Camping in Cockermouth

The countryside around Cockermouth offers some of the least crowded camping in the Lake District, from simple riverside sites near the town to fell-foot pitches around Loweswater, Crummock Water and Buttermere. The terrain is a mix of gentle valley pasture close to the town and steeper, rougher fellside further south towards the high western fells, so smaller, well-pitched tents cope better than large family tents once you get into the hillier campsites. As with the rest of England and Wales, wild camping is not legal here without the landowner's permission — this is a change from Scotland's right to roam, and Lake District landowners do enforce it, particularly around the more popular lakes, so campers should stick to established sites or seek permission directly. Weather is the main variable to plan around: this western side of the Lake District catches some of the highest rainfall totals in England, since it faces directly into weather rolling in off the Irish Sea, so a good waterproof tent and groundsheet matter more here than in drier parts of the country. The most settled camping weather usually falls between late May and September, though even then a wet spell can arrive with little warning, and the rivers around Cockermouth are prone to rising fast after heavy rain given the town's flooding history. For those who would rather not risk the forecast, glamping options — shepherd's huts, pods and yurts — have grown around the western lakes in recent years, offering a fixed roof and often a wood burner while still being set in genuinely quiet, scenic spots away from the busier central Lakeland campsites. Buttermere and Loweswater in particular have small, low-key sites that make a good base for walking the surrounding fells without the queues associated with camping nearer Windermere or Ambleside.