Moss Side Farm Campsite

For all the drama of the steep valleys further north – Wasdale, Langdale, the Kirkstone Pass – it’s the sheer space and wide open views that make Moss Side Farm in the South Lakes so undeniably epic. Set on a natural plateau, the flat, grassy tent pitches look east across the low, moss-coloured wetlands of Kirkby Pool and to the wooded hillsides four miles opposite. It’s here that the Lake District’s great mountains dissolve into the sea. And, for campers, with the Old Man of Coniston a 10-minute drive in one direction and the seaside 10 minute’s in the other, it’s a real best-of-both-worlds location.

Three miles west of Coniston Water, Moss Side is a working hill farm with a flock of Herdwick sheep roaming the fells and a clutch of ducks and hens that provide free-range eggs for lucky campers. The three fields immediately around the farm, have been set aside for camping, with fresh-water taps in each and a central wash block, with showers and toilets (plus some helpful extras like a freezer for ice-packs and a kettle for general use). In all, however, Moss Side remains a simple and laid-back affair. There’s room for just 30 camping pitches in total, giving the place a thoroughly secluded feel, and large groups and noisy campers are not allowed. When evening falls, it’s the crackle of campfires that’s loudest of all.

If you came to the farm 50 years ago you’d have found a railway line cutting it in two. Today, the old railway bridge by the farm’s entrance has been removed and the disused line makes a pleasant walking route into Broughton-in-Furness, a half-hour stroll away. With a good café on the tree-lined village square and a trio of decent pubs, it’s worth the wander. The farm, meanwhile, has embraced this industrial history and added a collection of characterful railway cabins alongside the tent pitches (each sleeping four), with a bunk bed at one end, a double at the other and a wood-burning stove in between. Propped up on girders, they don’t look like they’ll be running back on the line any time soon. Other glamping option includes our six-person bunkhouse.

Given its close proximity, most walkers will want to hike up the Old Man of Coniston at some point during their stay and it takes just 10 minute’s to drive to the popular starting point in Torver. For a less visited peak, however, it’s just as quick to drive west to smaller Black Coombe (a two-hour walk to the top and back), which then gives you the opportunity to have an ice-cream on the beach straight after. Haverigg Beach and Silecroft Beach are the closest, and each around 20 minutes from the campsite, while inland water sports abound at nearby Coniston Water.