Orthwaite Pop-up Campsite

No availability at present on Pitchup.com 9.2 148 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
1/168
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
Opens
Please note
  • This park has no on-site shower facilities.

Admission

  • Under 18s must be accompanied by their parents or legal guardians.

Dogs

  • 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).

General

  • Discount cards and gift vouchers cannot be applied to bookings made via Pitchup.com.
  • Please note that the toilet facilities are unisex.

Safety

  • Swimming in the lake is not allowed.

Languages spoken

English

No availability here for your search criteria

Reviews

9.2

Overall rating from 148 Pitchup.com customers

  • 68%
    10
  • 13%
    9
  • 9%
    8
  • 3%
    7
  • 2%
    6
  • 0%
    5
  • 1%
    4
  • 0%
    3
  • 0%
    2
  • 1%
    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 mountainPeacefulRemote location

94% would recommend this campground to a friend

91% would stay here again

What customers say

This pop-up site offers peaceful, back-to-basics stays with amazing views. Guests love the large field, helpful owners, and clean portaloos. While showers and drinking water are absent, and roads are tight, many enjoy the quiet, remote setting. Fire pits for rent. The lake is scenic but not for swimming.

Summary AI-generated from Pitchup.com customer reviews. Last updated 9/1/2026

Filter by topic

Reviews page 1 of 15
Arrival date (latest first)

Great site, hope it is open again next year!

Overall

9 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 No rating
Facilities / Activities
 7
Customer service
 9
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 6
Wifi
 No rating
Michael W. 31 reviews

Primitive grass campervan campsite

Liked The location and scenery, and attention from the owner

Disliked We did find it hard
—-to find the site as the sign posts mentioned when we booked werent there, on the road we came in on
—-to leave the site, after heavy rain had made the uphill approach to the gate muddy and slippery
—-in the unlit portaloos

Recommend to friends Visit again

Disappointed

Overall

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

Primitive grass tent or trailer tent campsite

Liked Nice spot.

Disliked We didn’t actually get end up camping here as the website kept glitching by the time it went through we’d selected the wrong date and booked the campsite for that same night of booking at 9pm, we tried to get hold of the owners to see if we could swap the weekend as we didn’t obviously attend as we were tucked up in bed at the time of booking, but still no response on email, so we’ve lost out of £45. I understand it says on the website that there are no refunds after booking but to say this was an accidental mistake because of the glitch we’re abit annoyed. I’m sure it would be a lovely place to stay but like I say we’ve literally just thrown £45 in the bin more or less.

Recommend to friends Visit again

I would come here again

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 7
Value for money
 9
Facilities / Activities
 8
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 5
Anonymous

Primitive grass tent or trailer tent campsite

Liked Location was nice and peaceful

Disliked N/a

Recommend to friends Visit again

Everything, it's nice quiet, owners are…

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Facilities / Activities
 6
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 1
 Tomasz G. 6 reviews

Primitive grass tent or trailer tent campsite

Liked Everything, it's nice quiet, owners are cool and relaxed. Bare in mind there's no signal, no wifi,

Disliked Nothing

Recommend to friends Visit again

Wonderful scenery quiet location lovely owners…

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 9
Facilities / Activities
 No rating
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 5
 Lyn T. 2 reviews

Primitive grass campervan campsite

Liked Wonderful scenery quiet location lovely owners came round to check everything was ok. Well spaced out pitches.

Disliked Nothing to dislike

Recommend to friends Visit again

Really great base for walkers. Surrounded by Wainwrights.

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 7
Value for money
 10
Facilities / Activities
 6
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 1
 Lauren S. 1 review

Primitive grass campervan campsite

Liked The views over the lake and the surrounding fells are amazing. The hosts were just lovely and both popped in to say hello. Very basic facilities, toilets and cold water tap but thats literally all we needed. Location is remote with no shops walkable however the fells are right there for you to climb so perfect for us. Just go prepared. Not overly far from Keswick and busier places if you want to venture out. Amazing sunsets and stargazing spot.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Would 100% stay here again

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Facilities / Activities
 2
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 2
 Chloe P. 2 reviews

Primitive grass campervan campsite

Liked In a lovely area, very remote and relaxing with great views all round. Has a few portaloos. The owners are lovely, the come around and offer fire wood for a small price

Recommend to friends Visit again

Plenty of space and the owners…

Overall

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

Primitive grass tent or trailer tent campsite

Liked Plenty of space and the owners were really nice people

Recommend to friends Visit again

Nice quiet place owners were very accommodating and helped anyone

Overall

10 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
Mark C. 1 review

Primitive grass campervan campsite

Liked Loved the space and views of lake and mountains

Recommend to friends Visit again

Remote site, very spacious, great customer…

Overall

9 out of 10
Location
 No rating
Value for money
 9
Facilities / Activities
 5
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 1
 adam p. 2 reviews

Primitive grass campervan campsite

Liked Remote site, very spacious, great customer service and close to box off some wainwrights

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.

Food and drink

  • Mae's Tea Rooms and Gallery Restaurant 1.2 mi
  • Sun Inn Pub 2.2 mi
  • The Lion Pub 2.6 mi
  • Castle Inn Hotel Pub 2.9 mi
  • Lakes Distillery Restaurant 4.1 mi
  • The Pheasant Inn Pub 4.4 mi
  • Oddfellows Arms Pub 5.2 mi
  • Greyhound Inn Pub 5.2 mi
  • The Old Crown Pub 5.8 mi
  • Wheatsheaf Inn Pub 5.8 mi

Parks and play

  • The Green 5.2 mi

Family days out

  • Mirehouse Visitor attraction 4.3 mi
  • Isel Hall Castle 6.1 mi

Public transport

  • Village Green (W bound) 1.3 mi
  • Village Green (E bound) 1.3 mi
  • Bus Shelter (N bound) 1.6 mi
  • Bassenthwaite Village 2.7 mi
  • Trafford Caravan Park (E bound) 2.7 mi
  • Ireby Crossroads (S bound) 2.7 mi
  • Trafford Caravan Park (W bound) 2.7 mi
  • Castle Inn at The Smithy 2.8 mi
  • Castle Inn at The Smithy (W bound) 2.8 mi
  • Castle Inn Hotel A591 N bound 2.9 mi

Local services

  • Caldbeck Surgery 5.3 mi

© OpenStreetMap contributors

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

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