Camping in Cockerham

Cockerham sits on the flat, exposed coastal plain where the Lune estuary opens out into Morecambe Bay, a landscape of salt marsh, mudflat and grazing moss rather than sheltered woodland, so anyone planning to camp here should think carefully about wind and tide. As in the rest of England, wild camping without the landowner's permission is illegal, and the salt marsh and estuary around Cockerham Sands are part of a protected wildfowl sanctuary, so pitching up informally on the shore is both unlawful and damaging to the birdlife the area is designated to protect.

For a proper site, Cockerham Sands Holiday Park on the coast road offers static caravan holidays with direct access to the shoreline and around fifteen miles of Lancashire coastal walking from its gates, making it a popular choice for families wanting sea air without venturing far. Other caravan and camping parks are dotted along the A588 between Cockerham and the Fylde coast, generally geared toward touring caravans and static holiday homes rather than tents, reflecting the exposed, windswept character of this stretch of coast.

Anyone wanting a softer landing than a tent, but still something more characterful than a static caravan, will find a growing choice of glamping options within a short drive, in the villages around Lancaster, Garstang and further into the Lune valley, ranging from shepherd's huts to safari tents with proper beds and wood-burners. Spring and early autumn tend to be the kindest seasons for camping here, when the marshes are busy with passage birds but the wind off the bay is less biting than in midwinter; summer brings the longest days for walking the coast and canal paths, though this is an open, breezy landscape year-round rather than a sun-trap, so it pays to come prepared for changeable weather whatever the month.