Holmescales Campsite

View prices & book 8.9 197 reviews
Around the site
Around the site
Aerial view of the site
View of the site
Pitches and toilet block
Around the site
Around the site
Around the site
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Aerial view of the site
View of the site
Pitches and toilet block

  • Small site in the Cumbria countryside, 15 minutes’ drive from Kendal
  • Sizergh Castle 15 minutes’ drive; Windermere half an hour
  • Archery, quad biking and axe throwing; toilet and shower block
The gently undulating hills of the Cumbria countryside surround Holmescales Campsite, a small, friendly site a five-minute drive from the hamlet of Old Hutton, with its pretty stone cottages, and 15 minutes from the market town of Kendal. This is a handy spot for getting out into the fresh air and exploring the spectacular landscape, since the site sits between the Lake District and the Yorkshire Dales national parks. Not only that: being a mere three miles from the M6 and four miles from Oxenholme railway station makes Holmescales a nifty stopover point for those heading to and from Scotland. Life on site is pretty peaceful: each pitch has a view of the Lakeland fells, and you’ll often spot farm animals and wildlife in the surroundings, too. Amenities include shower and toilet blocks and a washing-up station, plus chemical disposal. Couples, families and well-behaved dogs on leads are all welcome to stay here, and barbecues and campfires are permitted to enhance those rural evenings on site – although there are several excellent pubs and restaurants within a few minutes’ drive, too. If it all sounds a tad too laidback, fear not: the folks here run a good set of on-site activities, so you can challenge yourself and have a go at archery, air rifles, crossbows and axe throwing, or spend days quad biking or clay-pigeon shooting. Please note: these activities incur an extra cost, and they’re pretty popular, so you’ll need to book ahead.

Site type

Tent pitches 18
Touring caravan pitches 18
Motorhome pitches 18
Open all year
Opens
Please note
  • Under 18s must be accompanied by their parents or legal guardians.
  • The site does not accept breeds/crossbreeds listed in the Dangerous Dogs Act (i.e. Pit Bull Terrier, Japanese Tosa, Dogo Argentino, and Fila Brasileiro).
  • This is a quiet site: no music is allowed.
  • Please note that the toilet/shower facilities are unisex.
  • No hen/stag parties permitted via Pitchup.com.
  • Group bookings of 2 or more units (e.g. tent, touring caravan, motorhome or accommodation hire) travelling together are not permitted via Pitchup.com.
  • The site caters for families (immediate members) and couples only - bookings from all other forms of groups are not accepted.

Languages spoken

English

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

Reviews

8.9

Overall rating from 197 Pitchup.com customers

  • 55%
    10
  • 5%
    9
  • 27%
    8
  • 3%
    7
  • 4%
    6
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    5
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    1
Location
 9
Value for money
 9
Accommodation
 9
Facilities / Activities
 8
Customer service
 9
Child friendliness
 9
Cleanliness
 9
Wifi
 6
PeacefulSpectacular scenery

92% would recommend this site to a friend

90% would stay here again

What customers say

This is a quiet, basic campsite praised for its stunning rural views and generally clean facilities, including warm showers and good washing-up areas. Many guests appreciate the generous pitch sizes and peaceful atmosphere, noting its convenience for accessing the M6 and the Lake District. While some mention road noise and challenging access lanes, and a few find the facilities basic for the price, most reviewers highly recommend it for its value and relaxing environment, with many intending to return.

Summary AI-generated from Pitchup.com customer reviews

Reviews page 1 of 20
Arrival date (latest first)

Quiet and basic but still good.

Overall

8 out of 10
Location
 8
Value for money
 9
Accommodation
 No rating
Facilities / Activities
 6
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 9
Wifi
 9
Caroline B.

Electric grass and gravel touring pitch

Liked In the middle of the countryside.
There were toilets and showers which was great and the building was warm.
WiFi was good.

Disliked The washing up area was exposed to the elements so I was drying up but everything was getting wet from the rain!
Nowhere to plug a hairdryer in in the shower block.
You could hear the road noise - not a terrible level but enough that you were aware of it.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Fantastic view and good facilities. Exactly…

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 No rating
Value for money
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Wifi
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Anonymous

Non-electric grass pitch

Liked Fantastic view and good facilities. Exactly what you’d expect from a campsite. There is some noise from the nearby M6 motorway, but it isn’t intrusive. Excellent place to stay as part of a trip to the Lake District or a long journey further north.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Lovely campsite

Overall

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

Non-electric grass pitch

Liked Lovely campsite with spacious pitches, clean toilets, good washing up area and spectacular views.

Disliked The one drawback is that there is some noise from the motorway.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Well kept site, the views are…

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 9
Value for money
 9
Accommodation
 No rating
Facilities / Activities
 9
Customer service
 9
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 9
Wifi
 No rating
Kay C.

Electric grass and gravel touring pitch

Liked Well kept site, the views are spectacular, the washing and showering facilities are rustic yet clean, perfectly usable with plenty of hot water.
Walkway opposite the site entrance which was great for the dog.

Disliked You can hear the M6 at night but it’s not loud enough to stop you sleeping. Strangely I didn’t notice it by day.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Excellent site with all the facilities required for a great stay.

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 No rating
Facilities / Activities
 10
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 10
Bryn J.

Non-electric grass and gravel pitch

Liked The perfect site for my needs. Camped here several times and am never disappointed. Have really enjoyed the winter camping and the quietness of the site.

Disliked Nothing to dislike from my experiences.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Spacious pitch great views fab facilities…

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 9
Value for money
 9
Accommodation
 No rating
Facilities / Activities
 10
Customer service
 9
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 No rating
Anonymous

Electric grass and gravel touring pitch

Liked Spacious pitch great views fab facilities

Recommend to friends Visit again

Great location and very quiet and…

Overall

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

Electric grass and gravel touring pitch

Liked Great location and very quiet and clean.

Disliked Missed the entrance due to no sign

Recommend to friends Visit again

Great facilities and very quiet. The…

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 No rating
Accommodation
 No rating
Facilities / Activities
 No rating
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 No rating
Nick K.

Non-electric grass and gravel pitch

Liked Great facilities and very quiet. The owners are were very helpful and communicative. A lovely place to spend a few days.

Disliked The only thing I can think of was that the shower was really hot and couldn't be adjusted. That might just be personal preference though.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Nice site, Toilets nice and clean,…

Overall

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

Non-electric grass and gravel pitch

Liked Nice site, Toilets nice and clean, friendly owner.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Spacious clean organised…

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 No rating
Facilities / Activities
 10
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 No rating
Julie H.

Electric grass and gravel touring pitch

Liked Spacious clean organised

Disliked Slight slope to pitch

Recommend to friends Visit again

Features

Dogs allowed

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 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

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

Peaceful Remote location Spectacular scenery Wild camping 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 Shop nearby

Type

Farm Small (11-25 pitches)

Nearby leisure

Climbing nearby Cycling nearby Horse riding nearby Mountain biking nearby Restaurant nearby

Location

Holmescales Campsite

Holmescales Farm

Old Hutton

Cumbria

England

LA8 0NB

Directions

Timezone

Europe/London BST (GMT+01:00)

GPS

54.27493°N
2.68536°W

Nearest transport

Coach
4.5 mi Bus Station
4.5 mi Bus Station
4.5 mi Bus Station
Rail
2.5 mi Oxenholme Lake District Rail Station
4.5 mi Kendal Rail Station
6.4 mi Burneside (Cumbria) Rail Station
Ferry
10.8 mi Fell Foot Country Park Ferry Landing
10.9 mi Lakeside Windermere Ferry Landing
11.3 mi Bowness Ferry Nab 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

The vast grounds at Sizergh Castle (15 minutes’ drive) include woodlands, wetlands, orchards and a rock garden with a collection of lush ferns. The 14th-century mansion at the heart of it all has displays of Elizabethan furniture, paintings and armour; it is also home to the Inlaid Chamber, with its exquisite oak panelling. Petrolheads will appreciate a day at the Lakeland Motor Museum (25 minutes), where vintage cars and motorcycles are presented within the social context of their respective eras – for example, a 1940s tractor is part of a display on the Women’s Land Army (or Land Girls). There are also exhibits on pedal cars and caravans. There are rowing, sailing and racing boats on display at the Jetty Museum in Windermere (half an hour), where you can also take long strolls on the banks of the lake of the same name. Just a little further south, in Bowness-on-Windermere, children can meet Peter Rabbit, Squirrel Nutkin and other beloved fictional characters at The World of Beatrix Potter Attraction.

Water quality at nearby bathing waters

Name Distance Type 2020201920182017
Morecambe North 15.4 mi Estuary GoodN/AGoodGood
Morecambe South 16 mi Sea N/AN/AGoodGood
Haverigg 25.1 mi Sea PoorN/AN/AN/A
Walney West Shore 26 mi Sea N/AGoodGoodN/A
Walney Sandy Gap 26.2 mi Sea N/AGoodGoodN/A

Data source: European Environment Agency

Must see

Sizergh Castle and Garden 3.6 mi

Levens Hall & Gardens 3.9 mi

Blackwell, The Arts & Craft House 10.7 mi

Windermere Lake Cruises, Lakeside 11 mi

The World of Beatrix Potter 11.3 mi

National Trust

Sizergh Castle and Garden 3.6 mi

Fell Foot Park 10.8 mi

Cartmel Priory Gatehouse 12 mi

Windermere and Troutbeck 12.2 mi

Hill Top 12.7 mi

Cycle routes

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

Other

LEVENS HALL 3.4 mi

SIZERGH CASTLE 3.4 mi

The River Kent and Kendal 3.7 mi

Levens Hall and the River Kent 3.8 mi

Levens Hall and Sizergh Castle 3.8 mi

Local events

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

    Penrith, Cumbria 22.8 mi

  • Kettlewell Scarecrow Festival (Saturday, 8 August 2026 – Saturday, 8 August 2026)

    Skipton, North Yorkshire 27.2 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 Holmescales Campsite have a swimming pool? No View all features
  • Is Holmescales Campsite dog friendly? Yes View all features
  • What attractions are near Holmescales Campsite? The vast grounds at Sizergh Castle (15 minutes’ drive) include woodlands, wetlands, orchards and a rock garden with a collection of lush ferns. The 14th-century mansion at the heart of it all … Read more
  • When can I check in and check out of Holmescales Campsite?
    Camping and touring
    Arrive:  1:30 p.m. –  5 p.m.
    Depart by:  12:30 p.m.

    Please call or text when you are close to arriving.

    Read more
  • How much does it cost to stay at Holmescales Campsite? From £26 (for 1 night, 4 people) - prices may change depending on your dates and party.