Hi, my 11 year old son and I are starting to plan to walk the dales way next year around easter and intend to camp, starting on saturday 29th march taking a full week and arriving in Bowness on sunday 6th april. Can anyone suggest a good itinery with decent camping stops, we do not need much in the way of facilities but the odd night not far from a pub for some food would be nice!!
Anyother advice welcomed in advance.
Thanks
JK
I camped and walked the Dales Way earlier this year, but did it in six days so my itinerary may not be useful to you. I did it as follows:
Day one - early train to Ilkley - then walking to Appletreewick (12 miles?) - camped at Masons Farm campsite (£5) - it was the Thursday before a bank holiday weekend when they were fully booked, and as it had been raining, the ground was very muddy - so hate to think what it would have been like once the crowds got there. It was a bit too much of an organised campsite for me, but I did appreciate the showers - and the location was lovely. I ate at the Craven Arms - a short walk - which I remember as being good, apart from a Tory Councillor who'd just won his seat lecturing all and sundry from the bar.
Day two - Appletreewick to Buckden (14 miles?) - camped behind Redmires Farm - no other official place to camp - rang the farmhouse in advance - the people were really nice and were happy to let me camp there. Only really space for one tent though - a thin slice of flat ground on a sloping field - but the best place I camped on the Dales Way - really beautiful view across the valley to Buckden - lovely stream by the field where I washed and got water. I ate at the pub in Buckden - which was about a mile perhaps - but happily I had a lovely evening so it was OK.
Day three - Buckden to Cowgill (16 miles?) - camped in farmers field opposite Sportsman Inn (£5) - quite lumpy and bumpy and full of manure - but OK nonetheless - nice stream to wash in - and a toilet and water pipe in the farmers courtyard over the road. Basic but OK - and I would have stopped anywhere at this point, but I was knackered after quite a gruelling day - first four miles to Beckermonds OK, but then a lot of road walking right up to Swarthgill (really hurt my feet with a heavy pack on my back) - and then difficult bog walking up to Cam Houses and the Pennine Way (don't make the mistake I did of going through the little clumps of trees - despite the path still being signposted to go through them - trees have fallen down and blocked the path at the other end - go right around the tree plantation) - then more metalled paths right down to Far Gearstones - then a nice walk over the moors - but more road walking down into Cowgill. Ate in the Sportsmans Inn - which was fine, but I remember as being quite busy.
Day four - Cowgill to Sedbergh (10 miles?) - I actually B&Bed this night - partly because this was my only day of deluge - massive rain in the morning up to Dent - and then heavy rain in the evening - and partly because I don't recall any obvious place to camp here. There were places to camp further round the Lune - beautiful places by the river that I passed the next day - but no pub or anything of that nature at all nearby.
Day five - Sedburgh to Burneside (12 miles?) - camped at Burneside Hall Farm (£3) - quite spectacular place to camp - water tap by farmhouse - washed in a slightly stagnant pond - ate in the local pub - which wasn't particularly special - not the best place to camp - but adequate.
Day six - Burneside to Windermere (12 miles?) - got the train back from Windermere - went to eat at the cafe by the station - some stupid idiot complained about my rucksack - so I ended up going somewhere else because I wasn't ready for small mindedness!
Anyway - that was six days so not sure if this will be helpful to you. There would probably have been some other opportunities to camp elsewhere - particularly if you're prepared to wild camp - but not so easy to find camping spots close to pubs for evening meals.