Camping at The Hollies

Climbers, walkers and, well, any fans of the great outdoors will love the simple set up on offer at this dog-friendly Peak District campsite. The site’s 50 informal campfire-friendly pitches for tents and campervans are spread across six acres with views of the impressive gritstone ridge of The Roaches. From here, you can hike up the hills, scramble on rocks, walk through dramatic natural caverns or take a peaceful stroll around nearby Tittesworth Reservoir. And after? Probably refuelling at the local Three Horseshoes Inn.

Camping at The Hollies is a back-to-basics farm-style campsite run by friendly owner Louise. If she’s not on hand to welcome you, she’ll leave instructions for you at the farm gate. Let yourself in, set yourself up and she’ll be around to meet you later. Whether you come in a tent or a campervan, you get to pitch where you please as there are no marked-out pitches here. Campfires are allowed as long (as they are kept off the ground) and fire pits and logs are available, too, if you haven’t brought your own. As you might expect from a wild-ish site like this, facilities are just enough: a couple of toilets, a water supply and a washing-up station with showers planned for 2023.

There may be no clubhouse on site but, despite the rural location, the facilities you might expect from one are close by thanks to the café and playground at Tittesworth Reservoir, less than a mile down the road. It’s also a great spot for walks, watersports and birdwatching too. But of course it’s the hillier, rockier climbs that most will come for: the scramble up The Roaches is too close for most visitors to resist. A little further over the ridge, meanwhile, a natural, fern-clad chasm, nearly 80 metres deep, makes for a truly dramatic spectacle too (follow footpath signs for 'Luds Church'). Ultimately, these treats are just the tip of the iceberg. Sitting on the edge of the Peak District National Park, The Hollies is prime territory for all sorts of walking, climbing, caving and more. Bring a good OS map and off you go.