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I totally agree with the review posted earlier, there are not many sites left that allow camp fires So the location makes it easy to fuel the fire As said earlier this is a working farm.But you hardly notice The one thing I would like to add is is the .Host I have never met a more accommodating camp site owner in my twenty years of camping A little tricky to get too, Go ape close by for those who like to play in fall arrest mode Site prices, 5 quid a night for adults, 2.50 for kids.Free if they are not walking Summary: pay when you leave. Shows confidence from the owner you would like to return. I paid and said "see you next year". So we are going back
Just adding my recommendation for this site. We arrived on Monday after a VERY wet weekend, the farmer was concerned about how wet the field was and recommended that we pitched on the dryer area he pointed out.
We stayed for 4 days and the while more people arrived during the week the farmer was anxious that there should not be too many people so that the field could recover. On Thursday before we left the field was rolled with a massive roller to level the tyre tracks in the ground now it was dryer again and was being mowed as we left.
I agree with the descriptions already given. We hardly left the site during the 4 days, but the kids (8&6) were happy playing on the hill, in the trees, on the rope swing and in the stream. Riding was an added bonus, we did the 1/2 hour ride (which seemed to last more like 45 mins, although I'm not sure exactly what time we left), with both kids being led as they'd never ridden before. Riders of all abilities are catered for, and they do their best to fit you in when it's convenient for you, and to try to get the rides to run on time.
Toilets/showers were cleaned regularly and generally well supplied.
All in all, great site for a great price (£10 per night for me & 2 kids) and great owners.
We stayed here back in the summer of 2007 and found the site to be absolutely fantastic. The owners were brilliant and always willing to help us out. The facilities on the site were basic but suited us fine as they were always clean and there was plenty of hot water. My girlfriend loved the horseriding as well as the many kittens that were wandering round the farm. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this site to anyone and will certainly visit again next time I'm in the Lakes.
Just got back from this great camp site. Relatively new on a working farm, we pitched with our large tent just through the bottom gate with our friends and there large tent.
We were lucky enough to get a camp fire and picnic table next to us, but there are quite a few dotted around the field. £5 for adults and £2.50 for under 16’s a bargain! two loo’s with basins and two showers for the ladies, and I think it’s the same for the chaps. Constant hot water which was fantastic and free. Fire wood is for sale at £2 for a large bag, (we had enough for two nights fires). There’s no play area for the kids, but my 5 year old didn’t need one with all the rocky outcrops to play dragons and knights, swallows and amazons etc.
All in all a great 3 nights with the farmer keeping an eye on activities between hay making and tending his sheep, cattle and horses. My only reservation is the distance to the facilities, but you get used to that and it becomes part of a great experience.
Grizdale visitors centre is just up the road with Go Ape (which I would recommend booking before you leave home at peak times) and from the centre there are way marked paths for walkers and cyclists, you’ll find sculptures along the way which are both interesting and thought provoking. Hawkshead is the closest village with shops, but take not that the Co-op is in the centre with very little parking near by. But I’ll recommend the Hawkshead Relish shop, which has a range of fantastic home made relishes, curd’s jam’s etc.
Beautiful location and very quiet. We arrived Thursday and the site wasn't too busy and facilities were adequate for number of people on site. But the weekend was very busy and the two toilets and two showers for ladies were not enough. But it only just opened last year and I am sure improvements will be made. Farmhouse sells sausages, eggs, milk etc., and ice-packs can be frozen for you.
Local pub: The Eagles Head serve lovely food. But booking is advised unless you go early.
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
Excellent! I love old fashioned camping and look for quiet sites with few facilities and, most importantly, campfires. Bowkerstead farm is great for this style – we stayed in a bell tent and had plenty of space to cook outdoors on our fire. There were also lots of people going for the more high tech approach with large family domes and gazebos etc. Both styles work well together here and there is plenty of room for everyone to spread out. The owners are unfailingly helpful and seem to put effort into making sure people are sited where they will find what suits them rather than setting up many rules. This gives the site a genuinely friendly and organic feel. It also feels very un-commercial and unhurried. We had both driving rain and full sunshine during our stay and the site was just as good whatever the weather.
We stayed in the large ‘family’ field which is very flat in the main and coped well with heavy rain. The field has some wooded little hilly areas at the end and these are ideal for kids to play in and feel very safe. A small river runs along the corner of the field [but no midges!]. There are also lovely wooded, more secluded, pitches in another area behind the farm to suit smaller tents.
The toilets and showers are few in numbers but excellent and were rarely crowded. There are two single washrooms for women: one with a baby-changing table and the other kitted for mobility impaired visitors. They are tiled and modern and coped well with the mud. Then there is a shower room with two free showers with good water pressure and heat. I presume the men’s facilities are the same. In addition there is a first-aid room with a sink. There is no outside tap for large water containers but the owners will fill these happily when asked – smaller containers can be filled from the sink. You can also buy basic food supplies.
This is a working farm and there are plenty of animals around to interest children – including many continually petted kittens during our stay. Bowkerstead run riding holidays and it’s possible to bring your horse to stay with you! For the less committed equestrian there are plenty of opportunities to ride the resident horses – with qualified instructors. Our 8 year old had his first hour trek and thought it was brilliant. [rides are for ½ hour for £10 - up to 3 hours]. Even if you don’t ride the horses give the place a wonderful character.
The campsite is right in the middle of Grizedale forest. One of the very good waymarked walks passes through the farm and leads to stunningly beautiful views. There is also a lot of sculpture in the forest - this is good for walking with kids who can be very interested in map-reading to find the various hidden exhibits. The forest visitor centre has a great adventure playground and café. Guides to the forest for walking, mountainbiking and sculpture are available in a pack for £2.50 or singly for £1 and are very useful. The visitor centre also has ‘go ape’ which is an aerial adventure course for adults and kids over 10.
The local pub to the site is small, friendly and very popular with a good menu – if you want to eat it pays to book in advance. It’s also easy to drive to Hawkshead or Ambleside, or in the opposite direction to Ulverston [quirky shops, market, Booths supermarket – best for anything you want to buy at ordinary prices and not at ‘Lakeland’ rates]. It’s also easy to get to Coniston and the Langdales.
Me and the fiance stayed at the start of August and even though it rained the whole weekend we were there, I can honestly say that it was one of the best camping holidays we have been on.
When we first arrived, we drove up to the farm and was asked if we had booked and then directed to either the bottom field or up in the tree area. I'm not a big fan of trees, but really wished we had gone up there, because of the weather.
We got to the field which has 2 entrances to get in and out off and pitched our tent near one of the entrances, but not to near because with all the rainfall over the few days previous the ground was rather boggy.
The farmer during our stay kept coming down to the field and making sure everyone was ok, and despite the rain, there were a few campfires on the go on both nights.
The farmer became rather concerned about where we had pitched our tent and asked if we wanted to move, but because everything was in the tent and it was our last night there, we felt that it would be pointless, the farmer tried to persuade us to move a bit further away from the entrance but agreed with us it would be pointless and said that he would check we hadn't floated away when he got up in the morning.
The first night we were there the rain lashed down on the tents and the wind was strong, but tent held in there, the only problem with the tent was that it didn't have any room for us to go and sit we had to lay in the tent. Hence a couple of days after we went and bought a bigger tent lol.
Back to the campsite, I'm a big fan of cats, and the farm has loads of them. Most of them ran away, but if you ever go if you see a fat, bushy tailed black and white cat, its called Chad, me and chad became firm friends during our stay there. The farmer also didn't mind people going into the utility room to see the kittens that were there.
The toilet block was basic, but for the price of camping it was ideal for anyone wanting to get away for a few days and not wanting to spend huge amounts of money to camp somewhere. Each womans toilet had a toilet, sink, hot and cold water, paper towels and plenty of toilet paper. There was also disabled access in one of the womens toilets and also a baby changing mat that dropped down from the wall.
We didn't go into the local pub, but we drove past it many times and it looked like a nice place to go and have a meal.
The people on the farm were very pleasant and the farm was well kept. Apart from the rain we had a enjoyable experience and being a working farm got used to the sheep walking around the campsite at silly hours in the morning. They didn't knock any tents down and would trot away if you tried to get near them.
If I was to give this campsite a rating out of 10 it would be a 10.
Camped for the first time at Grizedale after discovering the site by accident on a day trip out in the lakes. Arrived late on a Saturday (after reserving our pitches) to find the site comfortably bustling considering the weather had been awful for a number of days prior to our arrival. Pitched on the main field site as there was a group of 10 of us and had no trouble pitching together on decent ground. Facilities are decent and regularly cleaned, although queues are commonplace as there is only 1 urinal and 1 toilet in the gents loos, especially in the mornings. Local pub (only ten minutes walk away) serves decent food and good local beer, and the clientele seem friendly enough. Kids enjoyed exploring up on the hills and round by the forest pitches, and the horses in the adjacent field went down a treat (riding also permitted catering for all levels of competence - £10 for half an hour during our visit).
I particularly liked the way that the owner will not allow overcrowding, in fact, there was an abundance of space even though no more visitors were admitted - perhaps due to the small facilities??
Prices cheap, welcome warm & would recommend to anyone!
After much persuading from my sis and bro-in-law I decided to give the camping lark a go - we love it! So for my first camping experience this site is fab. I never expected hot showers, clean toilets and endless supply of toilet roll - but you get all that here. Its only 40mins from home so we have already visited for a second time. The site owner is very friendly and nothing is too much trouble, the toilets/showers are always immaculately clean and hot water is constant. You can have camp-fires here and even the logs are supplied. The local pub serves great grub and my hubby particularly enjoyed the local real ale. Lovely area for walking, biking etc. My 11 yr old had great time aswell, theres loads of space to play. Will defo be visiting again soon.
Had THE best time here - a really great campsite / working farm with the odd bull, cat and about 10 horses. Daughter and hubby went for an hour horse ride in the hills (Hubby never even seen a horse before let alone ride one!) they had a fab time. It is also a riding centre and caters for all. We have booked again for a few weeks time as we loved it! We had a fire going from Friday till Sunday which just made the stay really special - you can arrange bricks and stones to make a little fire pitch but some already have them from the previous campers (how can you go camping with out a campfire!??) the logs are stacked up at the side of the farm house for you to get whenever you need!
One thing I would say is that the owners are so friendly and will do everything possible to make your stay a happy and enjoyable experience - even freeze your ice packs and offer milk and bacon and sausages for sale if you have forgotten them (price list is stuck on the wall in the first aid room) They have 2 toilets for ladies and 1 for men which are clean and double as a wash room. They have warm showers and a first aid / washing up room. There is lots of room in the field. 5 mins walk to a pub if you feel the need and a short drive to a local village which is full of lovely little shops and camping stores. A really nice campsite - one of the best we have been to if you are into the proper campsite/ farm experience.
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
With our two children and friend with her three children (all aged between 8 and 3) we stayed at Bowkerstead Farm for the first time for three nights over the Bank Holiday weekend. It's a really lovely location, and brilliantly placed in the heart of the southern lakes, only a short drive from the Grizedale Visitor Centre and a little further on for Hawkshead village.
The main camping field (which we were directed to for families) is perfectly flat, but not a uniform shape which makes it more interesting, with plenty of small hills and big rocks and a nearby stream/river for children to climb and explore. Although the field did fill up over the Friday evening and Saturday morning (surprisingly some tents appeared to have been erected in the middle of the night!), it never felt overly crowded. There is also a separate smaller field, which I gather can be booked for large parties, and camping for smaller sized tents behind the farmhouse actually within the woods.
The facilities appeared to be relatively new (I found out the site only opened in Spring 2006), and aside from the paper handtowels running out rather quickly, they were clean and in good working order, and always a supply of loo roll. Free showers too! However, my only reservation about the site is the lack of facilities available. There are two ladies loos with a basin each (with no separate washing/toothbrushing area), two ladies showers, and only one sink for washing up (not sure about the mens facilities, but they didn't appear any larger). This meant regular queueing in the yard in front of the farmhouse at busy periods, but was not so much a problem at quieter times. However, I suspect that it could become a problem in peak season.
Despite this the farmer was incredibly helpful, and always on hand to ask if everything was OK, even allowing my friend to do her washing up in their utility room when the public sink was busy! The children also loved the site, exploring, looking at the farm animals, helping Dad to chop wood for the camp fires (a wonderful bonus!) and taking horse rides.
In all a very family friendly site, but also great for non-families, and anyone wishing to explore the local area by car, foot or bike. We will certainly return, but I suspect not in peak season!
I choose this campsite by location as I was doing a mountain bike event at Grizedale Forest. I spent two fantastic nights there and will definitely be going back. The farmer was very friendly asking me every day if I had had a good day and if everything was okay. The showers and toilets were always clean with a supply of toilet paper. There was a washing up area with a supply of washing up liquid and sponges. Round the campsite there were lots of sites for campfires, a really nice way to spend the evening. My stay was made when I got back from the event on Sunday and he had put the heating on in the shower block especially for me.
The location is perfect for Grizedale with bridleways and footpaths on the doorstep and the visitors center only 1.5miles away. The local pub is only a 5 minutes walk away, although it is recommended you book (the number is on the wall of the washing up area) as when I was there nearly all the tables were reserved so in the summer I imagine it would be very busy.
I will definitely be going back and wouldn't hesitate to recommend the site to others.
Just got back from our 1st camping trip as a family from the Lake district. We all enjoyed it. We managed to find a place in Grizedale forest a mile and half from the visitors centre, which suited us very well. There is also a really welcoming country pub 5 mins walk. It was a farm and being just after easter he had plenty of space for our Vango Wyoming 8 man monster.
The campsite is a real life working farm (so no airs and graces) that has good clean toilets and showers. We had the real outdoors experirnce. (logs are stacked up ready for campfires)
Our children loved feeding the lambs and horses and the Farmer makes a special effort to make everyone feel welcome. There were people of all ages there and it was nice to see some youngsters out doing their Duke of Edinburgh award.
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Common Questions
Is Grizedale Campsite Bowkerstead Farm child friendly? YES, it accepts children View all facilities
Where is the nearest shop to Grizedale Campsite Bowkerstead Farm? There is a shop within 5 miles View all facilities
Is Grizedale Campsite Bowkerstead Farm dog friendly? YES 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
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Tent Pitches 
No Caravans 
No Motorhomes 
Small Campervans 
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 
Toilet Facilities 
Hot Showers 
Washing Up 
No Bathroom 
No Baby Changing 
No Laundry 
Drinking Water 
Disabled Friendly 
No Chemical Disposal 
No Battery Charging 
Gas Exchange 
No Recycling Facilities 
No Kitchen Facilities 
No Freezer / Fridge 
No Motorhome Point 
No Wifi Access 
Shop <5 miles 
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 <1 mile 
No Indoor Pool 
No Outdoor Pool 
Horse Riding On Site 
No Cycle Hire 
No Golf 
No Tennis 
No Beach 
No Watersports 
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 
I totally agree with the review posted earlier, there are not many sites left that allow camp fires
