Serenity on the Swale

View prices & book 9.6 9 reviews
Open grassed area
Open grassed area
River views
Open public seating area with river views, accessed on approach to village.
Spacious riverside pitches
Enjoy a brew with a view by the riverside
Open grassed area
Aerial shot of the site
River views
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New
River views
Open public seating area with river views, accessed on approach to village.
Spacious riverside pitches

  • Adults-only North Yorkshire motorhome pitches next to the River Swale
  • Between Thirsk and Ripon, about 15-20 minutes’ drive from both
  • Topcliffe pubs 15 minutes’ walk; great base for Deer Shed Festival
This is one of those sites where the name captures pretty much exactly what the place is all about – Serenity on the Swale is a peaceful adults-only North Yorkshire site in a gorgeous little spot on the banks of the River Swale, just under a mile from the village of Topcliffe. Settling down right on the riverbank, of course, means some lovely views from the pitches, and there’s also the chance to spot some wildlife too. There are just a handful of pitches, so everyone gets a good view – and you’re welcome to use one of the picnic tables for treats you’ve bought from the shops in Ripon or Thirsk (both within 20 minutes’ drive). This is a site that’s designed for self-contained motorhomes, so it’s well worth noting that there are no toilets, showers or other major facilities here. There is, however, a chemical disposal point at Sleningford Watermill (25 minutes' drive away, in North Stainley) that owner David will let you use in return for a donation. There are also plenty of handy things in the local village – it’s a pleasant 15-minute walk along the river (past the old mill and an attractive weir) to the village centre, which has two pubs, an art gallery and a small post office/shop. If you’re here on a Friday, look out for the visiting fish and chip van too. A little further away (five minutes’ drive/50 minutes’ walk) is The Catton Kitchen, serving up tasty breakfasts and lunches from Friday to Sunday. Topcliffe is a small and usually sleepy place, but it springs to life at the end of July for the Deer Shed Festival at Baldersby Park. The festival location is about a half-hour walk/10-minute cycle from the site, making this a canny choice of place to stay for ticketholders.

Campground type

RV & Motorhome sites 4
Open all year
Opens
Please note
  • This campground/park has no on-site toilet facilities.
  • This campground/park has no on-site shower facilities.
  • This campground/park has no on-site toilet and shower facilities.
  • The campground/park does not accept breeds/crossbreeds listed in the Dangerous Dogs Act (i.e. Pit Bull Terrier, Japanese Tosa, Dogo Argentino, and Fila Brasileiro) and/or any of the following: Staffordshire bull terrier, American Staffordshire terrier, Rottweiler, any Mastiff or Tosa.
  • The campground/park does not accept breeds/crossbreeds listed in the Dangerous Dog Act (i.e. Pit Bull Terrier, Japanese Tosa, Dogo Argentino, and Fila Brasileiro).
  • Guests under the age of 18 are not allowed on site.
  • Bookings must not be for more than 3 consecutive nights.
  • Units longer than 6 meters metres are not allowed.
  • No charcoal barbecues allowed.
  • Swimming in the lake is not allowed.
  • For licensing reasons, you must be a member to stay at this campsite. After booking, you will be granted free membership of this campsite's exempt organisation, who may contact you to finalise registration.

Languages spoken

English

Reviews

9.6

Overall rating from 9 Pitchup.com customers

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    1
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 9
Facilities / Activities
 4
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 3
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 5

100% would recommend this campground to a friend

100% would stay here again

Reviews page 1 of 1
Arrival date (latest first)

beautiful views, wild flowers & tree shade if needed

Overall 10/10

Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 10
Facilities / Activities
 No rating
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 No rating
Elizabeth F.

Unpowered grass motorhome site

Liked Serenity on the Swale is a well cared for, very peaceful, pitch on the side of the river.
Jacquie, the owner made us feel very welcome but didn’t intrude on our stay.

From the manager: Thank you so much for your feedback and very much look forward to welcoming you back again Can’t guarantee all that lovely sunshine during your stay though! 😁

Absolutely no facilities so you need to be self sufficient.

Overall 10/10

Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 10
Facilities / Activities
 1
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 1
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 1
D H.

Unpowered grass motorhome site

Liked No facilities, however this little gem overlooking the river is a tranquil getaway which envelops you in nature (but it's still only a 20mins walk to the village of Topcliffe with 2 great pubs etc).

Fantastic communication from the owner, who does her upmost to make sure you enjoy your stay. Thank you 😍

Disliked Leaving !!

From the manager: That is the beauty of having a lovely self contained motorhome like yours! Look forward to welcoming you back soon.

So peaceful and lovely wildlife…

Overall 6/10

Location
 9
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 10
Facilities / Activities
 5
Customer service
 9
Child friendliness
 1
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 6
Victoria C.

Unpowered grass motorhome site

Liked So peaceful and lovely wildlife

Disliked If you need toilets and shower then this isn’t the place, but we loved it and knew this

From the manager: Many thanks for your feedback and yes this is a CAMpRA site for self contained camper and motor homes for up to 72 hours, to simply to provide some peace and quiet, before an onward journey. There are some lovely campsites not too far away who offer facilities if needed. 😊

Nice level site

Overall 10/10

Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 1
Facilities / Activities
 1
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 1
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 1
rachel b.

Unpowered grass motorhome site

Liked Lovely little piece of land on the banks of the river swale, with room for 5 campers. Peaceful and relaxing

Disliked Would be great if there was a cold water tap , not sure if this would be possible though due to the location.

From the manager: So glad you enjoyed some peace and relaxation, something we all benefit from! Yes even though it is a CAMpRA site for self contained motorhomes/ campers, it would certainly benefit from a cold water tap. I’m looking into it, so watch this space 👍

Simple beautiful,❤️ small but just perfectly formed , loved the wild life…

Overall 10/10

Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 10
Facilities / Activities
 1
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 10
Jill R.

Unpowered grass motorhome site

Liked Simple beautiful,❤️ small but just perfectly formed , loved the wild life ,the peace, the river, grass cut perfect and edges left for wild flowers, total relaxation, just what we needed. Great communication with the owner.
Thank you

Disliked Absolutely nothing

From the manager: So nice to hear you all had a relaxing time, thank you for adding the photos, the sky looks amazing! 😍

Absolutely stunning !!!

Overall 10/10

Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 10
Facilities / Activities
 10
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 10
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 No rating
Darren W.

Unpowered grass motorhome site

Liked Stunning views, Immaculately maintained site,very secure with perfect river view pitches.The host couldn’t have been any more helpful and friendly. Without a doubt one of the most picturesque locations we have ever stayed,we have already booked another break here!!!
Thankyou so much.
Darren

From the manager: Delighted to hear you enjoyed your stay! Every effort is made to maintain and respect this location for its wildlife and surroundings. We look forward to welcoming you back soon.

What a gem you have, a lovely place to stay quiet and…

Overall 10/10

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

Unpowered grass motorhome site

Liked What a gem you have, a lovely place to stay quiet and tranquil.Felt safe and secure had a good night sleep.Only us on site.

From the manager: So happy that you enjoyed your stay, refreshed and ready for an onward journey.

Everything ! Total peace and tranquility a little gem of a site…

Overall 10/10

Location
 8
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 No rating
Facilities / Activities
 No rating
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 No rating
Wifi
 No rating
Andy F.

Unpowered grass motorhome site

Liked Everything ! Total peace and tranquility a little gem of a site with a slow moving river just a couple of yards away to add to the ambience but to be fair we were the only ones on site, we booked for one night but stayed for 3 !
Topcliffe village with 2 pubs both serving meals on certain days is within easy walking distance aprox 15mins.
I would recommend adhering to the 6mtr length of motorhome as 4 of the 5 pitches are parking nose to tail so any longer may be difficult to park between others as well as turning round to exit the site, for us with our 7.5 mtr motorhome it wasn’t a problem as we were the only ones on the site.
The site owners were polite and quickly replied to messages.
Overall we would certainly stay here again should we be visiting the area, worth every penny of the site fee.

Disliked Nothing

From the manager: Thank you so much this valuable insight, especially as this is a new site. Pitch numbers will be adjusted where necessary for ease of access, space and enjoyment for guests. Look forward to welcoming you back.

Location was very private peaceful and next to a river. Lovely seating…

Overall 10/10

Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 10
Facilities / Activities
 No rating
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 No rating
Stephen A.

Unpowered grass motorhome site

Liked Location was very private peaceful and next to a river. Lovely seating area with lots of wild flowers birds ect. Host was very helpful and a lovely person to deal with.

From the manager: Thank you so much for your review and very much look forward to welcoming you back, including Lou!

Features

Dogs allowed

Adults only

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 Laundry Parent & baby washroom Pick-up from public transport Picnic table 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

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

Themes

Peaceful Spectacular scenery Walkers' paradise Wildlife haven

Utilities

Charging facilities Dump point Electric car charging point(s) Gas cylinders available No drinkable water point No running water Recycling available Renewable energy

Nearby amenities

Bar nearby Convenience store nearby Dog walk nearby Nearby farmers' market Public transport nearby

Type

Aire Tiny (1-10 sites)

Accessibility

Accessible parking at site

Nearby leisure

Canoeing/kayaking nearby Cycle hire nearby Cycling nearby Fishing nearby Horse riding nearby Indoor pool nearby Leisure/theme park nearby Mountain biking nearby Restaurant nearby

Location

Serenity on the Swale

Land west of former Topcliffe Mill

Catton Lane

Topcliffe

North Yorkshire

England

YO7 3RZ

Directions

Timezone

Europe/London +0100 (GMT+01:00)

GPS

54.18205°N
1.4033°W

Route directions

What3words location: exile.buggy.incursion. Look for the black metal gate. To access the site, the angle is easier when approaching from the west. Use the wide verges opposite to pull in safely, and then open the gates.

Nearest transport

Coach
6.9 km Market Place
9.2 km Bus Station Stand 1
19.8 km Bus Stn Stand A
Rail
5.5 km Thirsk Rail Station
17 km Northallerton Rail Station
19.7 km Knaresborough Rail Station
Ferry
46.1 km Transporter Bridge South Side
46.3 km Transporter Bridge North Side
Airport
36.7 km Durham Tees Valley Airport
38.7 km Leeds Bradford International Airport

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

Attractions and activities nearby include: - Thirsk Hall Sculpture Garden: 10 minutes’ drive - Monk Park Farm Visitor Attraction: 10 minutes - Thirsk Birds Of Prey Centre: 15 minutes - Ripon Races: 15 minutes - Boltby Trekking Centre: 20 minutes - Kilburn White Horse: 20 minutes - Sutton Bank National Park Centre: 20 minutes - Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal Water Gardens: 25 minutes - Rievaulx Abbey: half an hour - Harrogate (spa town): 35 minutes.

Must see

Fountains Abbey 13.4 km

Rievaulx Abbey 20.4 km

Rievaulx Terrace & Temples (NT) 20.8 km

Beningbrough Hall 22 km

Duncombe Park 22.2 km

National Trust

Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal Water Garden 13.4 km

Rievaulx Terrace 20.8 km

Brimham Rocks 21.6 km

Beningbrough Hall and Gardens 22 km

Mount Grace Priory 22.7 km

Cycle routes

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

Other

NORTON CONYERS 7.2 km

Battle of Boroughbridge, 1322 9.3 km

NEWBY HALL 9.6 km

Boroughbridge - River Ure - Myton-on-Swale - Milby 9.7 km

Battle of Myton, 1319 10 km

Local events

  • Harrogate Autumn Flower Show (Friday 19 September 2025 – Friday 19 September 2025)

    Ripon, England 24.1 km

  • Leeds Festival (Thursday 21 August 2025 – Thursday 21 August 2025)

    Wetherby, England 34.7 km

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 campgrounds

Unfortunately, we have no nearby bookable campgrounds.

Want to know more about camping in North Yorkshire?

Frequently asked questions

  • Does Serenity on the Swale have a swimming pool? No View all features
  • Is Serenity on the Swale dog friendly? Yes View all features
  • What attractions are near Serenity on the Swale? Attractions and activities nearby include: - Thirsk Hall Sculpture Garden: 10 minutes’ drive - Monk Park Farm Visitor Attraction: 10 minutes - Thirsk Birds Of Prey Centre: 15 minutes - Ripon Races: … Read more
  • When can I check in and check out of Serenity on the Swale?
    Camping and caravan
    Arrive:  11:30 a.m. –  8:30 p.m.
    Depart by:  11 a.m.

    The padlock code will be sent via text message prior to your arrival.

    Read more
  • How much does it cost to stay at Serenity on the Swale? From $20.53 (for 1 night, 2 adults) - prices may change depending on your dates and party.