Gill Head Farm

View prices & book 9.5 1,013 reviews
Camp life
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

Camper sites 8
RV sites 8
Lodges, cabins, pods or huts 11
Tent sites 10
Open now
Opens March 21
Please note
  • Group bookings of 2 or more units (e.g. tent, caravan, RV or accommodation hire) traveling 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 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 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 flashlight with them as parts of the 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, Mar 21 to

Campsite types & availability

Other campsite types

Reviews

96%

would recommend this campground to a friend

94%

would stay here again

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Only showing reviews for the last 30 months.

A really great site with excellent location and friendly staff

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

Primitive grass tent campsite (riverside)

Liked: Great welcome host, site well maintained, welfare facility’s regularly cleaned and hot showers perfect after a long walk.
Communal areas are a real bonus and children’s play area kept the children entertained.

Disliked: Nothing

Recommend to friends Visit again

Lovely site, well-maintained and great facilities!

Overall 9/10
Location 10
Value for money 8
Accommodation 10
Facilities / Activities 10
Customer service 10
Child friendliness 10
Cleanliness 10
Wifi No rating
Andrew G. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Power optional grass tent campsite

Liked: Great campsite. Covered cooking facilities next to the communal area were very useful. Showers were hot and powerful. Everything clean and tidy. Pitch was decent, flat enough where we were and plenty of space. Great location for Pooley Bridge/ Ullswater in particular.

Disliked: Minimal parking options as you cannot park on grass.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Excellent site with clean facilities and stunning views

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

Primitive grass tent campsite

Liked: The spacious pitches with incredible views, a fabulous communal room that was incredibly cosy and useful, clean and well-appointed washing facilities. This was a great base from which to explore the delights of the north-west Lake District.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Well worth a visit and stay

Overall 9/10
Location 8
Value for money 10
Accommodation 10
Facilities / Activities 10
Customer service 10
Child friendliness 9
Cleanliness 10
Wifi 6
Martin D. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Primitive grass tent campsite

Liked: Facilities are well maintained and clean.
Shower Facilities are good with hot water.
Laundrette
Family friendly

Disliked: Recycling could be clearly marked.
WiFi could be better connected

Recommend to friends Visit again

Facilities were excellent.…

Overall 10/10
Location 9
Value for money 9
Accommodation 9
Facilities / Activities 9
Customer service 9
Child friendliness No rating
Cleanliness 9
Wifi 5
adrian c. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Powered grass and gravel travel trailer campsite

Liked: Facilities were excellent.

Disliked: Nothing.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Great place, very welcoming hosts, wonderful area. The pitches we used were…

Overall 10/10
Location 10
Value for money 10
Accommodation 9
Facilities / Activities 10
Customer service 10
Child friendliness 10
Cleanliness 10
Wifi No rating
Vladimir K. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Primitive grass tent campsite (riverside)

Liked: Great place, very welcoming hosts, wonderful area. The pitches we used were in the secluded area near the river - perfect for our group. Plenty of facilities around the site.

Disliked: We were 'lucky' with major roadworks nearby - unfortunately, unpredictable...

Recommend to friends Visit again

Lovely campsite

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

Primitive grass tent campsite

Liked: Very clean and tidy, well laid out in a lovely setting. Staff lovely. Good facilities

Recommend to friends Visit again

Excellent facilities, communal areas for bad weather, couldn’t be faulted.…

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

Primitive grass tent campsite (riverside)

Liked: Excellent facilities, communal areas for bad weather, couldn’t be faulted.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Great place. I was there with two years old kids. He likes…

Overall 9/10
Location 8
Value for money 6
Accommodation 8
Facilities / Activities 6
Customer service 9
Child friendliness 10
Cleanliness 9
Wifi 5
Anonymous The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Camping pod (no pets)

Liked: Great place. I was there with two years old kids. He likes cows and animals.

Disliked: Weather

Recommend to friends Visit again

Location was excellent, 10 minute walk to the pub, pitch was great…

Overall 8/10
Location 8
Value for money 10
Accommodation 10
Facilities / Activities 10
Customer service 8
Child friendliness 7
Cleanliness 10
Wifi 10
Nicola F. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Primitive grass tent campsite

Liked: Location was excellent, 10 minute walk to the pub, pitch was great not too far to walk for water etc. the toilets are large and hot! There was a room with a tv, kettles toaster which was very much needed on a very windy cold damp morning.

Disliked: The campsite is very open, we unfortunately went when it was 40mph winds, not the campsites fault at all but we had a very sleepless night! Should have picked a better pitch!

Recommend to friends Visit again


Features

Leisure on park

Bar or club house Cycle hire Evening entertainment Fishing Fitness centre Indoor swimming pool Kids' club On-site restaurant/cafe Outdoor swimming pool Playground Recreation room/arcade TV room Takeout Tennis Watersports

Amenities on park

Bath available Car parking by site/unit Composting toilet Dog park Drying room Free wifi Grocery store Ice pack freezing Internet access Laundromat Parent & baby washroom Payphone Pick-up from public transport Portable toilet Pub toilets Restrooms Shower available Washing-up area Wifi

Groups welcome

Family friendly Motorcycle friendly Rallies welcome Scouts welcome Single-sex groups welcome Student groups welcome

Rules

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

Themes

Hikers’ paradise Peaceful Remote location Spectacular scenery Wildlife haven

Utilities

Charging facilities Communal freezer Communal fridge Dump station Electric car charging point(s) Propane/gas cylinders available Recycling available Renewable energy

Nearby amenities

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

Type

Farm Medium (26-50 sites)

Nearby leisure

Canoeing/kayaking nearby Climbing nearby Cycle hire nearby Cycling nearby Fishing nearby Golf nearby Horseback 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

Bus
7.6 mi Bus Station
8.4 mi Rail Station
12.6 mi Lakeside House for Dove Cottage
Rail
8.4 mi Penrith North Lakes Rail Station
12.7 mi Langwathby Rail Station
13.1 mi Lazonby & Kirkoswald Rail Station
Ferry
5.6 mi Pooley Bridge Ullswater Ferry Landing
5.8 mi Howtown Ullswater Ferry Landing
6.2 mi 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 21 mi Sea N/AGoodGoodGood
Seascale 26.8 mi Sea N/AGoodGoodGood
St Bees 27.7 mi Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent

Data source: European Environment Agency

Must see

Dalemain Historic House & Gardens 5.8 mi

Castlerigg Stone Circle 5.9 mi

Ullswater Steamers 6.2 mi

The Rheged Centre 7.2 mi

Mirehouse Historic House and Gardens 9.1 mi

National Trust

Grasmere and Great Langdale 13.7 mi

Acorn Bank Garden and Watermill 14.5 mi

Townend 15.5 mi

Wordsworth House and Garden 16.4 mi

Windermere and Troutbeck 17 mi

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 2.3 mi

Mungrisdale - Bannerdale Crags 2.3 mi

Threlkeld - Blencathra - Sharp Edge - Scales - Threlkeld 3.9 mi

Threlkeld, Westcoe and Keswick Railway 3.9 mi

Aira Force - Dockray - Dowthwaitehead - Aira Force 4.5 mi

Local events

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

    Penrith, England 10.1 mi

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 campsite type section for details

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? Yes 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?
    RV, travel trailer and tent sites
    Arrive:  1 p.m. –  6 p.m.
    Depart by:  11:30 a.m.
    On-park 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 $37.87 (for 1 night, 2 adults) - prices may change depending on your dates and party.