Burrs Manor Wild Camping

The Peak District is one of the best places for an outdoorsy holiday and outdoorsy types will be right at home at Burr Manor Wild Camping. As the name suggests, the site offers uncomplicated camping in the grounds of a big house. It’s a three-acre field with simple facilities and simply lovely views – a winning combination if you’re looking for a scenic place to get back to basics. Having said that, this wilderness is not as far off the beaten track as it might feel when you’re sitting round the campfire at night. There’s a pub less than a mile down the road and the spa town of Buxton is just ten minutes’ drive away.

Tents, campervans, and motorhomes are all welcome here and, however you prefer to camp, you can choose your own spot in the field. It’s all off grid and where you pitch is up to you but wherever you go you’ll have a view. The site is on the outskirts of Chelmorton, Derbyshire’s highest village, which means you can look out across the Peak District National Park. But it comes with a couple of footnotes too. The ground is not perfectly flat, it’s not mown, and manicured – and when the wind blows you’ll feel it up here. Those who will like it, though, won’t be put off by such things, after all this is nearly wild camping. And if you’re used to that, the site’s facilities (five flushing loos, two hot water showers, and a washing-up sink) will feel like luxuries.

After washing the smell of campfire smoke from your hair, you might fancy a trip into well-to-do Buxton or, in the other direction, to the Chatsworth Estate, which is only a few miles away. Alternatively, embrace your inner wild child and stick with the outdoor adventures. You might, for example, cycle the traffic-free Monsal Trail, skip across stepping stones at Chee Dale, hike across Kinder Scout, or rock climb at Stanage Edge. From here, the Peak District’s wild and not-so-wild space are all yours to explore.