Camping in Old Hutton

Old Hutton and the countryside around it sit in a part of Cumbria that rewards a slower pace, and camping here means limestone hills, quiet lanes and views stretching from the Lyth Valley to the Lakeland fells, without the pressure on pitches you'll find in the honeypot valleys further into the National Park. As with anywhere in England, wild camping is not legal without the landowner's permission, unlike in Scotland, so pitching up on open fell or farmland here means using a proper campsite or agreeing access with the farmer first. The good news is that the wider Kendal area has a reasonable spread of small, independent sites, many on working farms, offering both traditional pitches and a growing number of glamping options, from safari tents to shepherd's huts, for anyone who wants the setting without the full kit.

The terrain around Old Hutton is gentler than the high central Lakes, all limestone scars, drystone walls and pasture rather than dramatic peaks, which makes it a good choice for families or less experienced campers who still want fell views and easy access to proper hillwalking nearby. Whitbarrow Scar and the wooded slopes around Sizergh give good low-level walking straight from a tent door, while the higher southern Lakeland fells are a short drive away for anyone wanting a bigger day out. The Lyth Valley's damson orchards also make spring a particularly good time to camp here, with blossom across the valley in late April, though many sites run through summer and into early autumn when the weather holds.

As with most of Cumbria, the best camping season runs from late spring to early autumn, when ground conditions are kinder and daylight hours longer, though the sheltered, lower-lying nature of this landscape compared with the high fells means it can be a gentler option outside peak summer too. Booking ahead is sensible for weekends and school holidays, particularly at the smaller sites, which tend to have limited pitches by design.