East Midlands•Derbyshire•53.148° N, 1.520° W

Packhorse Farm

A family-run Peak District edge farm with far-reaching countryside views, immaculate facilities, and a host who actually remembers your name.

Packhorse Farm sits on the edge of the Peak District National Park near Tansley, with views rolling out across Derbyshire countryside that earn the drive in. Fifty pitches on working farmland, 44 with electric hook-up, and a year-round operation that takes tents, campervans, and tourers without favouring any of them.

The owner Byron runs a tight, well-considered site. The toilet and shower block is centrally heated, consistently clean, and the kind of place that makes you realise how low the bar usually is elsewhere. Pitches are separated by hedges and trees, giving each area its own character rather than the field-grid feel of bigger operations.

Matlock is a 45-minute walk through woodland past Lumsdale waterfall, which is reason enough to lace up before breakfast. The local pub, The Gate, is a 20-30 minute walk downhill and worth it for food. Chatsworth House is within easy reach for a day out, and the Peak District itself is on the doorstep for hiking. This is a site that works as a base or as a destination in itself.

Before you book

The walk to The Gate involves a long downhill stretch; the return on foot is manageable but some guests prefer a taxi back.

“Packhorse Farm earns its reputation through owner care and a setting that puts Peak District countryside on your horizon every morning. Reliable, unpretentious, and better than its modest billing suggests.”

Why it made the cut

Host Byron is hands-on, approachable, and sorts problems immediately
Facilities are consistently well-maintained for a site of this size
Far-reaching views across Peak District countryside from the pitches
Year-round opening with good EHU provision makes it practical for tourers and winter campers alike

The Feeling

Immaculate · Curated rustic · Mixed tempo

Peak district morningsHedged and privateHost you rememberWaterfall walk from the gate

Good For

Family
Solo
Date

Best For

50-pitch family campsite on the edge of Peak District National Park with far-reaching countryside views
Year-round camping with modern heated toilet block and 44 electric hook-up pitches
Kids' play area and proximity to Derbyshire attractions including heritage railways and stately homes

In Campr's collections

Farm fields properPackhorse Farm is the working-farm campsite done right: proper views, hedged pitches, a host who knows the land, and no pretence about what it is.
Most immaculate vibesThe facilities here are remarked on by almost every reviewer, not because they're flash but because they're genuinely, reliably clean. Byron runs a careful site.
Slow familyFifty pitches on a working farm at the Peak District edge, with a kids' play area, a host who gives first-timers a proper welcome, and Matlock's woodland walk from the gate.