Great Langdale

GREAT LANGDALE National Trust Campsite has been a favourite of many generations of campers, walkers and climbers – making it a popular venue no matter what the season. It is open all year and I have fond(ish) memories of digging my tent out of snow here on several Christmas occasions after a visit to one of the two local pubs – the Old Dungeon Ghyll and The New Dungeon Ghyll are both about a 15-minutes walk from the site.

This is a spectacular location to camp as you are right underneath the awesome Langdale Pikes and their rock climbing outcrops, and you can enjoy a good walk without having to move the car from the site. You are quite isolated here from the main Lake District towns such as Ambleside (about a 30-minute drive) so make sure you bring enough food to cover your stay or be prepared to travel to get it. This site is always busy in peak season and lots of fun to stay on. If you want a place to pitch your tent and enjoy all the best that the outdoor world of Lakeland has to offer in winter, you will find few sites to go better than this.

The site is large and has about 200 pitches which soon go come peak holiday times. There are a number of camping fields, which contain and are lined by trees for shelter from the wind.

You cannot park by your pitch but have to leave the car nearby on one of the numerous parking areas. This is not a problem as the parking spots are all close to the camping fields, but makes the site more suited to smaller tents rather than large outfits.

For larger parties there is also a special group field near the reception. The site has no electric hook-ups or chemical disposal points. There are two large, clean and well-maintained toilet and shower blocks that are heated in the winter. The reception has a shop that sells basics, maps and walking books.


Camping rate it

• Size/condition of pitches - 9/10
• Flatness of field - 9/10
• Site Cleanliness - 9/10
• Shower/toilet cleanliness - 9/10
• Facilities - 8/10
• Peace and quiet - 9/10
• Dog Friendliness - 8/10
• Family friendliness - 9/10

CONTACT

Great Langdale, Ambleside, Cumbria LA22 9JU. Tel 015394 63862. Web ntlakescampsites.org.uk


This review was published in the December 2010 issue of Camping magazine. Order our latest issue.

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