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Just returned from 3 three night stay here with my three children aged 10, 7 and 6. Having stayed here before I was very very impressed with the new facilities block, toilets were clean and showers large enough to fit me and two youngest in to shower, plenty of hot water and very well set out. The showers tend to get a little grassy and muddy during the day as they are shared with the attached adventure base and people coming up from the gorge activities strip off wetsuits here and use the showers but they were generally clean.
The washing up area is under cover and the sinks are huge with plenty of hot water and good water pressure. The site itself is large and tents are allowed to pitch anywhere so if groups are coming it would be easy to pitch near friends.
A lot of the site has sloping areas and like a previous poster said, try to get there early to get a flat one, we pitched on the lower level.
The staff are extremely friendly and helpful, we initially booked for two nights but wanted to extend because of the fine weather and they bent over backwards to try to accommodate us, which they did.
Another example of how helpful they were, my children were playing boule and lost one of my antique brass boules somewhere around the edges of the site, we looked and looked but to no avail. I went to mention it to the shop to let me know if anyone handed it in, that evening a member of staff offered to use his metal detector to locate said boule!
Even though the site was very busy with a group of school children from Holland as well as loads of other campers there was still plenty of room for the children to play.
The Gorge itself! what can I say, it is completely breathtaking, there are safety rules that have to be adhered to and plenty of warning signs about slippery paths and overhanging rocks etc but it has a very relaxed atmosphere.
The children loved gorge hopping, swimming in the pools, caving in the dry(ish) Tom Taylors Cave and the much wetter how stean tunnel. We watched many people on the gorge adventures, via ferreta, abseiling etc and I have to say, they were very well looked after by the guides. It is a truly beautiful place (bit of a midge problem on summer evenings, bring the insect repellent)
We visited the Coldstones Cut (amazing and quirky and well worth a visit) and the Yorkes Folly, both near Pateley Bridge, we drove over the moor to Masham and visited the nearby scar house reservoir (three miles away) with its stunning damn wall and remnants of the workers village.
Having visited How Stean on many occasions before we knew what we were coming to and it never disappoints. The new facilities block make it even better.
Our group pitched our tents on ‘the balcony’ area of the site, as recommended by the previous reviewer, and I am very glad we did. Our efforts of lugging our camping kit up the slope paid off and we were award with the most majestical and beautiful view. The site was at full capacity due to the Bank Holiday weekend, so although very busy our elevated position gave us plenty of privacy and space.
The facilities on site, the WC & showers, were some of the best I’ve ever come across, and the café served up heart stopping bacon buttys, homemade cakes and bottomless cups of coffee.
The walk up hill to The Crown at Middlesmoor is well worth it. It’s a steep climb but if you cut across the fields from behind the campsite you’ll save yourself about half a mile (also pretty easy to negotiate on your way home - even in the dark after a few tipples!) The food is fantastic, and if you coincide your visit with the Sunday night quiz you’ll not be disappointed. A great crowd and without a doubt the friendliest pub I’ve ever come across.
What a lovely little find! In the picturesque Nidderdale countryside this campsite gives you the feeling that you are far away from anywhere but provides all the necessary facilities you need and a little more besides! We spent a couple of nights over Easter with myself, DH and DD (11).
Really one for the kids with How Stean Gorge on site and lots of caves to explore (one was right beside our tent, very exciting!) The camping was reasonable at £6 per adult and £3 for DD. After the discount for staying on site, the gorge entry cost £7 altogether (that includes me, dd and DH!) They also offer packages for abseiling, canoeing and something called via Ferrata (think it means 'clinging on to the gorge for dear life' in Italian).
You are allowed to pitch anywhere which is good for groups but this meant that one group blocked access to some good pitches. This is the nature of the site, there are flattened off areas at the top of slopes creating a kind of balcony effect. The pitch we took was at the bottom of the hill but some of the pitches were on a slope so get there early to snag a good one.
The toilet and shower facilities are all within close distance of the pitches. There are plenty of clean toilets. Sometimes the shower area was a little muddy and the block itself is large so it did feel a little cold during the evening, mInd you it was -10 outside!. Because it is large and there are lots of showers it means we were always able to access a free hot shower at any time of day.
On the website it does state that they do not accept rowdy behaviour. I'm not sure if I'm being a killjoy but there were a couple of groups drinking and talking loudly till 1. 00-2. 00pm. This could do with better monitoring really especially as the site is aimed at families. I forgot all about it in the morning though when I woke up to such beautiful surroundings.
We walked down to the village of Lofthouse (turn right at the bottom of the lane) where the pub serves really big meals and has a lovely welcoming aymosphere and lots of interesting local conversations! If you turn left up the hill to the other nearby village watch out for the 1:4 walk up the hill. Fun to say you did it though!
We really like the fact that you can have campfires in the bins provided (although they need to buy some more because there were none left for us. They gave us a big bbq to use which was great) and they sell wood cheaply too.
Pateley Bridge is 11 miles away but boasts England's oldest sweet shop, a great park with playground, river walks and a couple of interesting museums. There are no large supermarkets so make sure you bring any specific items you require (like mince!, the curry we made was not quite as planned)!
The campsite has a great restaurant. Lovely meals and puddings and they sell beers too! They also put on films for the kids.
Overall with a few tweaks I can see this becoming one of our regular haunts and it's only an hour from where we live :0)
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Common Questions
Is How Stean Gorge child friendly? YES, it accepts children & has a playground View all facilities
Where is the nearest shop to How Stean Gorge? There is a shop on site View all facilities
A day of all things motorhome and campervan. The show is held both in the main indoor arena and across the grounds. Catering, hot drinks and food options are available. Easy access to the site and free parking included. Win one of five pairs of day tickets
All reviews and comments are the personal opinion of the review author only , and as such do not represent the view of the UK Camp Site.co.uk.
The facilities shown on this website are a guide only, and you should check with the campsite direct before making any booking. The UKCampsite.co.uk will not be held responsible for any errors or omissions
Tent Pitches 
No Caravans 
Motorhome Pitches 
Small Campervans 
No Glamping Units 
Holiday Homes for Hire 
No Statics for Sale 
No Seasonal Pitches 
No Electric Hookups 
No Hardstandings 
No Fully Serviced Pitches 
Families Welcome 
Not Members Only 
Rallies Welcome 
Not Naturist Site 
Dogs Welcome 
No Dogs Allowed 
Groups Welcome 
Motorbikers Welcome 
Toilet Facilities 
Hot Showers 
Washing Up 
No Bathroom 
Baby Changing Facilities 
No Laundry 
Drinking Water 
Disabled Friendly 
No Chemical Disposal 
No Battery Charging 
No Gas Exchange 
Recycling Facilities 
No Kitchen Facilities 
No Freezer / Fridge 
No Motorhome Point 
Wifi Access 
Shop On Site 
Bar On Site 
Restaurant or Cafe or Takeaway On Site 
Kids Playground 
No TV Room 
No Games Room 
No Evening Ents 
No Fishing 
No Wild Swimming 
No Indoor Pool 
No Outdoor Pool 
Horse Riding <5 miles 
No Cycle Hire 
No Golf 
No Tennis 
No Beach 
Watersports On Site 
No Boat Launch 
No Sea Views 
Not Working Farm 
Campfires Allowed 
Open All Year 
No Waterside Pitches 
Public Transport <5 miles
Offroad Dog Walk On Site or Direct Access 
Just returned from 3 three night stay here with my three children aged 10, 7 and 6. Having stayed here before I was very very impressed with the new facilities block, toilets were clean and showers large enough to fit me and two youngest in to shower, plenty of hot water and very well set out. The showers tend to get a little grassy and muddy during the day as they are shared with the attached adventure base and people coming up from the gorge activities strip off wetsuits here and use the showers but they were generally clean. 
