Camping in Wigton

Wigton's flat, open surroundings on the Solway Plain make it a practical rather than dramatic base for campers, but its position between the Lake District fells and the Solway coast means there is plenty to justify a stay. As in the rest of England, wild camping is not a legal right and pitching up without the landowner's permission is technically trespass, so plan to use one of the established campsites, caravan parks or certified sites in and around the town rather than pitching in the open countryside.

Several caravan and camping parks operate in the villages around Wigton, offering a mix of touring pitches, static caravans and, increasingly, glamping options such as pods and safari tents for those who want a more comfortable stay without a tent of their own. The gently rolling, low-lying countryside of the Solway Plain makes for straightforward, sheltered camping compared with the more exposed fellside sites further into the Lake District, and the flat terrain and quiet lanes around Wigton are well suited to cycling and walking as part of a camping trip.

The best camping season here runs from late spring through to early autumn, broadly May to September, when day length and the chance of settled weather are both at their best; as with anywhere in Cumbria, waterproofs are advisable whatever the forecast. Wigton's inland, sheltered position means it often escapes the worst of the weather that can affect exposed coastal or high fell sites, making it a sensible fallback base when conditions elsewhere in Cumbria turn. For those touring the region, a Wigton-area campsite offers an easy springboard to the Solway coast reserves, the northern Lakes around Bassenthwaite, and Carlisle, without the pitch fees or crowds of sites closer to the honeypot towns.