Holmescales Campsite

View prices & book 8.9 241 reviews
Around the site
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

Reviews

  • 57%
    10
  • 6%
    9
  • 24%
    8
  • 3%
    7
  • 3%
    6
  • 0%
    5
  • 1%
    4
  • 1%
    3
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    2
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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

92% would recommend this site to a friend

90% would stay here again

What customers say

This is a peaceful, well-maintained campsite with stunning countryside views and spacious pitches. Facilities are basic but clean and adequate, with warm showers and a washing-up area. Easy to access and ideal for stopovers or exploring the local area, it's highly recommended for those seeking a quiet, back-to-basics camping experience. Some guests noted road noise and occasionally uneven pitches.

Summary AI-generated from Pitchup.com customer reviews. Last updated 21/07/2026

Filter by topic

Reviews page 1 of 25
Arrival date (latest first)

Great spot, pretty views and only 10mins from Kendall highly recommend

Overall

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

Non-electric grass pitch

Liked Clean and tidy good showers lovely views plenty of space. Went cosy pigeon shooting and Ellie was great x

Disliked Nothing to speak of : )

Recommend to friends Visit again

Quiet peaceful site with lovely views.

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
9
Value for money
10
Facilities / Activities
8
Customer service
10
Child friendliness
8
Cleanliness
8
Wifi
10

Non-electric grass pitch

Liked Beautiful views, very easy check in, you just choose your own pitch and let them know. Very peaceful quiet site with lots of space for kids to play! Toilets, showers, washing up area and optional activities nearby. Great base for the lakes!

Recommend to friends Visit again

Very good campsite. All basics covered…

Overall

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

Electric grass and gravel touring pitch

Liked Very good campsite. All basics covered and Stunning views

Recommend to friends Visit again

Love this place - clean tidy…

Overall

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

Non-electric grass pitch

Liked Love this place - clean tidy with amazing views. As simple as it gets with great funky facility - will definitely be returning!!

Recommend to friends Visit again

Highly recommend

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
Emma B. 1 review

Electric grass and gravel touring pitch

Liked What a beautiful campsite, great communication beforehand hand and easy to select pitch, beautiful surroundings. Very basic but that's all I wanted, so quiet and lovely views, highly recommend. Dog friendly too which was perfect!

Disliked Nothing

Recommend to friends Visit again

Very nice spot will visit again.

Overall

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

Non-electric grass pitch

Liked Great views, clean and tidy, plenty of space very chilled.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Quiet well run site with facilities for all kinds of campers.

Overall

8 out of 10
Location
8
Value for money
5
Facilities / Activities
9
Customer service
10
Child friendliness
No rating
Cleanliness
10
Wifi
No rating
Anonymous

Electric grass and gravel touring pitch

Liked Very peaceful with beautiful views of the countryside. Toilets and showers were clean and there were plenty of bins on site. Washing up area was also clean. Facilities seemed dated.
The site was well looked after with pitches clearly marked, grass cut and signage up.

Disliked Couldn’t alter the temp of the shower which was lukewarm. Nothing but concrete to step on when getting out of the shower- a plastic duckboard would have been really good. Felt it was expensive for just adequate facilities.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Area was clean and tidy and…

Overall

5 out of 10
Location
5
Value for money
5
Facilities / Activities
1
Customer service
5
Child friendliness
5
Cleanliness
5
Wifi
No rating

Non-electric grass pitch

Liked Area was clean and tidy and child friendly. Pitch area no issues and beautiful scenery

Disliked Shower I must says could be better however they are warm and little sprinkler but apart from that great facilities

Recommend to friends Visit again

Just what you need

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
10
Value for money
10
Facilities / Activities
8
Customer service
10
Child friendliness
10
Cleanliness
9
Wifi
No rating
C W. 2 reviews

Non-electric grass pitch

Liked The views, the tranquility. Kids can go off and run around safely.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Excellent setting we will be back x

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

Non-electric grass pitch

Liked Amazing scenery clean and simple x

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

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.