Top Left: Parked motorhomes at Church Stile Farm; Bottom Left: A view over picturesque Wastwater; Right: Walking alongside Wastwater
Borrowdale
Cumbria
Derwentwater
With names such as ‘The Avenue’, ‘Cat Bells’ and ‘Lakeside Gardens’, you’d be forgiven for thinking you were on the set of an American soap. These are, in fact, the enclaves from which to select a pitch at Borrowdale Caravan Club Site, where you can glimpse the south-western fringe of Derwentwater and Borrowdale.
Sited on land owned by the National Trust and managed by the Caravan Club (non-members are welcome), the campsite is hidden beneath a canopy of woodland, with four pitch enclosures separated by marshy areas teeming with wildlife, which are in themselves a major attraction. The wardens have put up nest boxes and bird feeders everywhere so guests can watch red squirrels and birds from the comfort of their ‘vans – you can even buy bird food at the reception area.
Leave the television at home and on arrival turn off your mobile phone. You won’t need the former and the neighbouring fells are unkind to signal reception for the latter. Instead, fling open the ‘van door, don a stout pair of boots and take a deep gulp of fresh, lakeside air. Soporific, it’s a great aid to a good night’s sleep, as is the gentle sound of the trickling stream that cuts across the entrance to the site.
Low Manesty is a campsite that is enjoyed by the self-sufficient. While there are the basic requirements, such as freshwater taps, chemical toilet emptying points and waste disposal facilities, there are no ugly shower blocks to blot the peaceful surroundings, so you need to use your own on-board resources or brave the chilly temperatures of Derwentwater and bathe alfresco.
Birdwatching at Borrowdale
Beauty lies beyond the campsite, too, with the views of the fells and lake tantalizing through the tree trunks. There’s some serious fell walking to be had within a few steps of the site entrance, where the climb of Black Crag begins. But there are less stenuous strolls, too, and these are even feasible with an off-road, three-wheeler pushchair when the family is in tow. Two footpaths from the site take you down to Lake Manesty Woods or Derwentwater, connecting up with public paths, lake views northwards or through fields around the southern tip to the nearby village of Grange. There are plenty of places to paddle along the lake shore and within 20 minutes walk of the campsite is the High Brandelhow landing stage for the launch service around Derwentwater, undoubtedly one of the finest ways to travel. Alternatively, the Keswick–Buttermere bus stops right outside the site entrance.
For a fine walk with refreshment, follow the Cumbria Way that skirts the lakeside edge of the campsite to the village of Grange where you’ve a choice of eateries to warm the cockles and boost the energy levels. Grange Cafe has the better food and service but the Grange Bridge Cottage Tea Shop wins on location, for the tea garden overlooks the River Derwent and the double-humpback bridge that gives the tea room its name. For an upmarket evening meal, the Borrowdale Gates Hotel is within walking distance of the campsite.
The Borrowdale/Lorton Vale road is one great loop and, beyond Seatoller, the Honister Pass has a 1:4 gradient unsuitable for towing caravans – and even large motorhomes, unless you’re really confident of your vehicle’s braking system – so the only way to and from the site is via Keswick. The Caravan Club’s recommended route is through the village of Grange, but go easy on the double-humpback bridge and watch for narrowing roads, as walkers often park their cars along the verge, making it mighty tight in places.
The campsite is a great base for exploring the northern lakes, such as the lesser-known Bassenthwaite or wooded Thirlmere, the poetically named Buttermere (with the remains of the District’s most well-known walker, Alfred Wainwright, buried in the village of the same name), Cockermouth (the birthplace of poet William Wordsworth) or, a little farther east, Ullswater. There are also some gentle walks to be found along the eastern shores of Derwentwater, with off-road parking at various National Trust car parks along Borrowdale.
Borrowdale Caravan Club Site
Manesty, Keswick, Cumbria, CA12 5UG
01768 777275
Opening times: April to beginning of November
Facilities: 60 hardstanding pitches with hook-up, motorhome service point with chemical toilet waste disposal and small shop (basics only, including gas). No sanitation block.
How to get there: Junction 40 on M6 at Penrith, A66 to Keswick, B5289 Borrowdale and Rosthwaite. Turn right at signpost for Grange. Take care over double humpback bridge and through village. Site on right in 1 mile.
Food & drink: Two tea rooms in the village of Grange, meals for non-residents at Borrowdale Gates Hotel close to campsite. More hotels and cafes in nearby Rosthwaite and Seatoller. Supermarkets in Keswick.
Nearby attractions: The hamlet of Seatoller, The Cumbria Way, Lodore Falls (good viewpoint), walking and cycling, Keswick.
Alternative Campsite: Seatoller Farm (www.seatollerfarm.co.uk, tel.: 01768 777232). A very basic site with no hook-ups or service points but a fantastic location. Tight turn.
Left: Walking alongside Derwentwater; Top Right: Woodland pitches at Borrowdale Caravan Club Site; Bottom Right: The village of Grange in Borrowdale
Coniston Park Coppice
Cumbria
Coniston Water
On the map it’s shaped like a long, bony finger pointing towards the lesser-known tarns and Langdale Valley, but the dark depths of Coniston Water stirs up other connotations – Donald Campbell’s speed records in Bluebird and his resting place since 1967, before the recovery and burial of his body at Coniston village in 2001. Walking along the western shores of the lake, especially in early sunlight before the rest of the world treads the same path, one wonders if you can hear the roar of a jet engine, before realizing that the only noise is of water rustling where the lake meets land.
Look east across the lake and the multicoloured expanse of Grizedale Forest catches the eye; turn west and the conical-shaped Old Man of Coniston casts a watchful glance over the lake. Often snow-capped for several months of the year, the Old Man bears a passing resemblance to an ash-covered volcano ready to spit the Lakeland’s
