Orthwaite Pop-up Campsite

View prices & book 9.3 126 reviews
View of the campsite with Skiddaw in the background
View of the campsite with skiddaw in the background
View across over water
View of the campsite on a sunny day with skiddaw in the background
Views towards over water
View of the campsite with skiddaw in the background
Grass pitches
Grass pitches
Happy campers
1/149
View across over water
View of the campsite on a sunny day with skiddaw in the background
Views towards over water

  • Pop-up site on a working fell farm in the northern Lake District
  • Bassenthwaite Lake 10 minutes’ drive; Keswick 20 minutes
  • Views of Over Water; close to cycle routes and Wainwright hikes
A peaceful, off-grid spot for wild camping, Orthwaite Pop-up Campsite sits within sight of Over Water, a feeding place for ospreys, in the northern Lake District. Here, you get a front-row seat to views of the northern fells, including Longlands, Lowthwaite, Great Sca Fell, Knott, Great Cockup, Little Cockup, Meal Fell and Binsey. Indeed, the site’s location is so convenient that you will soon be bagging Wainwrights (as the local peaks are affectionately known) or pedalling down stunning cycle routes. More Wainwrights await at the ‘back o’ Skiddaw’ (20 minutes), as the locals call it. This area has cycling routes such as the Skiddaw Loop, the Lakeland Monster Miles Adventure Cross and the Lakes 100. Added bonus: somehow, big crowds have yet to discover it… Well-behaved dogs are welcome, but they must be kept on a lead at all times, since the site is on a working sheep farm with Herdwick and Swaledale flocks. The barn (which once featured on a ‘Top Gear’ episode) has covered picnic tables for rainy spells. Raised firepits and small, raised barbecues are welcome; logs are for sale on site. There are no showers or electricity here, but simple facilities extend to unisex portable toilets, a water source (not for drinking water) and rubbish bins. Please note that there is no public access to the lake, which is a Site of Special Scientific Interest owned by the National Trust.

Campground type

RV sites 50
Tent sites 50
Open now
Opens April 3
Please note
  • This park has no on-site shower facilities.
  • Under 18s must be accompanied by their parents or legal guardians.
  • The park does not accept breeds/crossbreeds listed in the Breed-specific legislation (i.e. Pit Bull Terrier, Japanese Tosa, Dogo Argentino, and Fila Brasileiro).
  • Discount cards and gift vouchers cannot be applied to bookings made via Pitchup.com.
  • Please note that the toilet facilities are unisex.
  • Swimming in the lake is not allowed.

Languages spoken

English

Open from Fri, Apr 3 to

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Campsite types & availability

Accommodation

Tent sitesCamper sitesRV sitesLodges, cabins, pods or hutsMobile homes for rentRent a tent
Choose your dates
2 adults
0 children
0 dogs

Reviews

9.3

Overall rating from 126 Pitchup.com customers

  • 68%
    10
  • 12%
    9
  • 10%
    8
  • 3%
    7
  • 2%
    6
  • 0%
    5
  • 1%
    4
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    3
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    2
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    1
Location
 9
Value for money
 9
Accommodation
 9
Facilities / Activities
 8
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 9
Cleanliness
 9
Wifi
 3
Lake and/or mountainPeaceful

94% would recommend this campground to a friend

90% would stay here again

What customers say

Highly recommended 'back to basics' campsite with peaceful, off-grid experience, lake/hill views. Guests love spacious pitches, clean portaloos, and friendly owners. Some mention no showers/drinking water as advertised, but overall sentiment is overwhelmingly positive.

Summary AI-generated from Pitchup.com customer reviews. Last updated 7/21/2026

Filter by topic

Reviews page 1 of 13
Arrival date (latest first)

Everything…

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Facilities / Activities
 9
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 No rating
Rachel c. 1 review

Primitive grass campervan campsite

Liked Everything

Recommend to friends Visit again

What a great place! Beautiful views,…

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Facilities / Activities
 10
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 5
 Sabrina R. 4 reviews

Primitive grass tent or trailer tent campsite

Liked What a great place! Beautiful views, well kept grounds, porter loos kept clean and stocked up with toilet paper and hand sanitizer. Field is huge so plenty of space not on top of each other. Owners are lovely. We had a absolutely fantastic night/day.

Disliked Nothing to dislike

Recommend to friends Visit again

Great views and perfect off grid site

Overall

9 out of 10
Location
 9
Value for money
 9
Facilities / Activities
 9
Customer service
 9
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 9
Wifi
 No rating
Craig M. 10 reviews

Primitive grass campervan campsite

Liked Great site. It’s pretty big so everyone was well spread out with quality views in all directions with the lake and hills. It’s just a short drive from Keswick and in a nicely secluded spot. It was silent overnight so slept perfectly throughout and woke up to a spotlessly clean site. It’s a well maintained site which the owners and campers seemed to be looking after well.

Disliked Nothing all good

Recommend to friends Visit again

Loved every minute of it…

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Facilities / Activities
 10
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 1
 Stephen H. 1 review

Primitive grass campervan campsite

Liked Loved every minute of it

Recommend to friends Visit again

We had a great time! It…

Overall

9 out of 10
Location
 9
Value for money
 7
Facilities / Activities
 2
Customer service
 No rating
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 9
Wifi
 No rating
Shelby B. 1 review

Primitive grass campervan campsite

Liked We had a great time! It was peaceful, off the grid camping. Downside was we have no mobile signal at all but I am not extremely bothered. Will recommend to friends

Recommend to friends Visit again

Beautiful views over the open water.…

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 8
Value for money
 8
Facilities / Activities
 8
Customer service
 8
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 8
Wifi
 1
 Rhys E. 2 reviews

Primitive grass campervan campsite

Liked Beautiful views over the open water. Spacious pitches, plenty of toilets to use. Overall a lovely simple site.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Excellent place for relaxing. Fully recommend. Sure…

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 9
Value for money
 10
Facilities / Activities
 7
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 1
 artur m. 1 review

Primitive grass tent or trailer tent campsite

Liked Excellent place for relaxing.
Fully recommend. Sure I will be back there 👍

Recommend to friends Visit again

Great farm pop up.

Overall

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

Primitive grass campervan campsite

Liked Lots of space, quiet surroundings. Large barn with seating and tables to cook on if weather is bad.

Disliked Never a fan of a portaloo but better than nothing!

Recommend to friends Visit again

Very nice calm welcoming site, would stay again.

Overall

8 out of 10
Location
 7
Value for money
 9
Facilities / Activities
 6
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 No rating
Alex C. 1 review

Primitive grass campervan campsite

Liked Very big open space with free reign to camp where you please. Basic amenities onsite (toilets and water) just as advertised. Owner was friendly and welcoming. Good place if you're looking for a quiet chill camp and located right next to a tarn.

Disliked Was very windy haha I know that's not the campsites fault but located in a very large open space so just something to take into mind.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Great place for a wild camping feeling!

Overall

9 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 7
Facilities / Activities
 2
Customer service
 9
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 9
Wifi
 1
Anonymous

Primitive grass tent or trailer tent campsite

Liked Location. Amazingly scenic, right next to a nice lake. It’s just a big field on a hill, you can camp anywhere on the field you like but 70% of it will be at a varying angle.
There are toilets in a shelter and a bun. Pretty much sums it up.

Very nice owner checking up on everyone once or twice a day and offered kids for fire.

Dog friendly but there is livestock a field over nearby.

Disliked No drinking water but it is stated in details so you know what to expect. You can contact owner for water and was offered if needed.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Features

Portable toilet

Pop-up campground

Dogs allowed

Campfires allowed

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 Single-sex groups welcome Student groups welcome

Rules

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

Camping 2.0

Jumbo tent sites

Themes

Hikers’ paradise Lake and/or mountain Peaceful Remote location Spectacular scenery Wild camping

Utilities

Charging facilities Dump station Electric car charging point(s) No drinkable water point No hot water No running water Propane/gas cylinders available Recycling available Renewable energy

Nearby amenities

Bar nearby Dog walk nearby

Type

Farm Medium (26-50 sites) Pop-up campground

Nearby leisure

Canoeing/kayaking nearby Climbing nearby Cycle hire nearby Cycling nearby Golf nearby Indoor pool nearby Leisure/theme park nearby Mountain biking nearby Restaurant nearby

Location

Orthwaite Pop-up Campsite

Orthwaite Hall

Uldale

Wigton

Cumbria

England

CA7 1HL

Directions

Timezone

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

GPS

54.704°N
3.15687°W

Route directions

What3words: ///spires.craziest.sedative

Nearest transport

Bus
7.1 mi Bus Station
8.9 mi Gallowbarrow
8.9 mi Fairfield Junior School
Rail
8 mi Aspatria Rail Station
8.7 mi Wigton Rail Station
11.9 mi Dalston (Cumbria) Rail Station
Ferry
7.5 mi Nichol End (Derwentwater) Ferry Landing
7.6 mi Keswick Ferry Landing
8.5 mi Hawes End Derwentwater 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 area around Bassenthwaite Lake National Nature Reserve (10 minutes’ drive) includes Dodd Wood, whose forests are home to red squirrels, and Lake District Wildlife Park, with birds of prey, primates and farmyard animals. At the Lakes Distillery, you can take a tour of the facilities – complete with a whisky tasting, of course. In the lively market town of Keswick (20 minutes), the riverside Derwent Pencil Museum displays a huge pencil (almost eight metres long) and has a colourful shop stocked with quality art supplies. The town is also the gateway to island-dotted Derwentwater, with its splendid lakeside trails and assorted watery attractions. After visiting the ruins of the 14th-century castle in Penrith (40 minutes), linger a while in the surrounding park, where there’s a playground with a miniature adventure course for the kids. On the outskirts of town are a public pool and several golf courses, plus the Thacka Beck Nature Reserve, where you might spot birds and dragonflies.

Water quality at nearby bathing waters

Name Distance Type 2020201920182017
Allonby 11.9 mi Sea N/AGoodGoodGood
Southerness 21.2 mi Sea N/AGoodGoodExcellent
St Bees 23.4 mi Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent
Seascale 25.1 mi Sea N/AGoodGoodGood
Sandyhills 25.6 mi Sea N/AN/APoorPoor

Data source: European Environment Agency

Must see

Mirehouse Historic House and Gardens 4.4 mi

Whinlatter Forest & Visitor Centre 7 mi

Castlerigg Stone Circle 7.4 mi

Ullswater Steamers 14 mi

Dalemain Historic House & Gardens 14.5 mi

National Trust

Wordsworth House and Garden 8.9 mi

Buttermere and Ennerdale 19.1 mi

Grasmere and Great Langdale 19.2 mi

Wasdale, Eskdale and Duddon 20.8 mi

Townend 22.5 mi

Cycle routes

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

Other

High Pike, Fellside 3.4 mi

Ullock Pike - Longside Edge - Skiddaw 3.6 mi

Dodd Wood under Ullock Pike 4.4 mi

Bassenthwaite Osprey Walk 4.4 mi

Latrigg, Blease and Lonscale 6.2 mi

Local events

  • Kendal Calling (Thursday, July 30, 2026 – Thursday, July 30, 2026)

    Penrith, England 18.9 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.

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

Frequently asked questions

  • Does Orthwaite Pop-up Campsite have a swimming pool? No View all features
  • Is Orthwaite Pop-up Campsite dog friendly? Yes View all features
  • What attractions are near Orthwaite Pop-up Campsite? The area around Bassenthwaite Lake National Nature Reserve (10 minutes’ drive) includes Dodd Wood, whose forests are home to red squirrels, and Lake District Wildlife Park, with birds of prey, primates and … Read more
  • When can I check in and check out of Orthwaite Pop-up Campsite?
    RV, travel trailer and tent sites
    Arrive:  Anytime –  Anytime
    Depart by:  Anytime
    Read more
  • How much does it cost to stay at Orthwaite Pop-up Campsite? From $33.47 (for 1 night, 2 adults) - prices may change depending on your dates and party.