Gill Head Farm

View prices & book 9.5 1,131 reviews
Camp life
Camp life
Exterior
Tent pitches
Tent piches
Pitches
Gorgeous views
Tent pitches
Exterior
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Exterior
Tent pitches
Tent piches

  • 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.

Campground type

Caravan sites 8
RV & Motorhome sites 8
Lodges, cabins, pods or huts 11
Tent sites 10
Open now
Opens 21 March
Please note
  • Group bookings of 2 or more units (e.g. tent, 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 bachelor/bachelorette parties permitted via Pitchup.com.
  • Bookings must not be for more than 14 consecutive nights.
  • The campground/park 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 campground/park: 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 campground/park 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, 21 Mar to

Site types & availability

Accommodation

Tent sitesCaravan sitesRV & Motorhome sitesLodges, cabins, pods or hutsCaravans for hireRent a tent
Choose your dates
2 adults
0 children

Reviews

9.5

Overall rating from 1,131 Pitchup.com customers

  • 79%
    10
  • 2%
    9
  • 13%
    8
  • 0%
    7
  • 3%
    6
  • 0%
    5
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    4
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    3
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    2
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    1
Location
 10
Value for money
 9
Accommodation
 10
Facilities / Activities
 9
Customer service
 9
Child friendliness
 10
Cleanliness
 9
Wifi
 7
Spectacular sceneryPeaceful

96% would recommend this campground to a friend

94% would stay here again

What customers say

Gill Head Farm's a ripper! Top-notch views, friendly staff, and spotlessly clean amenities. Great base for exploring the Lakes, though there's a bit of road noise. Families love the play area and chilled vibes.

Summary AI-generated from Pitchup.com customer reviews

Reviews page 1 of 114
Arrival date (latest first)

Fantastic site!

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 8
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 10
Facilities / Activities
 10
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 10
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 5
Harriet G.

Unpowered grass tent site

Liked Fantastic site, child friendly. Great park, clean facilities. Really safe for kids to play out.

Disliked Small amount of road noise from A66 but nothing major.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Relaxed family friendly camp site. Always clean and not too busy.

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 10
Facilities / Activities
 No rating
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 10
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 6
Donna C.

Camping pod (no pets)

Liked Clean site with great facilities in the communal kitchen. The pod meant we didn't have to bring the tent, but still felt like camping. The bed also meant my husband and his bad back could join us! Incredibly close to Keswick without feeling busy. The added benefit of the access to the river for splashing and paddling is just wonderful. The poor WiFi is actually a wonderful thing, actually having to seek out signal means you can be away from it's distraction if you choose. Our third visit and we will be back.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Lovely site in the Lake District with great showers and toilets

Overall

9 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 8
Accommodation
 10
Facilities / Activities
 10
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 10
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 1
James H.

Power optional grass tent site

Liked Great location in the Lake District with amazing views. Site amenities are really good with multiple wash up sinks and good showers and toilets.

Disliked The WiFi was non existent and phone signal is really bad.

Recommend to friends Visit again

I would 100% stay here again.

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 10
Facilities / Activities
 10
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 10
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 6
Anonymous

Powered grass and gravel caravan site

Liked Loved the location, had beautiful scenery to look at walking out of the tent. The facilities were fantastic and very clean. The shop was great, I thought it was a great thing being able to hire a fire pit for the duration of our stay. The overall site was very clean and well maintained.

Disliked There was nothing they comes to mind that I didn’t like really.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Loved this site! Gorgeous view, clean toilets, showers blocks and cleaning facilities.…

Overall

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

Power optional grass tent site

Liked Loved this site! Gorgeous view, clean toilets, showers blocks and cleaning facilities. Climbing frames for the little ones. Plenty of options to choose where to pitch with electric hook up and easy access to bins. Highly recommend would definitely stay again!

Recommend to friends Visit again

Please see what is liked about it. I can't fault it at all.

Overall

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

Unpowered grass tent site

Liked I really like Gill Head Farm. It's set in really nice surroundings. The toilets and showers are clean, the other facilities are a bonus. It's in a great place to be used as a base for exploring the northern lakes. The staff are very friendly and welcoming. It was very busy, but it was quiet at night. I'll be returning for sure.

Disliked There is nothing I disliked.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Enjoyed our stay and would certainly like to use this site again.

Overall

8 out of 10
Location
 9
Value for money
 9
Accommodation
 10
Facilities / Activities
 7
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 7
Wifi
 No rating
Gerry B.

Powered grass and gravel caravan site

Liked Great pitch for our campervan for two nights. Hardstanding was good, not too hard and compacted for driving in awning pegs.
Good ‘community room’ facility, pop up pizza shop and wash up facilities.
Amazing views in lovely rural setting.

Disliked Toilets need updating and more regular cleaning to remove cobwebs etc.
Toilet paper frequently empty.
More toilets would be better given volume of pitches and users.
A66 road noise audible but not too loud.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Location is lovely…

Overall

6 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 7
Accommodation
 10
Facilities / Activities
 10
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 4
Amanda C.

Powered grass and gravel caravan site

Liked Location is lovely

Disliked The noise! From loads of children late at night was awful

Recommend to friends Visit again

Absolutely love the facilities and the layout of the campsite, especially the…

Overall

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

Power optional grass tent site

Liked Absolutely love the facilities and the layout of the campsite, especially the nice parking places that keep the lawn nice and tidy. The people are super friendly and even the guests were lovely all around. I'd give this a five star and I'll definitely be back

Disliked No dislikes

Recommend to friends Visit again

Nothing not to like, will be coming back next year :-)

Overall

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

Unpowered grass tent site

Liked Stunning scenery, mowed pitches, good tracks and hard standing for vehicles, no vehicles on the grass pitches, hot showers, plenty of toilets & sinks available and cleaning stuff provided if needed between routine cleaning. Not overcrowded, we had a nice quiet pitch on the edge of the site. Friendly helpful staff on reception, little shop for any bits we needed. Lovely little flock of chickens and guinae fowl.

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 site/unit Composting toilet Dog park Drying room Food shop Free wifi Ice pack freezing Internet access Laundry 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 Communal freezer Communal fridge Dump point Electric car charging point(s) Gas cylinders available Recycling available Renewable energy

Nearby amenities

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

Type

Farm Medium (26-50 sites)

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 sites

Location

Gill Head Farm

Troutbeck

Penrith

Cumbria

England

CA11 0ST

Directions

Timezone

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

GPS

54.6334°N
2.96195°W

Nearest transport

Coach
12.2 km Bus Station
13.5 km Rail Station
20.3 km Lakeside House for Dove Cottage
Rail
13.5 km Penrith North Lakes Rail Station
20.4 km Langwathby Rail Station
21.2 km Lazonby & Kirkoswald Rail Station
Ferry
9.1 km Pooley Bridge Ullswater Ferry Landing
9.4 km Howtown Ullswater Ferry Landing
10 km 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 2020201920182017
Allonby 33.9 km Sea N/AGoodGoodGood
Seascale 43.1 km Sea N/AGoodGoodGood
St Bees 44.6 km Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent

Data source: European Environment Agency

Must see

Dalemain Historic House & Gardens 9.4 km

Castlerigg Stone Circle 9.4 km

Ullswater Steamers 10 km

The Rheged Centre 11.6 km

Mirehouse Historic House and Gardens 14.6 km

National Trust

Grasmere and Great Langdale 22.1 km

Acorn Bank Garden and Watermill 23.4 km

Townend 25 km

Wordsworth House and Garden 26.4 km

Windermere and Troutbeck 27.3 km

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 3.7 km

Mungrisdale - Bannerdale Crags 3.7 km

Threlkeld - Blencathra - Sharp Edge - Scales - Threlkeld 6.2 km

Threlkeld, Westcoe and Keswick Railway 6.3 km

Aira Force - Dockray - Dowthwaitehead - Aira Force 7.2 km

Local events

  • Kendal Calling (Thursday 31 July 2025 – Thursday 31 July 2025)

    Penrith, England 16.2 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 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? No 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 caravan
    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 $57.30 (for 1 night, 2 adults) - prices may change depending on your dates and party.