Upper Swaledale from the Pennine Way on Kisdon: walled meadows, field barns and the river below the fells

Ellerkeld

A hill-farm campsite at the head of Swaledale.

Tent and van pitches, three bell tents and two cabins, a mile upstream of Keld on the B6270. Open 1 April to 31 October, from £24 a night.

Ring Hannah on 01632 960418

Who runs it?

We're Hannah and Tom Harker. Tom's family have kept Swaledale sheep on this side of the dale for four generations, and every spring we mow pitches into the bottom meadow for people who want to sleep beside the Swale.

Round bales drying in a cut meadow, Keld and its barns behind

A Swaledale ewe with curled horns and a black face, white around the nose and eyes

The rest of the meadow is left to flower until we cut the hay in July, the way the meadows round Muker are farmed. You walk to your pitch along a mown path through the long grass.

Hannah looks after the bookings and meets everyone at the gate. Tom farms the sheep, mows the pitches and brings the logs round.

Where will we sleep?

Four ways to stay, one meadow.

18 tent pitches
6 van pitches
3 bell tents
2 cabins

A small tent pitched in knee-high meadow grass with cow parsley and buttercups

Tent pitch £24 a night

Eighteen pitches mown into the long grass of the bottom meadow, each with its own fire basket.

Pitch sizes and extras

A green campervan parked on grass in front of trees

Van pitch £34 a night

Six level gravel hardstandings in the yard, each with a 10 amp hook-up and room for an awning.

Hook-up and water

A white bell tent among trees in long summer grass

Bell tent £95 a night

Three 5 m bell tents on timber decks: a double bed, two singles, rugs, lanterns and a fire basket.

What's inside

A small A-frame timber cabin lit from inside at dusk, a stone path up to its deck

Cabin £120 a night

Two timber cabins under the ash trees with a wood stove, a kitchenette and a bunk room.

Cabin details

Which pitch should I pick?

Riverside for the water, the top row for the showers.

This is the field on a June night with most pitches taken. Lit tents have someone in them. Pick a part of the field to see where it is.

See the field map

Plan of the Ellerkeld field at night: the river along the top, eighteen mown pitch ovals in the meadow, most with a lit tent and a fire basket glowing, the yard with vans, three bell tents in the paddock and two cabins under the ash trees

Drawn from the farm's own plan: the river along the top, the road and the gate at the bottom. Drag the map sideways to look round.

What's in the price?

Hot showers, a drying room and logs on the way.

01The barn Four free hot showers, loos, washing-up sinks and a drying room for boots.
02Fire baskets One on every grass pitch. Tom's seasoned ash and sycamore, £8 a barrow.
03Dogs Free, two per pitch, on a lead: the ewes and lambs are next door.

Everything that's included