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ОглавлениеChurch Stile Farm
Cumbria
‘Britain’s Favourite View’: Wastwater
‘I’ve never been camping in my life, I’m too soft,’ said Mrs Knight, founder of Church Stile Farm Holiday Park. ‘But I enjoy gardening and the environment and if I did go camping, I can imagine this is the kind of place I’d want to go to.’ And so say all of us, for she created a space worthy of inclusion on any ‘must visit’ list, and deserving of its David Bellamy Gold Conservation Award. Julius and Kirsty Manduell now own and run the campsite and surrounding farm. They moved in during 2012, along with a flock of traditional Herdwick sheep. Thankfully, they’ve kept the campsite much as Mrs Knight created, with the exception of a few additions to improve it.
Of course, the views of the surrounding fells that you wake up to each morning help the atmosphere, with the Screes mountain range (yes, the one that plummets to the mysterious waters of England’s deepest lake, Wastwater) within arm’s reach of the campsite. And with Wastwater, once designated as ‘Britain’s Favourite View’ by public vote, only 2 miles away, there’s no denying that this is a fantastic location for a campsite. Set in a woodland clearing, a narrow track rings a grassy area for motorhomes to pitch, some with hardstanding. Peppering the lawns are groups of shrubs, young trees – full of blossom in springtime, warming auburn leaves in autumn – and a mass of bulbs adding cheer to the gloomier of English days. Five static caravans, available to rent, are also on site, tucked away behind a beech hedge.
The Screes Inn at Nether Wasdale
There’s a large area of woodland within the campsite that shelters the pitches, with guided trails and the fabulous opportunity for little ones to make dens, collect acorns or act out all kinds of imaginative adventure stories. It also houses dozens of nest boxes for local tweeters. A public footpath connects up with the campsite, taking walkers to Wasdale, from where they can witness the most spectacular of views towards Wasdale Head, Great Gable and England’s highest mountain, Scafell Pike. In fact, so iconic is the view that the National Parks authority uses it as its emblem.
The roads, enclosed with the finest of Cumbrian walls and local Herdwick sheep, are narrow around these parts, and with the road from Nether Wasdale to Wasdale Head a no-through road, it’s recommended to use foot power for sightseeing, or at most a small car. Even the roads from Gosforth and Holmbrook are narrow, so take it gently. Thankfully, this area of the western lakes is less populated and far less tourist-orientated than the Windermere region of the National Park, so traffic is lighter. And, should you tire of the nation’s favourite view, just turn around and look back from whence you came to see a green rolling landscape so utterly juxtaposed against the crashing crags.
When you enter the village of Nether Wasdale from Gosforth, two white-washed watering holes, one on either side of the road, greet you, the wide grass verges pulling the eye to the Screes mountain range in the not- so-far distance. Both establishments, The Screes Inn and The Strands Hotel, are inviting, with log fires for chilly days or gardens that must fall into the ‘best pub view’ category in warmer weather. The Strands Hotel, a CAMRA award-winning pub, has its own micro-brewery, so a fresh pint is always available. Both pubs are within staggering distance of the campsite, but if you feel the need to work up an appetite, make for The Bridge Inn on the edge of the River Irt in the neighbouring village of Santon Bridge – here you can listen to some tall tales, for it’s the location of one of Britain’s most unique annual competitions: ‘The World’s Biggest Liar’.
Once the blisters have all become too much, the feet begging for an alternative mode of transport, hop aboard ‘La’al Ratty’, the local name for the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway, one village farther up the Eskdale Valley at Boot, and chug your way between the peaks. The steam train, which once transported iron ore from the mines, now operates an impressive 7-mile route that beats any commuter journey, and completes its travels at the quietly understated seaside town of Ravenglass.
Stretching along the coastline towards the mouth of the Solway Firth and the Scottish border, the Georgian town of Whitehaven offers an alternative view from the mountains. It has a fascinating history, with shipbuilding, coal exports and the trading of exotic goods all considered important industries at one time; it’s little wonder there’s plenty of spice in the local specialities.
Church Stile Farm Holiday Park
Nether Wasdale, Seascale, Cumbria, CA20 1ET
01946 726252
Opening times: 1 March to 1 November
Facilities: 70 pitches, 24 hook-ups, clean and tidy amenity block with free showers, toilets, washbasins and familydisabled facilities, laundry room with iron, washing-up sinks, recycling bins, children’s playground and ball area. Two glamping ‘shepherd’s huts’. Planning restrictions mean that motorhomes only can stay at this site.
How to get there: From A595 Barrow-in-Furness to Cockermouth road, turn off at Gosforth with signs for Wasdale. After 3 miles, turn right and drop down into Nether Wasdale; the site is on the left after the two inns and the church.
Food & drink: Both pubs in the village serve good, hearty dishes of local fare. For something really special, Low Wood Hall Country House Hotel and Restaurant sits on the hill above Nether Wasdale with great views over the village towards the Screes. Church Stile Farm also has its own farm shop and cafe.
Nearby attractions: Muncaster Castle, the beaches of the west coast, Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway.
Alternative campsite: Ravenglass Camping & Caravanning Club Site (www.campingandcaravanningclub.co.uk, tel.: 01229 717250). A quiet, tree-filled campsite next to open fields and within walking distance of the town and narrow-gauge railway.
Top Left: Parked motorhomes at Church Stile Farm; Bottom Left: A view over picturesque Wastwater; Right: Walking alongside Wastwater
