Why visit North West England
Lush landscapes
Think you can’t please everyone? Then you might not have been camping in North West England. Home to Cumbria, Lancashire and Cheshire, it contains some of the country’s finest scenery – from the Forest of Bowland to the beaches around Blackpool. The metropolitan areas of Merseyside and Greater Manchester are also here, so add visits to thriving post-industrial cities like Liverpool to your North West England itinerary as well.
The Lake District
The lushest landscape of them all? It’s got to be the Lake District. This national park is one of the country's most beloved for its terrific tarns (lakes) and fells (hills), the sort of soulful scenery that inspired everyone from poet William Wordsworth to children’s author Beatrix Potter. Some of the best places to stay in the Lake District are around the towns of Penrith, Keswick and Ambleside.
Smart cities
The beauty of camping or glamping in the North West? You’re never too far from a lively urban centre. Immerse yourself in the buzz of thronging cities by day before settling under the stars out in the countryside by night. Manchester has an unrivalled independent shopping and bar-hopping scene (make a beeline for the bohemian Northern Quarter), while the museums lining Liverpool’s renovated docks are packed full of immersive maritime displays. Chester is charming too – this small city has Roman roots and the ruins to prove it, plus the huge zoo is one of the nation’s finest.
Essential North West England attractions
Before booking campsites in North West England, consider building your break around these experiences:
- Voyage on a vintage steamer boat across Windermere, the largest lake in England
- Rove the ridges of Helvellyn, a favourite mountain of hardcore hikers
- Trek alongside the almost 2,000-year-old Hadrian's Wall from the north-western to the north-eastern coast
- Have all the fun of the fair on Blackpool Pleasure Beach’s classic rollercoasters
- Make a pilgrimage to Old Trafford, Manchester United’s famed football stadium
Unexplored North West England
Quiet coastal corners
Blackpool is by far the most well-known beach resort in the North West, but for a sleepier seaside spot set off towards the sprawling sands of Lytham St Annes, two miles away. There are also dunes to dawdle along in Merseyside's Southport, not to mention grey seals, curlews and oystercatchers to get a glimpse of during the walk from West Kirby to Hilbre Island along the Dee Estuary. From Morecambe Bay back up in Lancashire, take wildlife-spotting boat trips in the hopes of sighting dolphins. Or stay on solid ground with a bike ride along the Bay Cycle Way, beginning on Walney Island beside Barrow and traversing canalside towpaths and scenic promenades enroute to Glasson Dock, slightly south of Lancaster.
Forest fun
Get to Grizedale Forest for the UK’s most sizable selection of site-specific outdoor art. This spot hosts around 50 permanent pieces -- including a humongous human head. Less renowned than the Lake District, the Forest of Bowland is a first-rate choice for under-the-radar adventures in the peat moorland, gritstone fells and vast valleys from villages like Dunsop Bridge. It’s also a dark-sky area (read our beginners' guide to stargazing while camping before you go).
Stately spaces
Check out Cheshire’s mighty manor homes, starting with Tatton Park’s ornate interior and deer-filled grounds. There’s also Arley Hall – a turreted, red-brick building you might recall from Disney’s Evermoor – and the old Quarry Bank cotton mill, an industrial heritage landmark that lets you in on what life was like locally some 200 years ago.
Here’s how
If you’re keen on camping in North West England, browse spots to stay on this page or find the perfect place by using the filters – there's everything from family-friendly parks to those that allow fires. And as well as campsites, we’ve got lodges, log cabins and static caravan parks in our North West glamping selection.
While it’s not legal to go wild camping in North West England, you can get a feel for this experience at a no-frills farm site (and all without any risk of breaking the law). Or perhaps the following options are more your style?
*Family camping in North West England
*Electric pitches in North West England
*North West England camping with dogs
*Campsites with play areas in North West England
*North West England fully serviced pitches
Next up? Try the North East for coastal castles and dreamy dales or Scotland to hop around some of the 40-plus islands in the Hebrides.
Wherever you go, take a look at our camping guide for all sorts of tips – from saving money on glamping to figuring out which type of tent is the best investment.
