Imagine if you will, the perfect campsite. Beautiful views, campfires and a feeling of utter tranquility. Until someone rocks up and pitches thoughtlessly close to you, with all their mates.
The Lake District has some great campsites, I remember (dimly, it was a while ago!) some very happy days lounging next to Lake Coniston and exploring the sculpture trail at Grizedale. Unfortunately, like many beautiful places in the UK, the Lake District can feel overcrowded at times. Now, imagine the perfect campsite with one extra feature – no noisome, annoying ‘other people’! Yes, it is possible.
Image From ‘The Private Camping Company’ website
I came across the sedately named ‘The Private Camping Company’ last week and I have been dying to share my discovery ever since. In a stroke of sheer brilliance, this enterprising organisation will arrange for you to camp in an idyllic spot usually unavailable to you and I. Ideal for group camping, so you can share the cost and enjoy the experience with your friends. ‘The Private Camping Company’ has made arrangements with land owners in the area to allow a camping experience you won’t forget. They will organise a ‘camp’, you will need to bring your own tent etc, they will provide a fire pit, composting toilet, a communal weather proof marquee, plus a number of other optional extras. One of their ‘sites’ is on the shores of Lake Coniston with direct lake shore access. Sigh.
I have been persuaded this year to do a camping tour of Cornwall, owing to, well a persuasive husband and some other supporting factors. However, I have been longing to re-visit the Lake District for some time. The existence of ‘The Private Camping Company’ has strengthened my resolve for next year!
In case you are wondering, I am not being sponsored or in any way benefitting from the ‘Private Camping Company‘. I just think it is a BRILLIANT idea. whisper: And what is even more exciting? There is a pilot scheme running in the Bristol/Somerset area this summer. Eeek.
And if this has made you suspect I’m an anti social camper – well, yes I might be, a little bit.
YellowFields 
Oh my goodness, that sounds FANTASTIC!!!
If you want a good site in Cornwall, we visited Dennis Cove camping this weekend just outside Padstow. Not our normal type of site but some friends were doing the Padstow to Rock swim and we tagged along. It’s a relatively small site and you are allocated into pitches in the bottom camping area, or there’s a field up the top which might be a bit steep for the van, and there’s no woods etc or camp fires as part of the site (although you can have a fire pit) BUT it’s a lovely little site for access to Padstow and to the sea and to the coastal paths. Re-reading that, I’m not sure I’ve sold it, but if you were wanting to use it as a place to visit Padstow rather than campibg for camping’s sake, I’d thoroughly recommend
Thanks for the info Recipe Junkie. So glad you are still talking to me although I still haven’t got around to completing your meme! I did nearly complete a post on your meme but when I came back it hadn’t saved properly and I lost heart…
ha ha! Of course i’m still talking to you – you are the best source of campsite info i have ever found! Can’t wait for you to open your own site. The Husband and I were talking about it again this weekend… The meme is just a bit of fun…:-)
Hi Hazel, just wanted to say I love your blog! I’m like you – enjoy camping but it’s hard to find the small, idyllic sites. The private camping company sounds amazing and I’d love to go when the children are a bit older – what a fab idea! And to have it on our doorstep would be amazing. Right, off to read through your blog even more…..
Sounds a great idea! now I just have to sign Spouse up (he thinks we’re past the camping stage…)
Past the camping stage! Surely never!
I love camping, but not where there are people nearby, so we canoe, portage, and canoe again to find the site we love in Algonquin Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada. My favourite place in the world.
I am very jealous of all that space you have over in Canada. I was actually born near Ajax, Ontario but my parents moved back to the Uk when I was young, otherwise I too may have had access to all that beautiful space! I am increasingly tempted go back and go off exploring!
Oh wow, Ajax! I’m just on the other side of Toronto. We are lucky with all the space we have! You must come back and visit one day, Algonquin is the place to camp!