Gill Head Farm

View prices & book 9.5 1,295 reviews
Camp life
Camp life
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Gorgeous views
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Exterior
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Exterior
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  • Working hill farm in the north of the Lake District National Park
  • A 15-minute drive from Keswick and Penrith; 10 minutes from Ullswater
  • Stunning views of Blencathra and the Northern Fells
Check out those views… family-run Gill Head Farm is a scenic place indeed, with a backdrop of Blencathra and the Northern Fells. And it’s a cinch to get to as well – this site on the banks of Trout Beck is less than a mile from the A66, so you can get your fix of proper rural time without having to navigate miles of winding lanes. It’s often said that visitors to the Lake District National Park are spoilt for choice when it comes to activities – and that’s certainly true at this Cumbria site. Days of hikes, horse riding, watersports, climbing, visiting historic houses and wild swimming are among the many options around here. If you don’t know where to start, have a chat with the owners – as outdoorsy folk themselves they’re happy to help plan your adventures and offer up local tips. Whatever you get up to by day, it also must be noted that those views make a great setting for an evening by the campfire – handily, there are firepits to hire on site, and bags of logs and kindling for sale. What if it’s not campfire weather? Retreat to the indoor communal area which has comfy seating, a dining area and a little kitchen area (with microwaves, kettles, a fridge and a freezer) – or take the 15-minute walk to the local pub. To stock up on food for your barbecues/picnics there are plenty of shops in Penrith and Keswick, both 15 minutes’ drive away (or get to Keswick on the bus). Back at base, facilities include a laundry room and a shower/toilet block that was done up in 2019 to offer spacious and clean amenities. Please note that group bookings are strictly not allowed at Gill Head Farm. Due to the rural location, the wifi also does not cover the whole site and is limited to a hotspot in the communal room.

Site type

Caravan sites 8
Motorhome sites 8
Lodges, cabins, pods or huts 11
Tent sites 10
Open now
Opens 21 March
Please note
  • Group bookings of 2 or more units (e.g. tent, caravan, motorhome or accommodation hire) travelling together are not permitted via Pitchup.com.
  • Group bookings of 3 or more adults are not permitted (couples and immediate family members excepted).
  • Single-sex bookings of 4 or more people (couples and immediate family members excepted) are not permitted via Pitchup.com.
  • No hen/stag parties permitted via Pitchup.com.
  • The campground/park caters for families (immediate members) and couples only - bookings from all other forms of groups are not accepted.
  • At least one of the party members must be aged 21 or over.
  • This is a quiet campground/park: no music is allowed.
  • If making a fire, the fuel, logs and coal have to be purchased on site.
  • No electric barbecues allowed.
  • Wifi is available only in communal room and does not reach individual pitches.

Languages spoken

English

Open from Fri, 21 Mar to

No availability here for your search criteria

Pitch types & availability

Accommodation

Tent sitesCaravan sitesMotorhome sitesLodges, cabins, pods or hutsCaravans for hireRent a tent
Choose your dates
2 adults
0 children
Other options

Reviews

9.5

Overall rating from 1,295 Pitchup.com customers

  • 76%
    10
  • 4%
    9
  • 13%
    8
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    7
  • 3%
    6
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    5
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    1
Location
 10
Value for money
 9
Accommodation
 10
Facilities / Activities
 9
Customer service
 9
Child friendliness
 10
Cleanliness
 9
Wifi
 7
Spectacular sceneryPeaceful

96% would recommend this site to a friend

94% would stay here again

What customers say

Gill Head Farm is loved for its incredible Lake District spot, with epic views and easy access. Reviewers rave about the super clean facilities, toilets, showers, and common areas, plus the staff are always friendly and helpful. It's a great family campsite with roomy pitches and heaps of amenities for a peaceful, top-notch stay.

Summary AI-generated from Pitchup.com customer reviews

Reviews page 1 of 130
Arrival date (latest first)

Excellent campsite, lovely views & great facilities

Overall

9 out of 10
Location
 9
Value for money
 9
Accommodation
 No rating
Facilities / Activities
 9
Customer service
 9
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 8
Wifi
 7
Lucy S.

Unpowered grass tent site

Liked The site was spacious so we didn’t feel at all overcrowded and there was plenty of room to park as well. The views are lovely. The common room was a brilliant space to hang out in wet weather, and was well equipped with a kettle, microwave, fridge and freezer, as well as spaces to cook with our stove. There were plenty of fire pits available too. The toilet and shower facilities were good - showers were hot and powerful and I didn’t have to queue at all. Overall we had a great stay and I think it was good value for what’s provided.

Disliked Nothing

Recommend to friends Visit again

Would definitely recommend.

Overall

9 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 No rating
Facilities / Activities
 9
Customer service
 9
Child friendliness
 9
Cleanliness
 9
Wifi
 8
Anonymous

Unpowered grass tent site

Liked Great site, excellent value. Loved the communal room, a real bonus, especially on a wet weekend. The facilities were well thought out and always clean. The fields were not overcrowded and had great views (we were on the non-riverside area; the riverside pitches are gorgeous but quite far from the facilities). Felt quiet and remote, despite being just a few minutes off the A66. Nice playground for kids too. Wifi in the communal area, but poor signal on site (to be expected given location).

Disliked Showers were the ones where you have to re-press the button every so often, which is fine generally, but these went off every 10 seconds so needed re-pushing very often.
Some people might not like the signs around the place reminding people to clean up after themselves but it's only common courtesy and the place was always neat and clean.

Recommend to friends Visit again

As above

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 No rating
Facilities / Activities
 10
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 10
Paul L.

Unpowered grass tent site

Liked Always the best stay here, friendly and accommodating owners.
The best views of the northern fells ever and always super clean.
The pizza man who turned up was amazing, decent 12” pizzas too for the price.

Disliked All was good

Recommend to friends Visit again

Clean site, stunning views, great facilities – perfect family camping

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 No rating
Facilities / Activities
 10
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 10
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 10
Keiron S.

Unpowered grass tent site

Liked We had a fantastic time at Gill Head campsite for our little one’s very first camping trip ( 2 years old). The site itself was spotless and really well looked after, which made everything feel welcoming and comfortable. The views from the campsite are stunning, and the facilities were excellent — everything we needed was close by and easy to use. It felt like a really family-friendly place, and we couldn’t have chosen a better spot for a first camping experience in 8 years. We’ll definitely be coming back! FYI - we had very good phone signal despite some reviews saying signal is bad. We were on the far side of the campsite overlooking the sheep field.

Disliked N/a

Recommend to friends Visit again

Back to basic nearly wild camping stunning views

Overall

8 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 No rating
Facilities / Activities
 6
Customer service
 9
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 9
Wifi
 1
Annie B.

Unpowered grass tent site

Liked The views amazing, the owners welcoming the site basic yet quirky its not flat but that's what made it more interesting...I camped on one of the hilly bits and had a perfect veiw of Bamburgh castle. The site is quiet easy access to the A1 and Bamburgh itself. Stunning beach . Loved every moment and will be back ❤️

Disliked If anything is disliked and its not really a gripe as im all for nearly wild camping..but the no drinking water on tap be a negative and pushing it the chemical loos but that was much better than having to dig a hole

Recommend to friends Visit again

Lovely, well run site…

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 9
Accommodation
 No rating
Facilities / Activities
 8
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 10
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 No rating
Anonymous

Unpowered grass tent site

Liked Lovely, well run site

Recommend to friends Visit again

Not much not like tbh…

Overall

8 out of 10
Location
 8
Value for money
 7
Accommodation
 No rating
Facilities / Activities
 8
Customer service
 8
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 8
Wifi
 No rating
david w.

Unpowered grass tent site (riverside)

Liked Not much not like tbh

Recommend to friends Visit again

Great stay on a lovely clean site.

Overall

7 out of 10
Location
 7
Value for money
 7
Accommodation
 6
Facilities / Activities
 7
Customer service
 5
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 5
Wifi
 2
Laura B.

Camping pod

Liked Picturesque spacious site, suits families young and old and the great added extra of he communal room which is fantastic for playing games in or storing ice packs, use of fridge, microwaves or charging devices for free. Some places charge for that.

Disliked We stayed in a pod and it was quite warm. We have stayed in many pods but these ones only have a tiny window for fresh air. Only a tiny dislike really and can't be avoided. Zero network coverage and WiFi only in communal room.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Awesome campsite. Family with 2 young preschoolers.

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 No rating
Facilities / Activities
 10
Customer service
 No rating
Child friendliness
 10
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 10
Anonymous

Unpowered grass tent site

Liked Beautiful location.
Great facilities! Fridge, kettles, kitchens, showers, fire pits! Kids playground.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Gill Head is Clean, tidy, friendly and peaceful, an ideal spot.

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 No rating
Facilities / Activities
 10
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 10
David G.

Unpowered grass tent site

Liked The views, the facilities, the communal area, the shop, the pitch, the location, the people.

Our first ever camp, so glad we found this place it is amazing and we’re already planning our next visit

Disliked Nothing

Recommend to friends Visit again

Features

Dogs allowed

Campfires allowed

Leisure on site

Bar or club house Cycle hire Evening entertainment Fishing Fitness centre Games room Indoor swimming pool Kids' club On-site restaurant/cafe Outdoor swimming pool Play area TV room Take away Tennis Watersports

Amenities on site

Bath available Car parking by site/unit Composting toilet Dog park Drying room Food shop Free wifi Ice pack freezing Internet access Laundry Parent & baby washroom Pick-up from public transport Portable toilet Pub toilets Public telephone Shower available Toilet block Washing-up area Wifi

Groups welcome

D. of E. welcome Family friendly Motorcycle friendly Rallies welcome Single-sex groups welcome Student groups welcome

Rules

Barbecue provided Barbecues allowed Campfires allowed Commercial vehicles allowed Dogs allowed Dogs allowed all year

Themes

Peaceful Remote location Spectacular scenery Walkers' paradise Wildlife haven

Utilities

Charging facilities Communal freezer Communal fridge Dump point Electric car charging point(s) Gas cylinders available Recycling available Renewable energy

Nearby amenities

Bar nearby Convenience store nearby Dog walk nearby Nearby farmers' market Public transport nearby

Type

Farm Medium (26-50 sites)

Nearby leisure

Canoeing/kayaking nearby Climbing nearby Cycle hire nearby Cycling nearby Fishing nearby Golf nearby Horse riding nearby Indoor pool nearby Mountain biking nearby Outdoor pool nearby Restaurant nearby Sailing nearby Tennis nearby Watersports nearby

Touring and motorhomes

Seasonal sites

Location

Gill Head Farm

Troutbeck

Penrith

Cumbria

England

CA11 0ST

Directions

Timezone

Europe/London +0100 (GMT+01:00)

GPS

54.6334°N
2.96195°W

Nearest transport

Coach
12.2 km Bus Station
13.5 km Rail Station
20.3 km Lakeside House for Dove Cottage
Rail
13.5 km Penrith North Lakes Rail Station
20.4 km Langwathby Rail Station
21.2 km Lazonby & Kirkoswald Rail Station
Ferry
9.1 km Pooley Bridge Ullswater Ferry Landing
9.4 km Howtown Ullswater Ferry Landing
10 km Glenridding Ullswater Ferry Landing

Please note: All distances on this page are calculated "as the crow flies" - please check actual distance depending on your mode of travel using the Get directions button above.

Local attractions

Ullswater is the nearest of the lakes at 10 minutes’ drive away, so that’s as good a place to start as any – stop by at Aira Force waterfall on your way down there, then get down to the lake itself for waterside walks, steamer cruises and various watersports – or even a wild swim if you’re feeling brave. Over on the banks of Derwentwater, Keswick (15 minutes’ drive) is another good place to explore, with a brewery, The Puzzling Place and the Derwent Pencil Museum as well as boat trips and paddleboards to hire. Walkers of all varieties have much to choose from around here, from gentle lakeside wanders to uphill scrambles at Blencathra and Helvellyn, both of which are close by. The folk on the farm are happy to suggest routes to suit – or point you towards the likes of Dalemain Mansion (15 minutes), Mirehouse & Gardens (20 minutes) or Lowther Castle (25 minutes) for stately-home strolls.

Water quality at nearby bathing waters

Name Distance Type 2020201920182017
Allonby 33.9 km Sea N/AGoodGoodGood
Seascale 43.1 km Sea N/AGoodGoodGood
St Bees 44.6 km Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent

Data source: European Environment Agency

Must see

Dalemain Historic House & Gardens 9.4 km

Castlerigg Stone Circle 9.4 km

Ullswater Steamers 10 km

The Rheged Centre 11.6 km

Mirehouse Historic House and Gardens 14.6 km

National Trust

Grasmere and Great Langdale 22.1 km

Acorn Bank Garden and Watermill 23.4 km

Townend 25 km

Wordsworth House and Garden 26.4 km

Windermere and Troutbeck 27.3 km

Cycle routes

Find local routes on the National Cycle Network - over 12,000 miles of cycling routes.

Other

Blencathra Classic - Sharp Edge and Narrow Edge 3.7 km

Mungrisdale - Bannerdale Crags 3.7 km

Threlkeld - Blencathra - Sharp Edge - Scales - Threlkeld 6.2 km

Threlkeld, Westcoe and Keswick Railway 6.3 km

Aira Force - Dockray - Dowthwaitehead - Aira Force 7.2 km

Please note: All distances on this page are calculated "as the crow flies" - please check actual distance depending on your mode of travel using the Get directions button above.

Want to know more about camping in The Lake District and Cumbria?

Frequently asked questions

  • Does Gill Head Farm have a swimming pool? No View all features
  • Is Gill Head Farm dog friendly? Yes View all features
  • What attractions are near Gill Head Farm? Ullswater is the nearest of the lakes at 10 minutes’ drive away, so that’s as good a place to start as any – stop by at Aira Force waterfall on your way … Read more
  • When can I check in and check out of Gill Head Farm?
    Camping and caravan
    Arrive:  1 p.m. –  7 p.m.
    Depart by:  11:30 a.m.
    On-site accommodation
    Arrive:  1 p.m. –  7 p.m.
    Depart by:  10:30 a.m.
    Read more
  • How much does it cost to stay at Gill Head Farm? From $64.18 (for 1 night, 2 adults) - prices may change depending on your dates and party.