Riverside Caravan Park (Lancaster)

Independently run by a local family, Riverside Caravan Park offers 59 touring pitches, 12 of which are fully serviced hardstanding pitches with TV, fresh and waste water connections in addition to the standard electric hook-up. The on-site buildings are made of local stone with slate roofs and the award-winning toilet block features showers, a laundry room and a washing-up room. WiFi is available all over the campsite with fibre optics laid to each pitch.

Its setting on the River Wenning makes it perfect for both fun-seeking families and serious fishing enthusiasts. Wildlife is all around and the springtime dawn chorus volume is magical.

Children and dogs enjoy splashing about in its shallow, rocky pools and floating inflatables down the mini-rapids. Meanwhile, anglers enjoy the fishing rights in quiet spots for a mile on either side of the river, which is annually stocked in the spring with all sizes of brown trout and boasting a good run of salmon and sea trout from the end of July to the close of season. The park also offers a well-stocked lake featuring a variety of carp, rudd, roach and perch with 12 equally spaced pegs and an abundance of natural foliage.

Whatever the weather, there is plenty to keep everyone entertained with an impressive indoor games room matching the calibre of the extensive outdoor play area which features a zip-wire, a huge helter-skelter, a rope bridge and more.  

As well as the on-site fishing and nearby golf on hand, this is magnificent walking country for all abilities. You can enjoy a gentle riverside stroll or tackle The Three Peaks overlooking the park (Ingleborough, Whernside and Pen-y-Ghent). Six public footpaths run from the perimeter of the park.

If life on two wheels is a passion, there are the challenging road routes of the Tour de Yorkshire to tackle or the Pennine bridleway if you’re more of a mountain biker.

From the miles of sand at Morecambe Bay, to the depths of White Scar Cave and the peak of Pen-y-Ghent there is something for all ages and abilities just minutes away by car. From here you can take a trip on the iconic Settle-Carlisle railway line, browse the shops and galleries of the Dales market towns, take boat trips in the Lakes, wonder at the waterfalls or gasp for breath atop the Great Stone of Fourstones. 

The village of High Bentham is a five minute easy walk away on relatively flat terrain. It offers three pubs, two of which serve meals, two food shops, a butcher, baker and four takeaways. Steeped in agricultural heritage, farming is still key to day-to-day life in this rural town with its stunning backdrop of open fields and uninterrupted views. The livestock market takes place on a Wednesday at the Auction Mart, when Bentham buzzes with activity.