# Lake district wild camping spots



## bimblers (Jun 2, 2013)

Hi, I leave for the lake district in 10 days and am in search of some known camping spots in the Lake District. Can anyone recommend some?

Also, I will be heading to Loch Lomond for a few days then onto Edinburgh so any stop over spots would be a great help

Thanks


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## QFour (Jun 2, 2013)

Download the POI file and download Google Earth . You can then have all the Wild Camping sites on Google Earth so that you can see where they all are. You can also drop the little man on the road and have a look what its like before you get there .. See below




Have a great trip ..


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## bimblers (Jun 3, 2013)

*Fantastic!*

Thanks! Just downloaded and started taking a look around, it's excellent!!!. We've had our van 18 months and just traded info with fellow travellers we meet. This will definitely make it easier to plan a route.

Thanks again

El


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## Aspire255 (Jun 5, 2013)

This is my opinion and what I tend to do.

Load up the van making sure there’s enough pear cider in the fridge and go.

I plan out the roads I shall be using but not places to stop the night.

In my experience and its very little only been doing this for four years there is always a spot to be found to lay ones head….

Aspire255


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## Smaug (Jun 5, 2013)

Like Aspire, we plan a route of places we want to see, but always have a few possible overnights in mind & then keep our eyes open as we travel. Sometimes you find a place that is too good to resist & actually go back to it for the night. 

But sometimes, in popular locations, it can be hard to find suitable spots, that's when the sat nav & PoI's come into their own. Just look to see what's nearby, check 'em on an OS map (or Google Earth if you have coverage!) & go check out the most appealing.

The beauty of carrying your home on your back is that you do not need a detail plan & can change tack at a moment's notice if you spot something interesting, or the weather changes. Serendipity rules! Go with the flow & love the moment you have now - or change it!


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## bimblers (Jun 5, 2013)

Aspire255 said:


> This is my opinion and what I tend to do.
> 
> Load up the van making sure there’s enough pear cider in the fridge and go.
> 
> ...



Ah fantastic! I brew my own ales and have a dedicated brew storage cupboard in the van We've only had the van for 18months and it's been fine finding spots. Thought it'd be helpful to have a couple of spots to stay in mind after a late night drive.
Happy travels


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## Smaug (Jun 5, 2013)

bimblers said:


> Ah fantastic! I brew my own ales and have a dedicated brew storage cupboard in the van We've only had the van for 18months and it's been fine finding spots. Thought it'd be helpful to have a couple of spots to stay in mind after a late night drive.
> Happy travels



Try to be relaxed about the driving. 

I will quite often only do 20-30 miles in a day with 2-3 stops, unless moving to a different region. Don't forget you can always pop back to a good spot you saw earlier if you are only pottering short distances. While you are driving, you are only seeing the scenery, get out & walk a bit & you can hear & experience the countryside.


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## bimblers (Jun 5, 2013)

Smaug said:


> Like Aspire, we plan a route of places we want to see, but always have a few possible overnights in mind & then keep our eyes open as we travel. Sometimes you find a place that is too good to resist & actually go back to it for the night.
> 
> But sometimes, in popular locations, it can be hard to find suitable spots, that's when the sat nav & PoI's come into their own. Just look to see what's nearby, check 'em on an OS map (or Google Earth if you have coverage!) & go check out the most appealing.
> 
> The beauty of carrying your home on your back is that you do not need a detail plan & can change tack at a moment's notice if you spot something interesting, or the weather changes. Serendipity rules! Go with the flow & love the moment you have now - or change it!



True! True! That's what we love, how you never quite know how the day is going to pan out  After a long drive, it's kind of nice to have a place to just pull up without searching, of course, if you come across a nice spot then that's perfect.

I think it will be handy maybe in cities to find a spot next to a park as we have 2 dogs so it's easier to park up with somewhere to run the dogs safely.

And serendipity does indeed rule!

Happy travels


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## Sand55 (Jun 5, 2013)

Bimblers, You say you have 2 dogs. We have 2 also, and are looking for our van. With regards to your dogs, how do you manage with them 24hours a day ? By that I mean, they can't be left in the van, but shopping, looking around indoor places etc, are things we need to work out. If I may ask, how do you manage such things, and any other pointers you may have.   Thank-you.


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## Ste (Jun 5, 2013)

Bin the Satnav & burn the Map!! Lake district is North. Scotland even Norther(? is that a word??). At a junction just make a decision. Left or Right. Its the best way to do a roadtrip.


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## Smaug (Jun 5, 2013)

OK, we only have a small but frantic Jill Russell, but we do leave her alone in the van if we can't take her with us (restaurant, museum, food shops etc). She has water & her own bed & it is easy to close shades, open roof vents etc to stop her overheating. 

We did try leaving her in her travel harness but no matter how tight we put it (without hurting her) she was always out of it by the time we got back & we were worried she might actually strangle herself trying to wriggle out of it.

She  follows us everywhere we go & adores the van. If I take something out to it from the house, she follows me & jumps on her seat (it has a dog blanket on it so it can be used for people sometimes!) and she will not leave unless I pick her up & carry her outside.


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## Sand55 (Jun 5, 2013)

Thanks Smaug.  To know how others manage such things is a help.


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## Smaug (Jun 5, 2013)

TBH, I would expect 2 dogs to be better than one & to settle down together quicker, surely they will have comfort in company rather than winding each other up?. 

Fudge cries pitifully until she thinks we have gone & then goes to sleep. :lol-053: 

Any noises & she is up & alert to see if it is us coming back. Piccy shows her standing on the table looking for us, something she would not be allowd to do if we were in teh van. She has been left for over an hour (Distillery tour) but got lots of hugs & treats & a good run around when we came back.


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## bimblers (Jun 6, 2013)

We have 2 rescue dogs and our van has become like a 2nd home to them. We rarely leave them at home these days even if only popping not far to meet with friends for a meal etc. They have loads of long walks in many beautiful places that perhaps we wouldn't of found without them. 

Like Smaug said the van is easy to shade and ventilate. For example, tomorrow we are meeting with family for a meal approx 10miles away, so instead of leaving the dogs behind in the house, we'll go 2hrs early and take them for a 2hr walk in a lovely forest we know. Then they'll sleep in the van for a couple of hours whilst we eat, then we'll sleep in a recreational park carpark so they'll have a good run in the park around before bed.

When we're traveling for weeks at a time the dogs have lots of walks each days and then when in the van they are chilled and content. In fact are younger rescue dog is much better behaved in the van!

As long as they have sufficient walks I think you'll find the dogs will be happy  oo and maybe a few treats. A few pubs allow dogs too!


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## bimblers (Jun 6, 2013)

Smaug said:


> Try to be relaxed about the driving.
> 
> I will quite often only do 20-30 miles in a day with 2-3 stops, unless moving to a different region. Don't forget you can always pop back to a good spot you saw earlier if you are only pottering short distances. While you are driving, you are only seeing the scenery, get out & walk a bit & you can hear & experience the countryside.



Totally agree with you, always good to see the journey as we go. Fortunately, we have the dogs so have a good reason to stop and explore as we go. We sometimes to a long drive just to give lots of time to explore beautiful areas without rushing and just be there and enjoy  Next week we'll probably drive in a couple of days up to the lake district then we'll have 2wks to explore the the lake district and southern scotland, and bimble freely


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## travelling phil (Jun 6, 2013)

Ste said:


> Bin the Satnav & burn the Map!! Lake district is North. Scotland even Norther(? is that a word??). At a junction just make a decision. Left or Right. Its the best way to do a roadtrip.



Well thats about you all over Ste! You missed a good fair at Lincoln! is tess still yapping?


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## Aspire255 (Jun 6, 2013)

I have a nine year old boxer dog whom is quite content to stay in the van for hours on end and I mean hours on end.
Before he took ill having seizures he loved long walks to explore different places and to smell something new. These days it becomes an effort after the initial twenty minutes of a walk.
He is quite content now to stay put in the van and to curl up on one of the side bench seats which I might add he isn’t allowed to do while we are there.
A bowl of water and a few treats are left for him every time the situation forbids him from coming with us..like supermarket shopping.   
The picture was taken the other week while in ‘The Last of the summer wine’ country..
It goes without saying we do vent the van only when the sun is shinning.
We close the windscreen blind and the two side door blinds but leave the other window blinds up, the van has tinted windows so people passing by can't see in but Diezel can see them..

Aspire255


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## Ste (Jun 6, 2013)

travelling phil said:


> Well thats about you all over Ste! You missed a good fair at Lincoln! is tess still yapping?



I'm probably the only 30 year old who doesn't own (or want to own) a Satnav. Tess is always yapping!! Only time she doesn't is when the vans moving cos she's more interested in what's going on through the window. Glad Lincoln was good for you. I'm just packing for Oswestry


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## Sand55 (Jun 7, 2013)

Thank-you, all.
Feel better about it now.


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