The Lakes
Englands largest National Park. Is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Covering 912 square miles and home to Englands highest mountain, Scafell Pike and longest lake, Windermere as well as the deepest lake, Wast Water. The national park receives on average 18 million tourist visitors per year.
Famous for its literary connections, notably Beatrix Potter, John Ruskin and William Wordsworth.
Campsite Locations
We use a number of different campsites in the Lakes, both in the North Lakes and South Lakes.
We also use several wild camp spots. Wild camping involves camping not on a campsite. The location of the camp needs to be above the highest fell wall, typically 400m and needs to be discrete, away from buildings and other campers. There should be no trace of the site left when the team departs. Naturally there are no toilet or shower facilities at wild camps, and participants need to be able to carry all the required equipment themselves to the campsite. Water is sourced from streams in the area and is filtered or boiled before use.
It is possible to plan a journey covering some of the more remote parts of the Lake District if wild camps are linked in the expedition. For example a route could start near Keswick, stay one night at Chapel House Farm, then wild camp with a further night at Bays Brown. The below map shows the approximate location of the campsites we use on a more regular basis. We are not limited to these sites, if there is a campsite you would prefer to use please let us know.
Camping in vans for Sam Sykes staff is not always possible due to requirements of expedition. You will be informed if this is the case.
North Lakes
South Lakes
Local Hospital Information
The main hospitals in the area are the Cumberland Infirmary in Carlisle, Furness General in Barrow and West Cumberland Hospital in Whitehaven. There are further minor injury departments in Kendal, Penrith and Keswick.
Hospital - A&E 24hrs,
Cumberland Infirmary, Newtown Road, Carlisle, CA2 7HY
West Cumberland Hospital, Homewood Road, Whitehaven CA28 8JG
Minor Injury Units (not 24/hr)
Urgent treatment Centre (non-life threatening) Westmoreland General, Burton Rd, Kendal LA9 7RG 8am-10pm.
Keswick Community Hospital, Crosthwaite Road, Keswick, CA12 5PH. 8.30 am-6pm Mon-Fri, X-rays only available until 12.30pm
Penrith Hospital, Bridge Lane, Penrith, CA11 8HX, 8.30am-4.30pm Monday-Friday.
Traveling around the Lakes can be at times challenging due to the linear routes roads tend to run in due to the valleys. It is possible for the participants on foot to have a much shorter route from one campsite to another on foot than is possible by road. These factors need to be considered when planning your visit.
Transport links to the Lakes are reasonable, with the M6 and the West Coast main line passing to the east.
Approximate times to Coniston by road
From Manchester 2 hours.
Birmingham 3 hours 15.
London 6 hours.
The main train stations that service the Lakes are Penrith in the north and Oxenholme/Windermere in the south.
Approximate times for trains to Oxenholme
From Manchester Piccadilly 1 hour 30.
Birmingham New Street 2 hours 15
London Euston 2 hours 40.
Penrith Station is a further 20 minutes from Oxenholme.
If using the train you will need to arrange a transfer to the start location. We have used Alba Travel and Mountain Goat in the past. Alba travel are based in Penrith and Mountain Goat in Windermere.
Alba Travel 01768 870219
Mountain Goat 015394 45161