Castlerigg Farm Campsite (location / their website) is a lovely campsite in a picturesque location above Keswick. It has pretty good services and facilities, but many have extra charges – even the hairdryer. The campsite has beautiful views over Keswick, Bassenthwaite Lake and Derwent Water, and, despite its sloping ground, it is always possible to find a great pitch.
Price
Tent pitches in Castlerigg Farm are fairly cheap, and electrified pitches are available – and so are many for caravans and motorhomes.
| Tent Pitches | Low Season | High Season |
| Tent with electricity | £22.00 | £27.00 |
| Adult | £8.25 | £10.00 |
| Child | £4.00 | £6.00 |
| Vehicle | £3.00 | £4.00 |
| Gazebo | £3.00 | £4.00 |
These prices, however, are for the pitch only, as many (not all) facilities at Castlerigg Farm come with extra costs. Charging a phone if you don’t have an electric hookup costs 50p at reception, and so do the hairdryers. I’ve never seen the washing and ironing facilities listed on the website, nor the drying room, only their closed doors so I assume they too need payment. This makes total sense, but personally I would rather pay slightly more for entry and not have to spend my stay hoping I have the right change. This is exactly what they do in Great Langdale – for us at only £1 more per night.
Facilities
Castlerigg does have very good facilities, but as I have mentioned most come at a cost. They have WiFi (for £2/day for 2 devices), 50p hairdryers and good showers & bathroom facilities (all free). They also have a washing up area with liquid provided free, but no sponges (which is understandable). Outside the toilet block there is a (cold water) dog shower and a communal room with limited cooking equipment (microwave etc.). As I mentioned, unless you have an electric pitch, they charge 50p for a phone charge over reception, and as I have never seen them I presume the washing/ironing facilities and the drying room have an extra charge too.
Phone Service
Being fairly close to a mast, the whole campsite has excellent and fast 4G. If you’d like WiFi, this is also available, as I mentioned at £2/day for 2 devices, which seems fairly reasonable.
Location
Castlerigg Farm is extremely close to Keswick, and has a Stagecoach bus service right to the end of it’s road. It isn’t too far to walk up from any of the Keswick bus stops either, so if you choose to arrive by train or bus, it is very easy to get to. This means it makes a great ‘base camp’ to start and end a backpacking trip around the Lake District, even if you travel up without a car. It has car parking for all cars too, though. Its location above Keswick means you can walk down into the town for a pub meal or to buy any supplies you need, and it also has some of the Lake District’s fantastic walking on its doorstep.
Overall
Overall, Castlerigg Farm is a great camping and caravanning site in a beautiful location above Keswick in Cumbria, with good facilities and cheap pitches. It does, however, charge extra for many of its facilities which does keep the price per night down. I’d rather pay a little extra per night for full facilities and no hidden charges, but it isn’t too much of an issue. That aside, I’d absolutely recommend this campsite to anyone looking to stay in the Keswick area. It has excellent views, many good pitches and a useful communal room – which many sites don’t.