Campsites with swimming near Manchester

Among the largest cities in England, Manchester is known among history-lovers as the first industrialised city on earth. While it was formed nearly 2,000 years ago as a Roman settlement, it was the Industrial Revolution that led to its massive growth. Today, the city draws in fans of architecture, art, music, and football, and the city has two Premier League clubs: Manchester City and Manchester United. While you won't find much in the way of camping in and around Greater Manchester, you need only head further afield to more rural parts of Lancashire to find farms offering camping and shepherd huts.

A mere 30-minute drive east of Manchester will take you to Peak District National Park, a 555-square-acre park that's popular for walkers, cyclists, and water sports enthusiasts. It's among the most popular national parks in the country and a fantastic spot for wildlife watching, with populations of hares, hedgehogs, and all sorts of birds. The park also has four show caves open to public visits and a museum dedicated to the Black Plague.

Manchester is very much a summer destination, and the likelihood of good weather is at its highest between June and August, with highs in the low 20s, though you should still be prepared for rain no matter when you visit. The summer months also offer plenty of things to do, and music fans from across the UK flock here in June for the celebrated Parklife Festival in Heaton Park.