Riverside Campsite Malham

Few places in the Dales put you this close to Malham Cove and the village on foot. This is a small, family-run campsite on a working farm at Town Head Farm, with pitches on grass beside Malham Beck and open views over rolling fields and dry-stone walls. If your plan is to walk rather than drive, that closeness is the whole point.

Expect a simple field arrangement: grass pitches, mostly level, mature trees, farm buildings close by, and the beck running along one side. It feels like camping on a farm rather than on a manicured park, which is either the appeal or the deal-breaker depending on your taste.

Facilities are basic but functional: toilets, hot showers, a washing-up area, drinking water and a car park. There are no electric hookups and no hardstandings, and only a small number of showers, so timing your wash around the morning rush is wise. Plan to bring cooking supplies and food rather than rely on a cafe or shop at the site. Reviewers generally report the shower and toilet block as clean and usable, though standards on any given weekend can vary.

Dogs are welcome, and there is direct off-road dog-walking from the site, which saves you a roadside trudge before breakfast.

• No hookups, no hardstandings, and a limited number of showers: come set up for simple camping.
• Depending on ground conditions and how the field is filled, you may need to leave the car in the car park and carry gear to your pitch.
• It is a farm, so early-morning activity and noisy ducks are part of the deal, and groups such as Duke of Edinburgh parties sometimes camp here.
• Quiet, ground conditions and drive-to-pitch access will not be the same on every visit, so pack for the weather and keep expectations flexible.