Camping in Bakewell

Camping around Bakewell means limestone dales, riverside walking and, in most cases, a working farm as your immediate neighbour. The closest sites sit within a mile or two of the town centre, close enough to walk in for the Monday market or an evening meal, while others trade a little distance for a more secluded position inside Lathkill Dale or the wider Peak District National Park.

Facilities are generally geared towards tents, campervans and touring caravans rather than large static parks, and several sites are genuine working farms that have diversified into camping over the past decade or two, which shows in small touches like farm shops selling their own eggs and meat, or fire pits available to hire for the evening. Electric hook-up is now standard on most touring pitches, though a handful of the more remote sites deliberately keep things simple, with no permanent shower block, in keeping with a back-to-basics approach that some campers specifically seek out.

Given the terrain, expect some sloping pitches and narrow approach lanes, particularly at sites reached via the steep roads down into the dales; a lower-slung caravan or a call ahead to check access is worth the effort. Dogs are welcome at all three sites below, and each offers a realistic base for walking the Monsal Trail, Lathkill Dale or the wider network of dales paths without needing to move the car each day.