Low Greenside is a small traditional hill sheep farm at the foot of the Howgill Fells in Cumbria's Upper Eden Valley. We love living here and think ourselves very lucky.

 

Known as the Westmorland Dales, the area is a mix of limestone uplands populated by sheep and ponies, and fertile valleys with small farms and villages. It's a truly lovely part of the world to explore in its own right with the bonus of great access to the Lake District and the rest of the Yorkshire Dales National Park.

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The campsite itself is very eco-friendly with a back-to-basics vibe and modern, low impact facilities that we like to think are some of the best of their kind.

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I'm a third generation camper myself, and the second generation to be running the campsite. Originally it was my Gran's idea to have a campsite on the farm and my Mum started it up in about 2005. Right from the start it's been an eco-conscious enterprise on our organically managed land and each year we do something to help make the place more nature-friendly.

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I took over the campsite from Mum in 2016. Like her, I love running it. I enjoy meeting all our visitors, looking after the place, and making our improvements. It's great to take a walk round in the evening, see everyone happy at their campfire, and hear how much they like it here. Lots of our campers and glampers come back year on year and it's always good to see them again. Some of Mum's first campers are still coming - now with children and grandchildren! We're very proud and happy that each year around a third of our campers are repeat visitors.​

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As well as the fabulous views and natural surroundings, one of the attractions at Low Greenside is the campfires. Because there is so much space this is something we can safely offer. There's nothing like sitting round a campfire at the end of the day, toasting toes and crumpets, watching the stars come out in our dark skies, seeing other campfires gently winking around the edges of the field. Bliss! We're often out there doing it ourselves...

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The camping field and the atmosphere remain just as they've been from the start - the mown grass pitches around the edge are still just as spacious and the wildflowers still grow in the centre (we know what you like!) - but there have been some radical changes to the facilities! 

 

To match our new modern toilets in individual washrooms, in 2023 we built a new low impact building housing attractive, family-size individual shower rooms, a seating area and visitor info, a bigger washing up area, the communal fridge and ice block freezer, and secure phone charging lockers. There are also sockets for your hairdryer and to blow up your airbeds. All the facilities are free of charge. The building itself has been built for longevity and sustainability, looks nice, and is comfortable to be in. We're really pleased with it, and we think you will be too.

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And then there's the glamping -

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In a separate field from the camping, surrounded by meadow, woodland, and its own private garden, we have a very beautiful yurt with it's own hand-built kitchen and loo. It was good fun setting this up – planning how to make the yurt comfortable, pretty, and fun to stay in; finding vintage furnishings and hand-making other pieces; building its own little kitchen and state of the art composting toilet; thinking up the little touches that guests would enjoy and appreciate, and making the off-grid experience both convenient and fun. For families or couples, everyone who's stayed there has been delighted. We're really proud of it so please do take a look at the Far Field Yurt page and the Far Field Yurt reviews.

 

We also have a 5 metre Bell Tent for glamping, beautifully kitted out for two people, in a super private and pretty spot. Simpler in concept than the yurt, it's nevertheless equipped with everything needed for comfortable glamping in peace and quiet. The bell tent also has its own cooking facilities and loo, private garden with campfire BBQ, picnic table and comfy double hammock for gazing at the scenery. We love it and it's been a great success with our guests.

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In 2020 we were proud to achieve a Silver Award  for Green Tourism. This takes every aspect of our business into account - our water and energy saving measures; the goods we buy; reducing and recycling waste; supporting local businesses, services, and community; visitor information; tree planting and kindness to nature; supporting charities at home and abroad; and our family-friendly music festival held each September. The Green Tourism Scheme supports us in making further improvements and we're not finished yet!

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The National Park has also designated us as a Dark Sky Friendly campsite in the International Dark Sky Reserve.
 

"Camping as it used to be" has been a winning formula for us as well as our visitors, bringing a rather special kind of person to our doorstep. Our visitors are quietly sociable, considerate of fellow campers, pleased with all we and the area have to offer - peace, fun and relaxation on a proper traditional campsite; wonderful views; great walking and cycling; pretty villages and interesting market towns with friendly people running the nice little shops, cafes and pubs.

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Low Greenside continues to be a traditional, friendly campsite, never crowded, and with plenty of space for privacy and play. All you need for peaceful, relaxed camping and exploring - and not a hot tub in sight....

 

We look forward to seeing you here.

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Magnus, September 2023