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Mains Farm

Penrith, Cumbria, England
1 acre hosted by Eden V.
Boutique and bijou farm camping in a small orchard and kitchen garden
The Eden Valley is Cumbria’s forgotten secret. While the Lake District grabs all the red carpet treatment, this glacial valley on the eastern side of the M6 slips quietly past the paparazzi with barely a lens turned in its direction. Now it’s fair to say that it doesn’t have quite the same front cover appeal as the National Park with its mountains and lakes, but then it doesn’t attract the same hordes of tourists either. Eden Valley campsite is part of a sprawling acreage of sheep farm just outside the village of Kirkoswald. Round the corner from the farmhouse is the walled orchard and former kitchen garden that provides the site its six simple pitches, two on a raised area and four down among the trees. The one in the middle’s a pear tree, which is handy for fruit fans when in season, and the one in the corner is a myrtle tree dating back to when Queen Victoria married Prince Albert in 1840 and she had a sprig of myrtle in her wedding bouquet, beginning a tradition that continues to this day. It’s supposed to ward off witches, so no doubt Prince William will be keen to slip some into Kate’s bouquet. Away from the main farm site and a couple of minutes up the road with all your gear in the back of farmer-owner Robert’s flatbed truck is a very private little wild camping spot, which can be reserved by private arrangement. It’s in a small hollow, sheltered by a hill on one side and on the other by a copse of trees and a small beck (that’s local lingo for a stream) and with only the sheep for company. But it’s the semi-secret walled garden that’s the place to be as the sun settles behind the western hills. The lush sandstone of the farm buildings glows pink, perhaps a partridge will settle in the pear tree, and Eden Valley will seem like a secret you’ll want to keep. NEW for 2014 - 3 camping pods sleeping 2 adults and 2 children, complete with electricity.
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Location
Penrith, Cumbria, 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
Hosted by Eden V.Joined in December 2010
From the host
Boutique and bijou farm camping in a small orchard and kitchen garden
Nearby attractions
Although on the ‘wrong’ side of the M6 for the Lake District, the site’s only 25 minutes by car from Ullswater and the foot of Blencathra’s just over half an hour away. It’s also only a few pedal strokes away from the C2C (coast to coast) cycle route, and there are loads of local footpaths to explore if you want to stay on foot, including, a little further afield, the Pennine Way.
Food and drink
Milk and bread can be purchased from the farmhouse (if ordered in advance) or there’s a new, small village shop in nearby Kirkoswald. Otherwise the Lazonby Co-op is a few miles away. In the other direction, check out the Little Salkeld Watermill (01768 881523) for organic bread and other goodies. For good pub grub and hand-pulled ales there’s the Featherstone Arms (01768 898284) in the village, or for gastropub food go to the Highland Drove (01768 898 349) in Great Salkeld.

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