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The wife, dog and I have just returned from a three night camping trip to Side Farm. As someone who has stayed at over 15 campsites across the Lake District over the last five years, I have to put this straight into my top three without any hesitation. This is truly an absolute gem of a campsite and is also great value for money.
Price
£17 per night for a couple and a dog. No restrictions on tent size. Cannot knock that!
Access Road
As long as your car is not a ‘low rider’ there is absolutely nothing to worry about. There are quite a few potholes to negotiate on the track but as long as you stay in first or second gear you are not going to do any damage to your car. In terms of gradient, it is slightly steep for about 10 metres in one place but again, nothing to worry about. Our fully laden 1. 2 Renault Modus made light work of the hill. There are also two gates to open/close on the way to the campsite which is a two minute drive from the farmhouse down the track.
Ground
The ground was not the best to hammer a peg into. I used two or three rock pegs along with standard pegs but it was not really a problem. The site is 30% flat and 70% sloping. We camped on a slight slope but to be honest it was not too bad. Previous reviews have expressed concern at the sloping ground but once the tent was up and we were settled with a beer we did not even notice it. As you drive into the campsite there are roughly 6 pitches on flat ground beside the shower block to the left. Further up the campsite there are more flat pitches with a slightly better view of the lake but I would imagine you will need to be very early or very lucky to bag one of those.
Atmosphere/Hospitality
We travelled on a Friday and left on a Monday. This was not during school holidays so the site was only really at 40% capacity. Overcrowding was not an issue. I can understand how some previous reviews have criticized the fact that other campers were right on top of them and space and privacy was non-existent. Once you pay your money at the farmhouse there was no contact/patrol of the campsite by the farmer that I saw, so I am not sure how they monitor any overcrowding. It is not the biggest campsite in the world. We had no issues with overcrowding. The staff working at the little shop built against the farmhouse were very friendly. The shop stocks a good range of products and was open most of the day. For a small donation we put our ice blocks in the ice lolly freezer which was very useful.
Facilities
Shower block was always very clean with plenty of liquid soap. There are a few cobwebs high above your head but it was not anything unusual for a farm shower block. The hot water pressure was excellent and always a nice warm temperature. Showers are free but there are only two showers in both the male and female washrooms (confirmed by the wife!) which may be an issue at busy times. I always shower in the late afternoon after walking so there was no problem waiting for a shower. There is a pot wash area with four sinks, again with good water pressure and temperature. There were also two washers and two driers which were £1 for a 30 minute spin.
View/Walks
No much to say here except amazing. One of the finest views from a campsite in the Lake District. It would take some beating. We climbed High Street from the campsite which took around 2 hours 30 minutes to get to the top at a gentle ascent.
Location to Pub
Patterdale is 15 mins walk back down the access track and past the farm house and farm shop then left at the main road. There is one pub, The White Lion, which has a good selection of real ales and reasonably priced food. I had fish and chips which was really tasty and I paid £9. 95. There is also the Patterdale Hotel which has a huge beer garden and a good lake view. It is on the main road though.
Glenridding is 30 mins walk away. Again past the farm house but turn right at the main road an go past the church. There are some nice off road sections here which were good for our dog to have a run about on the way. There are three pubs and two hotels. I recommend the Ramblers Bar which is built onto the Inn by the lake hotel. It has been recently refurbished and had a great atmosphere and selection of ales and wines. The food also looked good but we did not eat.
I will be returning here without a doubt. Cracking little site.
It is set in a lovely location The owners are very helpful and the facilities are good.
It is quite hilly but the views over the lake make up for this.
There is a nice café on site and it is a 10 minute stroll into Glenridding, where there are some small shops and a few nice pubs where you can get good food.
It is a perfect base for people who like hiking as it is surrounded by mountains and hills.
Secluded quiet site, sloping but with a few levels areas for campervans. Superb views over Ullswater and Hellvellyn. Excellent toilet block with hot free showers. Long bumpy track from the farm to the field. Next to bridleway walk to Howtown. Ullswater Steamers about a mile away round the end of the lake. Two good pubs within 10 minute walk. No phone signal. Farm shop and tea room. Will definitely visit again, loved it.
We stayed at this campsite during part of the half term holiday and the week after. I had read reviews on this site regarding the lack of flat ground and therefore when I got to the site I spoke with the lady at the cafe who allowed me to go and check for a suitable pitch before paying.
The site was not crowded and I found a suitable flat pitch fairly easily, I can see that the comments regarding flat ground are valid to an extent but if arriving on weekday at a reasonable time I reckon you would usually find a pitch.
I found the prices very reasonable and was pleased that the site didn't charge for my dogs providing they are kept on leads and are cleaned up after, this is rare in the lakes these days(and very annoying as the dogs don't exactly place a drain on the facilities.
The showers were powerful, hot and were very welcome after a hard days walking. They were clean enough and there was always hot water. I never had to queue to use them. It would be nice if the shower block was tiled but not that important in the big scheme of things as after all, you are camping!
Washing up facilities were good and there were a couple of washers and clothes driers which were reasonable priced.
The track to and from the site could do with some work as it has some large ruts in it, however I negotiated it in a fairly fully laden Renault Clio so it can't be that bad!
The area is simply stunning and provides fantastic views all round the site, from the mountains and fells to the tranquility of the lake which was fun to paddle in following a walk.
They could improve rubbish collections or provide a few more bins but this is a minor thing really.
The local pubs provide standard pub grub which is fairly typical of the lakes these days, not home made(despite what the menus say) and not all that flavoursome. I am consistently disappointed with the quality and price of food in the lake district these days and it is rare I feel that you get value for money in terms of food.
I enjoyed the relaxed attitude of the staff and the site was extremely pleasant to stay at. I will certainly be going back at some stage.
I have to agree with what most others have said of this site; beautiful views and good access to the local village. Facilities are adequate for those not expecting a 'glamping' experience and the prices are very reasonable.
The main drawbacks are the fact that there are very, very few flat spots on which to pitch and much of it is almost unusably steeply sloped. Unthinking (read, selfish) drivers taking up the vast majority of the flatter areas while I was there meant for very little choice of where to pitch.
With a bit of work - some terracing and specified parking areas would improve it immensely - the place could be fantastic, as it stands it's hit and miss as to whether you'll find anywhere to pitch at all. It also, as has been stated elsewhere, gets uncomfortably crowded at times. And we were there at what I was told by the nice lady in the tea-room was a 'quiet' time.
Great access to the eastern fells though and reasonably sheltered considering it's lakeside location.
Nestling in the beautiful Eskdale Valley close to Scafell, England's highest mountain and Wastwater, this site is a children's paradise in the heart of the Lake District. The first thing that meets you on arrival is the pond, fed by a stream and usually full of children paddling and playing on tyre rafts. The playground has zip wires, climbing frames, tyre rope-swings and adventure courses.
Grass pitches (some with EHU) for tents, motorhomes, VW-sized campervans (no caravans). Refurbished toilets, showers and laundry. Peace is the watchword on the campsite - catering mainly for families and couples with silence after 10.30pm. Don't forget your marshmallows - campfires are allowed in selected areas. Nearby shop and pub. And there's an added extra: the site sits along the route of the Ravenglass and Eskdale Steam Railway line, with it's own station. Choo Choo! Find out more here
Stayed here for a couple of nights during the summer of 2010 as the location is excellent for trekking around the lake & mountains of Patterdale/Glenridding.
The site is pretty basic and pitches are not especially level but it is what you pay for. Toilets and showers were reasonably clean (good considering it poured down) and the owners are friendly and welcoming.
The site did get a little noisy at night once the rain stopped but it didn't go on past midnight and fellow campers were generally respectful of each other.
This is a site I use if I'm camping without the kiddies as I spend most of my time in the hills and I wouldn't recommend if you're looking for a family fun holiday as there's no playground/clubhouse etc.
Me and my boyfriend have just returned from a fantastic weekend at Side Farm. The sign to the place is quite small and we drove past it twice, and very nearly settled for another campsite. We're so glad we didn't! We found the booking office which also happens to be a delightful tea room with some great looking cakes, as well as all the basics you may need.
We were greeted by a lovely man who booked us in and told us where to go to pitch up.
There is a longish track leading to the site which is unlit and rather bumpy, but our ancient little Citroen made it with no problems.
The site was rather busy but we still found a great spot with an amazing lake view (there isn't allocated pitches, you settle wherever you want) However, if you plan to arrive after about 6 on a weekend, you may not get a great view.
The ground is quite sloped in places, so take care pitching!
The facilities are fine, there have been reviews saying they are too basic (concrete floors etc) but there are proper toilets (not portaloos), hot showers and electricity points so I'm not sure what else would be expected? Very nice really given the location.
The nearest shop and pub is a pleasant 20 minute walk but it's very dark at night so don't forget a torch! The shop is very good, they even do bacon butties in the morning! There are too places to eat, a hotel and a pub, we went to the pub which was really busy but the food and service was brill and worth the wait. Overall, it was a brilliant place to stay, we are even hoping to go back again next weekend!
As previous reviews have said the best thing about this site is the location and that's about it - oh, and maybe the little tea shop. The access to the site is a long rutted track, there are hardly any flat pitches, it is quite a small site and there seems to be no consideration for overbooking or anything. On the whole it is probably best for and most used by walkers and backpackers in the Lakes.Especially as it's an extra £2 for your car ! The toilet block is ok, the shower was nice and hot too ! A word of warning - do not try to leave via the field if it is raining, this field becomes a lake extension. When we abandoned tent due to bad weather, the sign they had put up giving the alternative exit had blown away and we got stuck and had to be towed out. Fortunately the tractor driver was brilliant but it was quite a scary experience and we wouldn't have found ourselves there if the site had better information regarding access. Vital I would have thought for tourists in the Lakes.
A stunning location, but in all honesty, an otherwise poor site.
The location is as attractive as you'll find - great views across Ullswater, and direct access to the lake and superb surrounding walks.
The problem is that if you take away the views, the site itself is somewhat disappointing. The showerblock is very basic, with raw concrete floors (not a terribly hygienic finish). Rubbish is collected infrequently - in our case, overflowing bins on Friday evening, were not collected until the next day, by which time foxes had scattered much of the contents.
95% of the pitches are on a relatively steep slope, so if you prefer to sleep on the flat you should avoid. Access is awkward at best, potentially damaging to your vehicle at worst - we repeatedly scraped the bottom of our estate whilst trying to get down the untreated 'road' (gravel track).
There are no pitch designations, so it's basically a free for all, and when it's busy (we barely found enough room to pitch our tent, never mind retain any privacy), you may struggle to find anything approaching a good pitch.
A bit of investment in the facilities and road, and limiting the number of visitors by an extra 10-20% would make a big difference. As it stands, the views are great, but not so great it really warrants a recommendation.
Spent 3 nights at this site, not many level areas to pitch your tent. Basic facilities, but clean and everything you need, including, washers and dryers, (only a pound for a half hour in an industrial drier) and showers are free. Always hot water.
Right next to the lake, perfect for canoeing with easy access for launching your boat. Great walking on the hillside and along the lake behind the site, and side farm has a great little cafe and shop catering for walkers. £6 pnpp, £3 per child, £2 per car, dogs welcome and no hassle with a fire, as long as you keep it off the ground.
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Common Questions
Is Side Farm Campsite child friendly? YES, it accepts children View all facilities
Does Side Farm Campsite have a swimming pool? YES, there is a pool on site View all facilities
Where is the nearest shop to Side Farm Campsite? There is a shop within 1 mile View all facilities
Amazing family weekend with old steam engines, classic car displays, market stalls, and full catering and bar. And camping on site - Save £25 by booking in advance.
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 
No Motorhomes 
No Campervans 
No Glamping Units 
No Statics for Hire 
No Statics for Sale 
No Seasonal Pitches 
No Electric Hookups 
No Hardstandings 
No Fully Serviced Pitches 
Families Welcome 
Not Members Only 
No Rallies 
Not Naturist Site 
Dogs Welcome 
No Dogs Allowed 
Groups Welcome 
Motorbikers Welcome 
Toilet Facilities 
Hot Showers 
Washing Up 
No Bathroom 
No Baby Changing 
Laundry On Site 
Drinking Water 
Disabled Friendly 
No Chemical Disposal 
No Battery Charging 
No Gas Exchange 
No Recycling Facilities 
No Kitchen Facilities 
No Freezer / Fridge 
No Motorhome Point 
No Wifi Access 
Shop <1 mile 
Bar <1 mile 
Restaurant or Cafe or Takeaway <1 mile 
No Playground 
No TV Room 
No Games Room 
No Evening Ents 
Fishing <1 mile 
Wild Swimming On Site 
No Indoor Pool 
Outdoor Pool On Site 
No Horse Riding 
Cycle Hire <1 mile 
No Golf 
Tennis <1 mile 
No Beach 
Watersports <1 mile 
No Boat Launch 
No Sea Views 
Working Farm 
No Campfires Allowed 
No Waterside Pitches 
Public Transport 
Offroad Dog Walk On Site or Direct Access 
The wife, dog and I have just returned from a three night camping trip to Side Farm. As someone who has stayed at over 15 campsites across the Lake District over the last five years, I have to put this straight into my top three without any hesitation. This is truly an absolute gem of a campsite and is also great value for money. 
