Camping in Hesket Newmarket

Wild camping without landowner permission is illegal in England, including here in the Northern Fells around Hesket Newmarket, so pitching a tent on the open fell without asking first is not an option, however tempting the empty moorland above the village looks. Fortunately there is no need to risk it: proper campsites are close by. Howbeck Lodge, on a working farm just outside the village, offers hardstanding pitches for caravans and motorhomes alongside space for tents, with easy access to the Northern Lakes, the Solway Coast and Hadrian's Wall. A little further afield, Throstle Hall Touring Caravan Site sits just south of Caldbeck beneath High Pike and Carrock Fell, and there are further options around Caldbeck itself, including sites positioned right on the Cumbria Way.

The terrain here is real fell country rather than gentle valley walking: High Pike, Carrock Fell and Bowscale Fell rise steeply from farmland into open, often boggy moorland scattered with the remains of old lead and barytes mines, so a tent pitch with easy access to a proper campsite, rather than an ambitious wild pitch high on the tops, is the sensible choice for most campers. The best camping season runs from late spring to early autumn, when the ground is drier underfoot and the long evenings suit an after-dinner stroll along the river between Hesket Newmarket and Caldbeck. Midsummer brings the longest days for fell walking, while September and early October often deliver crisp, clear conditions and good visibility from the higher ground, without the exposure that winter weather brings to these northern fells.

For those who would rather skip the tent pegs, Hudscales Camping Barn sits at around 1,000 feet on the northern flank of the fells overlooking both villages, offering a simple bunkhouse-style base, while a scattering of shepherd's huts and glamping pods in the wider Caldbeck area gives a slightly softer way to wake up to the same views. Whichever you choose, this is camping for people who want quiet, dark skies and a short walk to a good pub, rather than a resort experience.