We loved our camping trip to Howgill Lodge earlier this summer, it’s the perfect campsite to chill out and enjoy the Yorkshire Dales. It showcases everything that is great about this beautiful area – fab food, stunning scenery, walks, wild swimming, country pubs and lots of fun.
This is such a beautiful, well maintained campsite in a very quiet, scenic area. Even the wether exceeded expectations and we finally got to enjoy some proper quality time together with friends.
From check-in and beyond the site appears to be very well-run and organised. There is an obvious but unobtrusive staff presence on site and they are professional, yet very friendly and welcoming.
It is never fun to pitch your tent on a slope. Here the sloping site is set into the hillside and is cleverly terraced to give generous, perfectly level pitches, along with privacy and uninterrupted views of the stunning countryside. The retaining Yorkshire stone walls give character and a real sense of place. The grass is in good condition and the ground easy to peg into. Each pitch comes with a useful picnic table.
Fires are welcomed in raised fire pits (available to hire from reception – a pit with a bag of logs and kindling cost £15 for the first night, then £5 for subsequent nights). Perfect for an evening of post bbq marshmallow toasting, whilst watching a magical sun set.
The facilities are modern, functional and clean, they comprise of a main block by the entrance at the top of the site with toilets, showers, shave points, a covered washing-up area, coin-operated washing machine and dryer and recycling facilities. There are also a couple of smaller toilet/ shower blocks further down the site, so that you’re never too far from a loo. The block nearest us housed 2 toilets, a couple of really spacious shower rooms and a couple of sinks.
There is a small shop stocking essentials. In the morning, it doubles as an onsite coffee shop which serves lovely fresh coffee and croissants, with a smile.
There are 3 comical resident alpacas, along with ducks and loads of wild rabbits roaming freely around the site. Although there is no playground, as such, there is a large football field and a lovely area of woodland with lots of space to run around and explore, so there is plenty to keep the kids occupied! The site strikes a perfect balance between being very family friendly whilst still retaining a traditional, unspoilt atmosphere.
The pricing structure is slightly complicated, but starts from £24 for a standard grass pitch to accommodate 2 adults. A large family pitch for 2 adults and 2 children is £36. Additional children, adults, EHU, awnings and gazebos are charged extra.
Situated between Bolton Abbey and Burnsall on the Duke of Devonshire’s Estate in Wharefedale, Howgill offers an idyllic setting for a break in the Yorkshire Dales. The location of the site is perfect – it is very rural and quiet, yet is easily accessible from the Leeds area and convenient for a quick Friday after school getaway for the weekend.
Despite its rural situation, there is loads to do in the immediate area. There is direct access from the site to the path to the top of Simon’s Seat. Or for something more sedate, you can easily join the Dales Way, which runs beside the River Wharfe. In one direction is Bardon Bridge and Bolton Abbey (5 miles) or in the opposite direction, following an easy route along the valley bottom, are the villages of Appletreewick (2 miles) or Burnsall (3 miles). On a nice day, there are plenty of good spots along the river for swimming or paddling, of which we took full advantage.
We meandered along the river to Appletreewick, with its 2 local village pubs; The Craven Arms and the New Inn. They both offer a warm welcome with plenty of outdoor seating and serve a good range of traditional meals with local beers and fine wines.
A very short walk down the track from the campsite is the Love Brownies Brownie Barn, serving amazing home baked brownies, shakes, smoothies, ice cream and coffee. It has outdoor seating and lovely views. It is so pleasing to see such fantastic and innovative local businesses springing up in The Dales. So good, we visited both days of our stay!
This is a little gem of a site with a lovely relaxed atmosphere in a fantastic location and we’ll definitely return. In 20 years of camping this has to be up there as one of the best all round campsites we have stayed at.
Howgill Lodge, Barden, Skipton, North Yorkshire, BD23 6DJ
