Lakeland camping barns beat the credit crunch

As rising prices take their toll on household budgets, camping holidays are gaining in popularity. Often described as ‘stone tents’, Lakeland Camping Barns are a watertight alternative to sleeping under canvas and don’t need to be transported from one overnight site to the next.

In a former life the twelve Lakeland Camping Barns might have been a stable, corn store or a cattle byre, now cleverly converted to provide simple, roomy self-catering accommodation from just £7 per person per night. They are popular with walkers but also have growing family appeal since their affordable price opens up the opportunity of a holiday in the Lake District to everyone.

Owned and run by farmers, each has a character of its own but in common they all have sleeping, cooking/eating and washing areas and are in stunning locations with walks from the doorstep. For those not wishing to self-cater, cooked Cumbrian breakfasts might be on offer from the owner farmer, as are packed lunches and very occasionally an evening meal but usually guests will take a trip down to the nearest good food pub or cook a BBQ and dine al fresco under the stars.

Most of Lakeland camping barns lie within the scenic National Park. Some are on either the Coast-to-Coast or Cumbria Way national long-distance paths while others are close to the Cumbria Cycleway. The Lakeland Camping Barns network has compiled a series of circular barn-to-barn walking and cycling routes enabling guests to stay at a different barn each night without using a car or public transport.

New Eco-Barn
The latest addition to the Lakeland Camping Barn network, Wythmoor, is in an environmentally sensitive area north east of Kendal. Sleeping twelve and recently converted with sustainability in mind, the 19th century barn uses solar panels to provide free hot water and has underfloor heating via a ground source heat pump, while electricity is from a wind turbine.

The price of £7 covers the accommodation; electricity, heat and any meals are usually additional. For sole use the £7 charge should be multiplied by the maximum number the barn can accommodate, i.e. sole use of a barn sleeping eight would be £56 per night. Individual barns may be reserved for stays of up to one week and they all have car parking areas. An adult must accompany all young people under the age of eighteen and families with children under five and those with pets are required to book the barn for sole use.

To take a virtual tour of each barn, check availability and book online visit lakelandcampingbarns.co.uk. Details and descriptions of facilities at each barn, including how far they are from the nearest pub and shop, can be viewed on the website.