Camping on the Coast to Coast Path: Planning Where to Stay on Your UK Coast to Coast Walk

by Holly Worton | Jan 7, 2025

Are you thinking about doing the UK Coast to Coast walk? I’ve walked the Coast to Coast Path twice—in 2022 and in 2024—and it’s probably my favorite long-distance trail (at least for now!). Both times, I camped along the entire way, with just one or two nights in B&Bs. Both times, I did a mix of wild camping and campsite stays. In this blog post, I’ll share the best campsites I stayed at on both of my trips. I hope this guide helps you in planning where to stay on your UK Coast to Coast walk.

If you want to learn more about how to plan your Coast to Coast adventure, check out my blog post on Walking the Coast to Coast Path: Planning Your UK Coast to Coast Walk.

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Seacote Caravan Park in St Bees

This is where I camped the night before starting both my 2022 and 2024 Coast to Coast walks. I also stayed in the hotel when I attempted the Lakes Traverse race in 2024. This is a great place to camp before starting your Coast to Coast walk; you can book in advance via their website and you can have dinner at the hotel if you want a hot meal without having to fire up your camp stove. There are very clean bathrooms with hot water showers.

Both times I camped there it was really quiet. However, the second time there was a camper who drove his car right up to his tent and scared the crap out of me with his headlights. I’d recommend grabbing a spot all the way down to the end of the camping field. There’s a little stream that runs alongside the field, giving you some delightful background sounds for your camp.

I did book in advance both times, as I knew I definitely wanted to stay here and my starting dates were fixed.

Book your Seacote Caravan Park stay here.

Fox & Hounds Inn at Ennerdale Bridge

I camped here with my friends on my 2022 Coast to Coast adventure. This is a delightful pub with excellent food (their Sunday roasts are abundant and delicious!) and a very tiny grassy garden with room enough for just 4-5 tents to camp alongside a little stream. This is a great place to camp if you want to have a shorter first day on the trail, as the next campsite is down at the end of Ennerdale Water at the youth hostel.

The camping area is very quiet once the pub closes, though there are no shower facilities and you will have no access to the toilets once the pub closes for the night. If the weather has gone terrible and you’d rather stay indoors, you might be able to grab a room upstairs, though they usually book well in advance.

Note that you can’t book in advance, so if you’re positive you want to camp here, you’ll want to have an early start so you can arrive before the spots fill up. You can charge devices in the pub if you have drinks or dinner there.

Learn more about the Fox & Hounds Inn here.

Camping at the Fox and Hounds, Ennerdale Bridge. Photo by Holly Worton.

Chapel House Farm in Borrowdale

I camped here on both my 2022 and 2024 Coast to Coast walks and absolutely loved it. There’s something really special about Borrowdale. It has this magical, remote feel to it.

Chapel House Farm is the only owner-occupied farm in Borrowdale and it has been run by the same family for three generations. The campsite is a very large field that has plenty of room, even when I camped there on a bank holiday weekend. There are simple but clean bathroom facilities, with hot water showers for just 50p (the owner will give you change for the showers).

Note that there is no mobile coverage in Borrowdale, so if you need to notify someone that you’ve arrived safely, head down to The Langstrath Country Inn for a drink and connect to their wifi. If you need to charge devices, you can use the outlets inside the chapel, which is usually left unlocked.

I did not book here on either of my stays; I just arrived at the end of my day and paid for a spot with cash.

Learn more about Chapel House Farm Campsite here.

The Crown Inn at Shap

I stayed here in one of the camping pods on both of my Coast to Coast walks. The Crown has a very small grassy garden with space for 5-6 tents with two camping pods next to it, one single and one double. There is one very small bathroom with a shower. Facilities are pretty basic, but you can get your clothes washed and dried, which may be very welcome if you’ve been rained on throughout the entirety of the Lake District (not uncommon).

The good thing about The Crown is that it’s open all day long, unlike the other campsite in Shap, so if you arrive early you can set up your tent or grab one of the camping pods. If you plan to go all the way from Shap to Kirkby Stephen, the following day is a long one, so I opt for a camping pod so I can pack everything up quickly in the morning (without bothering other campers by rustling around) and get an early start on the trail.

I did not book my stay either time; I just arrived at the end of my day and paid for my pod. You can charge devices in the pub if you have drinks or dinner there.

Learn more about The Crown Inn here.

Settling into the camping pod at The Crown Inn, Shap. Photo by Holly Worton.

Pennine View Park at Kirkby Stephen

The Pennine View Park is like an oasis after a long day on the Coast to Coast Path. I stayed here in 2022 and couldn’t wait to return in 2024. The camping garden is separate from the touring and motorhome pitches. There are also camping pods if the weather is terrible and you don’t feel like setting up your tent. Facilities are excellent: a big kitchen with charging facilities, clean bathrooms, and hot showers.

The Engine Shed is their onsite bar and restaurant, with food available to eat in or take away. There are different menus each night of the week: Pizza Artigiano on Tuesdays & Fridays, The Flatbread Trailer on Mondays & Saturdays, Taco Chateau on Thursdays, and Str_eat on Wednesdays & Sundays (subject to change). I ate at the Taco Chateau on my 2024 trip and the food was excellent. Very satisfying after a long day on the trail.

I did not book here on either of my stays; I just arrived at the end of my day and paid for my spot.

Learn more about the Pennine View Park here.

Rukin’s Park Lodge in Keld

I camped here on both of my Coast to Coast walks. This is an excellent, large site located in the gorgeous little village of Keld. It’s a welcome sight after a challenging slog across the bogs of Ravenseat Moor. There are three large camping fields: one up top near the bathrooms and facilities (the busiest one), a middle field that’s got a slight slope to it (you’ve been warned), and one lower site alongside a bubbling stream (which tends to fill up early).

Rukin’s Park Lodge has a simple little shop with drinks and snacks, clean bathrooms, and shower facilities with very hot water. Both times, I camped on the middle field. The first time, I didn’t notice the slight slope, but the second time I definitely did. It’s deceiving; the field looks almost flat. However, it’s much quieter than the top field, and in 2024 I had the entire level to myself.

I did not book here on either of my stays; I just arrived at the end of my day and paid for my spot.

Learn more about Rukin’s Park Lodge Campsite here.

Camping at Rukin’s Park Lodge in Keld. Photo by Holly Worton.

YHA Grinton Lodge

This YHA site is located just past Reeth in Grinton, up at the top of a steep hill. As with many YHAs, it has excellent facilities, including indoor sitting areas where you can charge devices, a restaurant that serves dinners and unlimited breakfast, and clean bathrooms with very hot showers. There are also shared rooms, private rooms, and camping pods if you prefer to sleep indoors.

The camping field is large, with plenty of room for tents to spread out. There were about 4 or 5 other tents when I stayed there in 2024, and yet it was very quiet and peaceful.

I had heard stories of other YHAs on the Coast to Coast being fully booked in advance (the one in Borrowdale, for example) so I booked online the morning of my stay.

Learn more about YHA Grinton Lodge here.

Nun Cote Nook Farm Campsite

I stayed here in 2022 with my friends. I absolutely love staying at farm campsites; it’s such a lovely way of meeting local people and seeing how they live and what their farms are like. There’s also usually very good food available! When we arrived, we were greeted by Elaine with tea and biscuits before we headed out to pitch our tents. There is a gigantic field for tents, and new bathroom facilities have been built since I stayed here.

Elaine’s Farmhouse Kitchen (inside the farmhouse) has a tea room and also offers an evening meal with a main and dessert, cooked breakfast, and packed lunches.

I did not book in advance; we just arrived at the end of our day and paid with cash.

Learn more about Nun Cote Nook here.

Camping at Nun Cote Nook Farm. Photo by Holly Worton.

St Giles Farm in Colburn

I camped here in 2024 after hearing that another Coast-to-Coaster I met along the way was staying here. I had originally been planning to stay at the Brompton Camping Barn again (see below) but I thought I’d try something new. This is a gorgeous little farm with a small camping garden and B&B rooms inside the farmhouse. They offer breakfast and packed lunches, though I did not have either.

There were just four tents on the night I stayed here; all of which were people I had met along the Coast to Coast. We were met with tea and biscuits on arrival, which we drank at the picnic table in the camping garden.

I did not book here; I just arrived at the end of my day and paid with cash.

Learn more about St Giles Farm Bed and Breakfast here.

Brompton Bunkbarn

I camped here with my friend on my 2022 Coast to Coast walk. Brompton is about one kilometer off the official trail in a little village. There is a bunk barn and also camping in a very small field outside the barn. We were met with tea and biscuits on arrival, which we enjoyed sitting at the picnic table in the tiny camping field.

There are two toilets and two showers for campers. When we stayed here, we were the only two campers, so we took advantage of the heated towel racks in the bathroom to wash and dry our clothes, which were perfectly dry by the morning.

We did not book here; we just arrived at the end of our day and paid with cash.

Learn more about Brompton Bunkbarn here.

Church Holme Camping at Danby Wiske

The first time I walked the Coast to Coast Path in 2022, we did a long day from Brompton on Swale to Ingleby Cross. In 2024, I was tired from the first long day from Shap to Kirkby Stephen and my feet had been hurting ever since then. The pain was nothing like on my 2022 trip, but I didn’t want to push it, so I decided to split up this long day of road and field walking into two days, something that many walkers choose to do.

Church Holme has some very large camping fields. The night I stayed here we were four tents in total, spread out so far apart that it almost felt like I was alone. There is a well-stocked tuck shop, a kitchen in the barn with tea- and coffee-making facilities, a big refrigerator, a washer and dryer, and clean bathrooms and showers. They also offer B&B self-contained accommodation with two ensuite bedrooms and a kitchenette for exclusive use.

Danby Wiske is a tiny village and the only other facilities are at The White Swan, a 17th-century pub that serves abundant dinners. You’ll have to order in advance using the menu in the Church Holme kitchen. Text the publican in advance for dinner at 6:30pm. All diners eat together; if you’re alone you’ll be assigned a table with another Coast-to-Coaster. It’s a lovely environment, and I really enjoyed chatting about the trail with other walkers.

I did not book here; I just arrived at the end of my day and paid. Because this was a short day and I got an early start, I arrived around lunchtime, pitched my tent, and paid once I found one of the delightful owners.

Learn more about Church Holme Camping here.

Camping at Church Holme Farm. My tiny tent in a huge field. Photo by Holly Worton.

Blue Bell Inn at Ingleby Cross

I camped here on both of my Coast to Coast walks. The Blue Bell Inn has a big camping field just beyond the pub garden. If you decided not to stay in Danby Wiske, you’ll find it’s a welcome sight after a long day on the Coast to Coast. Food here is excellent, and you can book a breakfast if you want a hot meal before you set off in the morning.

While I really liked staying here (mostly for the food), if I ever walk the Coast to Coast Path again, I think I’ll go beyond Ingleby Cross to the YHA Osmotherley. After several days on the Coast to Coast, I find I’m very sensitive to noise. In 2022, it was a very windy night and I didn’t notice any noise from the nearby roads, but in 2024, I found the road noise to be a bit annoying.

I did not book here either time; I just arrived at the end of my day and paid along with my meal and drinks. You can charge devices in the pub if you have drinks or meals there.

Learn more about the Blue Bell Inn here.

Lordstones

I stayed here on my 2022 Coast to Coast walk and absolutely loved it. There is a small gift shop with snacks and drinks, a cafe, and a restaurant. Bathroom facilities are large and clean. If you arrive early enough that the cafe or restaurant is open, you can charge devices there if you stop in for a meal.

If you book online, you’ll end up paying the full camping rate, but if you show up in person you’ll pay the Coast to Coast rate, which is less than half price. However, the shop closes early, so if you don’t arrive in time, you won’t get access to the bathrooms. I did notice that several people arrived after the shop closed, so either they booked ahead (and were left the keys and access codes in an envelope near the entrance to the shop) or they just did without.

Be sure to tell them if you’re planning an early start; otherwise, they’ll expect you to return the key when the shop opens at 9 am so you can get your deposit back. Some of the people we met along the way received the keys without a deposit so they could leave early.

Learn more about Lordstones here.

Beak Hills Farm in Chop Gate

After my enjoyable stay at Lordstones in 2022, I planned to stay there again in 2024. However, I got such an early start in the day and I made such good time, that I arrived at Lordstones very early. I ended up having tea and a scone in the cafe and heading on to Beak Hills Farm, where one of the Coast-to-Coasters I had met along the way was planning to stay.

I arrived there so early that there was no one in the farmhouse, but I pitched my tent and used the immaculate, spacious bathrooms for a shower before settling in for the afternoon. This is about a kilometer off the main Coast to Coast Path, but it’s a worthwhile detour. It’s so quiet and it’s in such a gorgeous location. I absolutely prefer it to a bigger campsite and I’ll definitely stay here again in the future.

The farm also has B&B rooms and offers dinner and a hot breakfast if you like; I did not have either meal. I did not book in advance; I just arrived at the end of my day and paid with cash.

Learn more about Beak Hills Farm here.

Camping at Beak Hills Farm in Chop Gate. Photo by Holly Worton.

The Lion Inn at Blakey Ridge

One of my favorite places along the Coast to Coast, The Lion Inn is a cozy little pub that dates back to 1553. It’s a welcome refuge after a day’s walk across the North York Moors where you’ll probably either be fighting against the wind all day or trudging through soupy fog. It’s a great place to have a pint and a big dinner. The food is excellent and abundant, and you can reserve a breakfast for the morning.

Camping is usually in a field next to the pub unless the wind is wild, in which case they’ll let you camp in the pub garden. In 2022, I camped here in the garden, and in 2024, I stayed in one of the rooms. It was warm and comfortable and it was the perfect place to take a bath, wash my clothes, dry everything out, and charge my devices.

I did not book here for either stay; I just arrived at the end of my day. I was very, very lucky to find a room in 2024 as they’re usually booked well in advance. You can charge devices in the pub if you have drinks or meals there.

Learn more about The Lion Inn here.

Intake Farm at Littlebeck

I don’t remember hearing about Intake Farm when I first walked the Coast to Coast Path in 2022. Most people were planning to camp in Grosmont, but the campsite there sadly closed. In 2024, everyone seemed to be talking about Intake Farm and how good the food was, so I decided that would be my destination for my last night on the Coast to Coast.

Intake Farm is located just outside Littlebeck. Camping is in the small garden, and you’ll be greeted with tea on arrival if you like. The bathrooms and showers are located inside the farmhouse and are shared with the B&B guests. Meals are gigantic, home-cooked farmhouse meals, served family-style around the large dining table with the other guests. We had two main courses, so many vegetable side dishes I can’t remember, and a big homemade lemon meringue pie for dessert. Breakfast was equally abundant and delicious.

Once I got closer to the end of my 2024 Coast to Coast walk, I knew when I’d be arriving at Littlebeck, so I phoned the farm and booked my stay two days in advance, along with my meals. This is one campsite where I would highly recommend booking in advance, especially if you know you want to eat there. You can charge devices in the farmhouse.

Learn more about Intake Farm here.

York House Caravan Park in Hawsker

This campsite is so close to the end at Robin Hood’s Bay that there’s really no reason to stop here unless you’re injured and you just can’t go on to the end. My feet were aching so badly in 2022 that I simply couldn’t continue on past Hawsker, so this campsite was a welcome stop on the trail. As with most caravan sites, the bathroom facilities were excellent. We shared a big grassy pitch, and we ate giant pizzas for dinner in the on-site restaurant.

We did not book here; we just arrived at the end of our day and paid with cash. The receptionist was kind and charged us for just one pitch site since we had such small tents.

Learn more about York House Caravan Park here.

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