Cote Ghyll Caravan Park and Campsite

This is a practical, well-kept base rather than a destination in itself. It sits in a fold of the moors on the edge of Osmotherley, about a quarter mile from the village cross, so you can walk in for a pint or a shop and walk straight out onto local paths. Good for families, and equally good for couples who want a tidy pitch and an early start on the hills.

Pitches are cut into terraces on a slope, with a stream running through the lower ground and pockets of quiet woodland higher up. The valley position makes it sheltered and green, and the old mill buildings by the water (also run by the park, as a hostel) give the entrance a settled, lived-in feel rather than a bare field.

• Grass pitches with 10-amp electric hook-up, all-weather hardstanding pitches, and superpitches adding water and a TV connection. There's also a solo-traveller option.
• Tents welcome, dogs welcome, and drinking water on site.
• Two shower and toilet blocks, both with underfloor heating, privacy showers or wash cubicles, hair and hand dryers and shaver points. One has a family shower room, power showers, USB points, a dog wash and grooming station, and a bookable sauna; the other has laundry, a drying cabinet, and accessible toilet and shower rooms.
• On-site shop (food, drinks, fresh pastries, milk, frozen food, household basics, toys) plus a cafe and takeaway for nights you don't want to cook.
• Two enclosed play areas with sand ground covering, climbing frames, swings and slides, a playing field, and a short nature and stream walk.

• Lower, family areas sit close to the play parks and the stream. Convenient with children, and livelier for it.
• Higher, woodland-edge areas are quieter and better suited to couples. Ask about an upper pitch when you book if peace matters, though you can't count on one being free.
• The park typically runs a March to October season, so plan around that; late spring and early autumn are the calmest weeks for walking.

• The layout is hilly and terraced, so pitches slope in places and manoeuvring takes patience. Some pitches and the approach can feel tight for larger units, so give measurements when booking.
• Pitches vary: a few sit close to the facilities blocks or to neighbours, and the lower family sections carry more noise during school holidays.
• Mobile signal can be weak down in the dip. Download maps and directions before you arrive rather than relying on data at the gate.
• The accessible facilities are real, but the sloping site means getting between your pitch and the blocks won't suit everyone. Worth checking the specifics for your needs first.