Camping in Staveley

Camping around Staveley means camping in serious hill country: the village sits at the foot of the Kentmere valley, with the high ground of High Street, Ill Bell and Yoke rising to the south and east, so most sites here are geared towards walkers and cyclists rather than families looking for a beach holiday. Wild camping is not automatically legal in England, and unlike parts of Scotland there is no general right to pitch a tent on open land without the landowner's permission - even on fell and common land around Kentmere, so stick to recognised campsites, farm pitches or glamping sites unless you have express permission from whoever owns the ground.

Established sites tend to be small and farm-based rather than large holiday parks, reflecting the character of the valley, with pitches for tents and camper vans scattered between Staveley and the hamlet of Kentmere itself. Many are aimed squarely at the walking and mountain biking crowd who use Staveley as a springboard onto the fells, offering secure bike storage, drying rooms and early breakfasts rather than swimming pools and entertainment programmes. Glamping has taken hold in the valley too, with wooden pods and shepherd's huts offering a warmer alternative to canvas for visitors who still want to wake up looking at the fells rather than a housing estate.

The best camping weather runs from late spring through early autumn, when the valley is at its greenest and the high routes like the Kentmere Horseshoe are in reasonable condition underfoot, though conditions on the fells above can change quickly at any time of year and campers heading up onto open ground should always come prepared for wind, rain and sudden drops in temperature. Outside the main season, several sites close altogether or reduce to a handful of hardy pitches, so it's worth checking directly before turning up between October and March. Whatever the time of year, Staveley's position right at the valley mouth means a short walk or pedal from your pitch gets you straight onto quiet Lakeland paths, without the crowds that build up around the bigger honeypot villages elsewhere in the National Park.