Birbeck Camping

10 5 reviews
4 person tent in bottom paddock
4 person tent in bottom paddock
August sunset.
Bottom camping field
Pitches sheltered by trees
Top paddock, looking towards the road and houses
Sheep track in the lower field
Mown pitches
Top camping field
1/21

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  • Wild camping in the rural village of Blencarn in Cumbria’s Eden Valley
  • Ullswater half an hour’s drive, and Middleton-in-Teesdale 50 minutes
  • Simple off-grid site; Penrith shops and pubs 20 minutes’ drive
When you want to go wild in Cumbria, it’s time to head for Birbeck Camping. Tucked into the scenic Eden Valley on the edge of the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, this wild campsite is in the sleepy country village of Blencarn, with direct local access to a multitude of cycling and walking routes. It’s also close to the market town of Penrith (20 minutes’ drive) for shopping and pubbing, and roughly half an hour’s drive from Ullswater for jaunts into the Lake District National Park. As this is wild camping in the true sense of the word, there are no facilities – and that includes no electricity and no running water. You can pitch up where you want in two grass paddocks planted with oak and ash trees and sheltered by elder hedgerows, and guest numbers are limited so there’s plenty of space and privacy between tents. The site owners are keen to share their love of the outdoors with you – chat to them for the heads-up on where’s best to go and what sort of wildlife you can expect to see in the camping paddocks.

Site type

Tent sites 4
Opens

Languages spoken

English

German

Nearby sites that are bookable on Pitchup.com

Unfortunately, we have no nearby bookable sites.

Want to know more about camping in The Lake District and Cumbria?

Features

Pop-up campground

Dogs 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 Single-sex groups welcome Student groups welcome

Rules

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

Themes

Budget/backpacker Lake and/or mountain Peaceful Remote location Spectacular scenery Walkers' paradise Wild camping

Utilities

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

Nearby amenities

Bar nearby Dog walk nearby

Type

Pop-up campground Tiny (1-10 sites)

Accessibility

Disabled facilities

Nearby leisure

Canoeing/kayaking nearby Climbing nearby Cycle hire nearby Cycling nearby Fishing nearby Indoor pool nearby Mountain biking nearby Outdoor pool nearby Restaurant nearby Sailing nearby Watersports nearby

Location

Birbeck Camping

Birbeck

Blencarn

Penrith

Cumbria

England

CA10 1TX

Directions

Timezone

Europe/London GMT (GMT+00:00)

GPS

54.67411°N
-2.56262°W

Nearest transport

Coach
12.7 km Rail Station
34.1 km Bus Station
37.6 km Kelsick Road opposite Library
Rail
6.9 km Langwathby Rail Station
11.5 km Appleby Rail Station
12.4 km Lazonby & Kirkoswald Rail Station
Ferry
18.5 km Pooley Bridge Ullswater Ferry Landing
22.5 km Howtown Ullswater Ferry Landing
28.6 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

Anglers, walkers and bikers will be very happy with their lot at Blencarn; the site is close to a fly-fishing lake (10 minutes’ walk) and at the starting point for a circular hiking route across Cross Fell, the highest mountain in the Pennines. Various cycle routes pass through the village, including the Lakes and Dales Loop – they are all clearly signposted so you won’t lose your way. Turn east to explore Teesdale: hike along the River Tees from Bowlees Visitor Centre (55 minutes’ drive) to High Force (40 minutes’ walk), the tallest waterfall in the UK, or discover the art treasures in Raby Castle and Deer Park (55 minutes’ drive) before bagging a pint or two in the pubs of pretty Middleton-in-Teesdale (50 minutes). Heading west, you can be by the side of Ullswater within half an hour, for steamer trips down the lake from Pooley Bridge (25 minutes), or a stroll up to dramatic Aira Force waterfall through a moss-covered gorge from the village of Watermillock (half an hour).

Must see

The Rheged Centre 14.5 km

Dalemain Historic House & Gardens 17 km

High Force Waterfall 24.4 km

Ullswater Steamers 28.5 km

Carlisle Castle 34.8 km

National Trust

Acorn Bank Garden and Watermill 3.7 km

Allen Banks and Staward Gorge 35.8 km

Townend 37.1 km

Windermere and Troutbeck 39 km

Grasmere and Great Langdale 39.6 km

Cycle routes

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

Other

Langwathby - Edenhall - Langwathby 7.3 km

Dufton Pike 7.9 km

Dufton - High Cup Nick - Middletongue Crags - Dufton 8 km

Appleby - Dufton - Appleby 11.5 km

APPLEBY CASTLE 12.2 km

Local events

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

    Penrith, England 12.5 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.

Offers

Conditions apply - see pitch type section for details

Reviews

10

Overall rating based on 5 reviews View breakdown

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    1

Only showing reviews for the last 30 months.

Quiet spot, basic but so nice for it. Very close for…

Overall 10/10
Location 10
Value for money 10
Accommodation 8
Facilities / Activities 6
Customer service 10
Child friendliness No rating
Cleanliness 10
Wifi No rating
Richard B. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Unpowered grass tent site

Liked: Quiet spot, basic but so nice for it. Very close for Cross Fell / High Cup

Recommend to friends Visit again

Definitely an amazing place to camp

Overall 10/10
Location 10
Value for money 10
Accommodation 10
Facilities / Activities 10
Customer service 10
Child friendliness 10
Cleanliness 10
Wifi 10
Kane H. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Unpowered grass tent site

Liked: The entire village was friendly and really welcoming.
Campsite was really clean.
The hosts were amazing and helped with any issues we had. Close to nearly everywhere in the lakes.
The kids are already begging to go back

Disliked: Nothing

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Hi, we are super happy that you enjoyed your time with us. Your entire family were a pleasure to welcome onto our campsite and into our village. I am certain that everyone would be delighted if you came back again.

Very reasonable priced

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
Kevin B. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Unpowered grass tent site

Liked: Peace and quite. Gate to the lake district. Friendly owners

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Hi, thank you for your feedback, we are really pleased you enjoyed it, it was great to have you on site and hopefully you will come again.

Affordable site, with basic facilities, friendly owners & ample space

Overall 10/10
Location 10
Value for money 10
Accommodation 10
Facilities / Activities 8
Customer service 10
Child friendliness 8
Cleanliness 10
Wifi No rating
Anonymous The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Unpowered grass tent site

Liked: Super friendly and kind owners (even provided us with a fire pit, ample space and great price!

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Hi, thank you, it is lovely to have such positive feedback. We really enjoyed having you all to stay with us. Your enthusiasm and exemplary behavior were a fabulous combination and we would be delighted to see you all again.

Great little site, friendly host. Toilet with sink was clean

Overall 10/10
Location 8
Value for money 10
Accommodation 8
Facilities / Activities 6
Customer service 10
Child friendliness 10
Cleanliness 10
Wifi 6
Liz M. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Unpowered grass tent site

Liked: Very friendly host, helpful and put us at ease straight away. Single mum travelling with two boys aged 12 and 8.
Felt safe on the site knowing she was on hand if we needed anything.

Disliked: Boys didn’t like the fact the toilet had no light

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Hi, it was lovely to welcome you on site, we would be delighted to see you again, and we really appreciate your feedback. We have acted on your suggestion of a light in the toilet by having one fitted today. Hope to see you again.

Frequently asked questions

  • Does Birbeck Camping have a swimming pool? No View all features
  • Is Birbeck Camping dog friendly? Yes View all features
  • What attractions are near Birbeck Camping? Anglers, walkers and bikers will be very happy with their lot at Blencarn; the site is close to a fly-fishing lake (10 minutes’ walk) and at the starting point for a circular … Read more
  • When can I check in and check out of Birbeck Camping?
    Camping and caravan
    Arrive:  8 a.m. –  9 p.m.
    Depart by:  11:30 a.m.
    Read more