Planning on exploring central England's beautiful countryside while sleeping under the stars? We’ve chosen nine of the best places to pitch your tent (or bed down in a yurt, teepee or safari tent, if you fancy something a little more luxurious).
Upper Hurst Farm, Hartington
Pitch up at this pretty campsite and you’ll have the best of both worlds – a fantastic location near the pretty village of Hartington (famous for its cheese-making heritage) on a sustainably-managed site offering a dash of luxury (the shower block, with its underfloor heating, is our favourite example of the latter).
Other notable facilities include the fantastic pot washing room, which has a washing machine and dryer as well as a freezer to keep those all-important ice packs cool. There are pitches for caravans and tents, and if you’re feeling lazy, you can book Upper Hurst’s yurt.
It’s a dog-friendly campsite, and campers with four-legged friends in tow get access to a dedicated dog-walking field. Make sure you treat yourself to one of the delicious steak and ale pies served up at the nearby Manifold Inn, a 200-year-old pub a 10-minute walk from the campsite.
Callow Top Holiday Park, Ashbourne
Thought campsites were about damp washrooms, cramped pitches and culinary offerings which take the form of a half-empty vending machine? Say hello to Callow Top Holiday Park, where you’ll find plenty of pitches for both tents and motorhomes, all divided by privacy-enhancing greenery. Amenities include a heated outdoor pool, games field, amusement arcade and a fishing lake, and there’s a mini-supermarket and café, too.
It’s another campsite which offers the best of both worlds – you’ll be within walking distance of the pretty market town of Ashbourne, but will also have direct access to some of the Peak District’s top walking routes, including the one which follows the River Dove to Dovedale, famous for its limestone ravine.
Edale Gathering
Don’t fancy spending your holiday hammering in tent pics or bracing yourself for night-time dashes to the toilet block? Pitch up at The Gathering, a gorgeous glampsite with four six-person safari tents kitted out with everything from firepits and barbecues to spacious outdoor verandas and rolltop baths.
It’s a wonderfully remote setting – you’ll find the glampsite at the top of Edale Valley, on the edge of the rolling moorland beneath Kinder Scout, the Peak District’s highest point. Edale village is just a short walk away, as is the 270-mile-long (435km) Pennine Way.
We also love the site’s layout – you’ll find the safari tents near the banks of a stream, and the views from the tents’ verandas take in wildflower-dotted moorland as well as the jagged crags of Kinder Scout (pictured above).
Hayfield Camping and Caravanning Club Site
You’ll find this campsite in the Dark Peak area, which might well sound like the name of a slasher movie but is actually the name of the wonderfully wild higher section of the Peak District’s northern area. Wedged into a forested valley, the Hayfield Camping and Caravanning Club Site has fantastic facilities (including fast Wi-Fi for those all-important wish-you-were-here selfies), washing machines and a wide range of pitches catering to everything from campers to those needing electrical hook-ups.
It’s a great base for hikers – we recommend a stream-side stroll from the campsite to the nearby village of Hayfield, which served as a backdrop for BBC drama The Village. For stunning views, hike up Lantern Pike – from the top, you’ll be able to gaze over seven counties.
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Scaldersitch Farm
Whether you’re visiting as part of a multi-destination road trip or basing yourself here for a long weekend, Scaldersitch Farm is a fantastic boutique campsite in the Peak District for those craving some time out.
Holidaymakers bed down in fairy light-adorned teepees or yurts (complete with wood-fired hot tubs and Nespresso coffee machines) and the former dairy has been transformed into one of the most spectacular washrooms we’ve come across (think artfully weathered stone floors, underfloor heating and sinks carved out from lumps of granite).
If firing up the barbecue sounds like too much hard work, take advantage of the campsite’s food delivery service and pre-order a delicious meal form a local restaurant. To really crank up the chillout factor, book a massage, carried out by the fire in the privacy of your own yurt.
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North Lees campsite
This is the only campsite owned by the Peak District National Park, and it’s also one of our favourites. Just a short walk from the village of Hathersage, the campsite is tucked into a sheltered valley and surrounded by wildlife-filled woodlands and moorland.
North Lees has a secluded location and is primarily for campers staying in tents, although there are a small number of spots for smaller camping vans (motorhomes aren’t allowed). The upside? It’s a quiet, family-friendly campsite perfectly suited to those who wish to explore the Peak District under their own steam.
It’s a great base for anyone planning to explore the spectacular Stanage Edge area (pictured below), where an enormous gritstone escarpment towers over fragrant moorland and one of the UK’s most popular rock-climbing spots.
Ashbourne Heights
Ashbourne Heights has one of the widest ranges of accommodation options we’ve come across – there’s everything from pitches for tents and campervans to glamping pods and luxury lodges. We’re especially smitten with the en-suite pitches for tents – you’ll have plenty of room to erect your tent, with the added bonus of a private shower and toilet. In other words? No night-time dashes to a communal washroom, or queuing in line at 4am.
The fantastic amenities include a heated pool, bar and café, and there’s a dedicated doggie shower for muddy canine companions. Location-wise, it’s hard to beat – the campsite is a 10-minute drive from Ashbourne and within walking distance of some of the Peak District’s prettiest villages, including Tissington, which is famous for its stone cottages and Hartington, and which dates back to the 1200s.
Feeling a need for speed? Alton Towers, the UK’s most popular theme park, is just a 20-minute drive away.
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Beech Croft Farm, Taddington
This is a small, family-owned campsite which provides easy access to historic market towns such as Buxton and Bakewell, as well as some of the Peak District’s best cycling routes (we recommend the Monsal Trail, a glass-smooth, 8.5-mile (14km) bike path in the footprint of what was once the former Midland Railway).
Other nearby attractions include the Chatsworth Estate, Crich Tramway Museum and Blue John Cavern, where you can mine your own 250-million-year-old chunk of Blue John (a semi-precious stone found only in the Peak District).
With a backdrop of rolling hills, Beech Croft Farm is one of the Peak District’s prettiest campsites, and buildings such as the shower block have been designed to blend into the setting, with wood and stone used throughout.
Dale Farm Campsite
Finally, one for the traditionalists. If you’re looking for a central location, it doesn’t get more central than the Peak District’s Dale Farm Campsite, which is within hiking distance of some of Northern England’s biggest attractions.
Headstone Viaduct and the Derbyshire Dales National Nature Reserve are under a mile away, the tart mecca of Bakewell is three miles away, Chatsworth is five miles away, and a 40-minute hike will take you to the historic village of Eyam (it’s famous for a plague which wreaked havoc in the 1600s, but we’ll gloss over that aspect for now).
There are just 30 pitches at this pretty campsite, which is set on a working farm. Don’t forget to visit the on-site farm shop, where there’s an honesty box for times when staff aren’t around. The burgers come highly recommended (just try to ignore the disapproving stares from the farm’s herd of Highland cattle).
Lead image: Daniel_Kay/Shutterstock
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