Camping in Lake District

Camping in the Lake District means accepting that the ground is rarely flat and the weather is rarely settled. Valley-floor sites in Langdale, Borrowdale and Wasdale sit on old glacial deposits, so pitches can be stony under a thin skin of turf. Bring proper pegs rather than the thin wire ones supplied with most tents, and a mallet. Drainage varies enormously: after heavy rain some fields hold water, so if you have a choice of pitch, take slightly raised ground over the sheltered hollow.

This is the wettest corner of England and it rains in every month, including July. Assume you will pitch or pack in the wet at least once, and plan accordingly with a decent groundsheet, a change of dry clothes stored in a dry bag, and a tent you can put up quickly. Wind matters as much as rain in the upper valleys, where gusts funnel down off the passes overnight, so peg out guy lines properly even on a calm evening.

Wild camping is not legally permitted anywhere in the national park without the landowner's consent. In practice it is widely tolerated on the high fells provided you pitch above the highest field wall, arrive late and leave early, stay a single night, use a stove rather than lighting a fire, and take everything away with you. Below the wall line, on farmland or beside lakes, it is neither tolerated nor sensible.

May, June and September are the best months: long days, fewer midges than high summer, and campsites that are busy rather than full. Late July and August are packed, and the better sites take bookings months in advance. Many campsites close from late October or November through to March.

If you would rather not sleep on the ground, camping pods and glamping units are widespread, including at several National Trust sites. They add insulation, a solid roof and often electricity, which makes a real difference in shoulder-season weather.