Lanefoot Farm

Skiddaw looms over Lanefoot Farm, providing a sense of remoteness and drama that contrasts with how easily the site is reached. Sitting just off the A66 you round a bend and suddenly things like A-roads feel from another world. The site is deceptively large, with the 'Open Field' offering views towards Catbells, Skiddaw and Lord's Seat, and the 'Meadow Field' sitting in the farmhouse grounds with views of Skiddaw, Barrow and the Helvellyn range. Which you pick may depend on the weather, but both are beautiful, with the Open Field offering panoramic views and the Meadow Field dotted with wild flowers and shady trees.

If you don't want to chance the elements the site offers camping pods and a shepherd's hut, and for vans and caravans there are hard standing pitches too. Chickens wander the fields and campfires are allowed, with firewood delivered to your tent. The well kept facilities are housed in original farm buildings and include a drying room and a small shop offering the basics; showers stay reliably hot and the whole place is kept spotless, which is no small thing on a working farm this busy.

Braithwaite village is a short walk up the road and offers three pubs, with Keswick a few miles away and a regular bus from just down the road. Bassenthwaite Lake and Derwentwater are nearby and the site sits on the C2C (sea to sea!) cycle route which runs the width of the country. The Altura and Quercus purpose built mountain biking trails are in nearby Whinlatter Forest, and if you've the desire to be clipped to a zip wire and see the Lakes from a new angle the Go Ape activity centre is nearby. In your quieter moments back at the site keep an eye out for ospreys, which nest nearby and are regularly spotted from the farm.