Holmescales Campsite

View prices & book 9.1 203 reviews
Around the site
Around the site
Aerial view of the site
View of the site
Pitches and toilet block
Around the site
Around the site
Around the site
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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

Motorhome sites 18
Tent sites 18
Caravan sites 18
Open now
Opens 28 March
Please note
  • Under 18s must be accompanied by their parents or legal guardians.
  • 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).
  • Group bookings of 2 or more units (e.g. tent, caravan, motorhome or accommodation hire) travelling together are not permitted via Pitchup.com.
  • No hen/stag parties permitted via Pitchup.com.
  • The campground/park caters for families (immediate members) and couples only - bookings from all other forms of groups are not accepted.
  • This is a quiet campground/park: no music is allowed.
  • Guests are advised to bring a good quality torch with them as parts of the campground/park are unlit.
  • Please note that the toilet/shower facilities are unisex.

Languages spoken

English

Open from Fri, 28 Mar to

Pitch types & availability

Accommodation

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

Reviews

9.1

Overall rating from 203 Pitchup.com customers View breakdown

  • 64%
    10
  • 0%
    9
  • 28%
    8
  • 0%
    7
  • 5%
    6
  • 0%
    5
  • 0%
    4
  • 0%
    3
  • 0%
    2
  • 0%
    1
Peaceful

95% would recommend this site to a friend

93% would stay here again

Reviews page 1 of 21
Arrival date (latest first)

Great views, easy to find and access. Washing up, toilet, and shower…

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
Robert B. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Unpowered grass site

Liked Great views, easy to find and access. Washing up, toilet, and shower facilities were clean and good quality. Would stay again.

Disliked Slight road noise from the M6 at night.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Basic quiet site with eautiful views. Could do with more toilets

Overall 8/10

Location
 10
Value for money
 8
Accommodation
 8
Facilities / Activities
 7
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 10
Cleanliness
 8
Wifi
 No rating
Jon S. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Powered grass and gravel caravan site

Liked Quite
Small information board.
Good views
Clean

Disliked Could do with a couple more toilets
(Never used the shower so cannot comment on those)
Some pitches are quite unlevel (make sure you have the means to level out your vehicle if needed)

Recommend to friends Visit again

Awesome little rural beauty

Overall 10/10

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

Unpowered grass site

Liked Everything. Stayed twice in a week aiding the mid-way point between Southampton and Aberdeen.

Disliked No plug socket in the toilet block to use hairdryer, I know this isn't a thing at every campsite, yet when the difference between non-EHU and EHU is £7.50 per night, it's something to consider.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Great facilities - Good hot showers with nice private changing area in front Good…

Overall 8/10

Location
 10
Value for money
 5
Accommodation
 8
Facilities / Activities
 7
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 No rating
Anonymous The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Unpowered grass site

Liked Great facilities -
Good hot showers with nice private changing area in front
Good wash up station
Hook on wall of toilet cubicles
Toilets were nice and clean
Lovely views & peaceful site

Disliked Gendered toilets - Listing stated showers & toilets are unisex and as trans people, this was a reason for booking Vs another similar campsite that was closer to Kendal

£25 a night is a lot for standard camping but seems to be the going rate locally

Unsurprisingly can hear the traffic on the nearby road but this is very quiet eg couldn't hear it over the rain

Recommend to friends Visit again

Great little bolthole

Overall 10/10

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

Unpowered grass site

Liked Everything! Quiet rural location, close to the motorway, slap bag in the "middle", go left for the Lakes, go right for the Yorkshire Dales (I didn't use it for this but I will be in the not to distant future). Perfect, I will be back.

Disliked No plug socket in the toilet block to use hairdryer and the difference between Non-EHU and EHU is £7.50 per night, that's a lot to consider when booking, for me anyway.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Site was quiet so lots of space for kids. Clean toilets and…

Overall 9/10

Location
 8
Value for money
 8
Accommodation
 8
Facilities / Activities
 6
Customer service
 9
Child friendliness
 7
Cleanliness
 9
Wifi
 No rating
Anonymous The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Unpowered grass site

Liked Site was quiet so lots of space for kids. Clean toilets and showers. Good bins and was up spaces

Recommend to friends Visit again

Pitch sizes, views and facilities…

Overall 6/10

Location
 10
Value for money
 8
Accommodation
 5
Facilities / Activities
 8
Customer service
 8
Child friendliness
 10
Cleanliness
 8
Wifi
 5
Anonymous The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Unpowered grass site

Liked Pitch sizes, views and facilities

Recommend to friends Visit again

Great campsite.

Overall 7/10

Location
 8
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 9
Facilities / Activities
 9
Customer service
 9
Child friendliness
 9
Cleanliness
 8
Wifi
 1
Jordan A. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Unpowered grass site

Liked Great campsite, much improved since our last stay 12mths ago. Option for handstand and grass pitches. Great location.

Disliked The toilet block could be more modern.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Beautiful views, quiet campsite, lovely facilities and walk to town.…

Overall 10/10

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

Unpowered grass site

Liked Beautiful views, quiet campsite, lovely facilities and walk to town.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Fantastic pitch with great views. Good facilities. Quiet campsite.…

Overall 10/10

Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 10
Facilities / Activities
 10
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 10
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 1
Anonymous The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Unpowered grass site

Liked Fantastic pitch with great views. Good facilities. Quiet campsite.

Disliked N/A

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

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 Dump point Electric car charging point(s) Gas cylinders available Recycling available Renewable energy

Nearby amenities

Bar nearby Convenience store nearby Dog walk nearby

Type

Farm Small (11-25 sites)

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 +0100 (GMT+01:00)

GPS

54.27493°N
-2.68536°W

Nearest transport

Coach
7.2 km Bus Station
7.2 km Bus Station
7.3 km Bus Station
Rail
4.1 km Oxenholme Lake District Rail Station
7.3 km Kendal Rail Station
10.4 km Burneside (Cumbria) Rail Station
Ferry
17.4 km Fell Foot Country Park Ferry Landing
17.6 km Lakeside Windermere Ferry Landing
18.3 km 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 24.7 km Estuary GoodN/AGoodGood
Morecambe South 25.7 km Sea N/AN/AGoodGood
Haverigg 40.4 km Sea PoorN/AN/AN/A
Walney West Shore 41.8 km Sea N/AGoodGoodN/A
Walney Sandy Gap 42.2 km Sea N/AGoodGoodN/A

Data source: European Environment Agency

Must see

Sizergh Castle and Garden 5.7 km

Levens Hall & Gardens 6.3 km

Blackwell, The Arts & Craft House 17.3 km

Windermere Lake Cruises, Lakeside 17.7 km

The World of Beatrix Potter 18.2 km

National Trust

Sizergh Castle and Garden 5.7 km

Fell Foot Park 17.3 km

Cartmel Priory Gatehouse 19.4 km

Windermere and Troutbeck 19.6 km

Hill Top 20.4 km

Cycle routes

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

Other

LEVENS HALL 5.5 km

SIZERGH CASTLE 5.5 km

The River Kent and Kendal 5.9 km

Levens Hall and the River Kent 6 km

Levens Hall and Sizergh Castle 6.1 km

Local events

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

    Penrith, England 36.7 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.

Offers

Conditions apply - see pitch type section for details

Nearest sites

Unfortunately, we have no nearby bookable sites.

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 caravan
    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 $58.90 (for 1 night, 4 people) - prices may change depending on your dates and party.