Camping in Bentham

Bentham's setting between the limestone country of the Yorkshire Dales and the heather moorland of the Forest of Bowland gives campers a genuine choice of scenery within a few miles of the same base. Ground here ranges from gentle riverside pasture along the Wenning to steep, rugged fell close to Ingleborough and Whernside, so there's terrain to suit a lazy weekend or a proper hill-walking trip. As with everywhere else in England, wild camping is not a legal right and pitching a tent on open fell or farmland requires the landowner's permission; the safe and straightforward approach is to book one of the small farm-based campsites and glamping set-ups that have sprung up in the fields around Bentham, many run by working farms happy to share a corner of their land with visitors.

Late spring through early autumn is the most comfortable camping season here, once the ground has dried out from winter and before the fells turn cold and exposed again. May and June bring long evenings and the daffodil trails along the river in bloom, while July and August are the most reliable for settled weather, though this is still Pennine country and a waterproof and warm layer belong in every kit bag regardless of the forecast. September's Agricultural Show adds a proper slice of Dales community life to a late-summer camping trip, with the moors beginning to turn purple with heather at the same time.

For those who'd rather leave the tent pegs at home, glamping options in the area range from simple shepherd's huts and safari tents to more comfortable pods with wood burners, usually set on working farms within a few miles of the town. These give easy access to the walking trails and waterfalls without sacrificing home comforts, and many hosts are a good source of local knowledge on the quieter routes into the Dales and Bowland that don't appear in the main guidebooks. Given the modest number of sites directly in Bentham itself, booking ahead is worthwhile, particularly around the September show and during school summer holidays.