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Cotton Star Camping

Peak District National Park, South Yorkshire, England
1 acre hosted by Test O.
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Off-grid camping amongst the tree clad hills of the Peak District
When the Peak District was christened Britain’s first national park in 1951 it was put firmly on the map as a place of awe inspiring natural beauty and, moreover, a landscape to be preserved. The mist-shrouded gritstone peaks and windswept moorlands have become the UK’s home for walkers, bikers and all outdoorsy types, attracted to the rural, untainted vastness of it all. Camping here needs to be a subtle, unobtrusive affair then. No gleaming concrete laundry blocks or strips of static caravans. Its not about adding a mix of new facilities but about simply appreciating what is already there – the wildlife, the scenery and the empty open spaces.

Tucked between the trees on the banks of the Agden Resevoir, there's a 1.6 acre meadow that perfectly fits this bill. For most of the year there is little going on here, save for the chirp of the birds and the scurrying of squirrels, rummaging through the undergrowth. But come the summer this grassy woodland space is the scene for a charmingly simple pop-up site that appears fleetingly beneath the summer sun before disappearing like a squirrel back into its drey.

Cotton Star Camping offers off-grid, authentic camping for those who are willing to forgo the luxuries of piping hot showers and whining hair-dryers in favor of a smoky log fire and a pitch beneath the sparkling night sky. Campers certainly aren’t stranded, with clean portable loos at one end of the meadow and a supply of drinking water tapped to the site. But in all other respects this a true back to nature experience. Comforts come in the form of fresh bread and pastries delivered to the site each day or by the rewards of a walk to quaint Bradfield, a quintessentially English village half a mile away.

Onsite, Cotton Star runs a variety of themed camping events throughout the summer, while booking the site for ‘simply camping’ is available during August and September only. Workshops include traditional drystone walling, family bushcraft, bird spotting, campfire cooking and funghi foraging. The kids are spoilt with acres of space in the meadow to charge around making friends. In the evening, the communal fire becomes the focal point of the site, a glowing bowl of warmth beneath the fabulously dark skies this part of England affords.

When the next morning dawns, shafts or light streak through the tree line on the eastern edge of the field. Through the gaps, you can see Agden Resevoir sparkling in the morning sun. The reservoir is circled by a pleasant four-mile walk. It is one of several nearby and Damflask Resevoir, in particular, offers opportunities for sailing, canoeing and fishing, though this, of course, requires time to be found between hiking the local peaks, the most popular activity around here for quite obvious reasons.

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Location
Peak District National Park, South Yorkshire, England, United KingdomTraditional, ancestral territory of various First Nations according to To respect the Host's privacy, the precise address of this land will be provided after booking
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Hosted by Test O.Joined in January 2015
From the host
Off-grid camping amongst the tree clad hills of the Peak District.
Nearby attractions

There are four reservoirs in the immediate area Agden, Dale Dyke, Damflask and the Strines. Agden is immediately opposite and offers easy circular walks through the woodlands surrounding the dam. Damflask offers opportunities for sailing, rowing, canoeing and fishing. Head west to delve further into the Peak District and its national park (01629 816200). Explore the picture postcard villages like Edale, the start of The Pennine Way; Hathersage, a place for stone walled shopping streets and swimming in the outdoor pool (01433 650843); or Castleton, with its famous caves (01433 623018). Further south, 'the palace of the peaks', Chatsworth House (024656 5300), is worth the drive. Inside is a labyrinth of stunning galleries and state rooms full of family jewels, while outside there are a thousand acres described by Alan Titchmarsh as 'one of the best and most vibrant gardens in Britain'. For kids, there's a maze and water features to splash about in, farmyard animals to stroke and ice creams made on the estate. Closer to home campers should also find time to wander into Bradfield; poke your head in the door of magnificent St Nicholas Church or try a pint of the villages local ale – always a winner.

Food and drink

During certain events you can look forward to award-winning sausage and bacon butties, or put in an order for fresh bread and pastries, delivered to the site daily. There is also a free delivery service of local beers to your tent (remember to pre-order) that come from the Bradfield Brewery (01142 851118) up the road. It is just over a half mile walk to Bradfield, split into the lower hub of the village, with a village shop, post office and cafe, and an upper, smaller, hamlet, overlooked by the church. Lower Bradfield boasts The ‘School Rooms’ café, bistro and farm shop (0114 285 1920), which sells a smorgasbord of local produce and is an excellent place to sit in the sun with a cup of tea. Alternatively, the short but steep walk up the hill to High Bradfield brings you to a traditional pub and restaurant, The Old Horns Inn (01142 851207). There's a modern feel to the place with its new, lighter layout but the bare stone walls and darker furnishings retain its olde charm and the great food certainly seals the deal.

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