm

Troutbeck

Penrith

Cumbria

England

CA11 0ST

Directions

Timezone

Europe/London BST (GMT+01:00)

GPS

54.6334°N
-2.96195°W

Nearest transport

Coach
7.6 mi Bus Station
8.4 mi Rail Station
12.6 mi Lakeside House for Dove Cottage
Rail
8.4 mi Penrith North Lakes Rail Station
12.7 mi Langwathby Rail Station
13.1 mi Lazonby & Kirkoswald Rail Station
Ferry
5.6 mi Pooley Bridge Ullswater Ferry Landing
5.8 mi Howtown Ullswater Ferry Landing
6.2 mi Glenridding Ullswater 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

Ullswater is the nearest of the lakes at 10 minutes’ drive away, so that’s as good a place to start as any – stop by at Aira Force waterfall on your way down there, then get down to the lake itself for waterside walks, steamer cruises and various watersports – or even a wild swim if you’re feeling brave. Over on the banks of Derwentwater, Keswick (15 minutes’ drive) is another good place to explore, with a brewery, The Puzzling Place and the Derwent Pencil Museum as well as boat trips and paddleboards to hire. Walkers of all varieties have much to choose from around here, from gentle lakeside wanders to uphill scrambles at Blencathra and Helvellyn, both of which are close by. The folk on the farm are happy to suggest routes to suit – or point you towards the likes of Dalemain Mansion (15 minutes), Mirehouse & Gardens (20 minutes) or Lowther Castle (25 minutes) for stately-home strolls.

Water quality at nearby bathing waters

Name Distance Type 2020 2019 2018 2017
Allonby 21 mi Sea N/A Good Good Good
Seascale 26.8 mi Sea N/A Good Good Good
St Bees 27.7 mi Sea N/A Excellent Excellent Excellent

Data source: European Environment Agency

Must see

Dalemain Historic House & Gardens 5.8 mi

Castlerigg Stone Circle 5.9 mi

Ullswater Steamers 6.2 mi

The Rheged Centre 7.2 mi

Mirehouse Historic House and Gardens 9.1 mi

National Trust

Grasmere and Great Langdale 13.7 mi

Acorn Bank Garden and Watermill 14.5 mi

Townend 15.5 mi

Wordsworth House and Garden 16.4 mi

Windermere and Troutbeck 17 mi

Cycle routes

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

Other

Blencathra Classic - Sharp Edge and Narrow Edge 2.3 mi

Mungrisdale - Bannerdale Crags 2.3 mi

Threlkeld - Blencathra - Sharp Edge - Scales - Threlkeld 3.9 mi

Threlkeld, Westcoe and Keswick Railway 3.9 mi

Aira Force - Dockray - Dowthwaitehead - Aira Force 4.5 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.

Nearest sites

Unfortunately, we have no nearby bookable sites.

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

Frequently asked questions

  • Does Gill Head Farm have a swimming pool? No View all features
  • Is Gill Head Farm dog friendly? Yes View all features
  • What attractions are near Gill Head Farm? Ullswater is the nearest of the lakes at 10 minutes’ drive away, so that’s as good a place to start as any – stop by at Aira Force waterfall on your way … Read more
  • When can I check in and check out of Gill Head Farm?
    Camping and touring
    Arrive:  1 p.m. –  6 p.m.
    Depart by:  11:30 a.m.
    On-site accommodation
    Arrive:  1 p.m. –  6 p.m.
    Depart by:  10:30 a.m.
    Read more
  • How much does it cost to stay at Gill Head Farm? From £27.30 (for 1 night, 2 adults) - prices may change depending on your dates and party.