Usha Gap Farm & Campsite

This is a family-run campsite on a working sheep and beef farm, sitting half a mile between Muker and Thwaite in Upper Swaledale. The Metcalfe family keep it simple and well maintained, which is exactly why walkers keep coming back: you get proper hot showers and a useful little shop without the site feeling packaged or over-commercialised.

It is also very well placed for walking. The Pennine Way and the Coast to Coast pass close by, Buttertubs Pass is up the road, and Muker village with the Farmers Arms is a short walk along the valley.

• Two grass fields, no fixed pitches. A small field runs beside a beck; the larger field by the farm looks toward Kisdon Hill. You choose your spot and park next to it, with an overflow field opened when demand is high.
• Farm surroundings that feel real, with hay meadows, stone barns and grazing Swaledale sheep and cattle rather than a manicured holiday park.
• Fire pits to borrow, with logs and sticks sold on site, which makes for a good evening once the light goes off the fell.

Facilities are better than the back-to-basics setting suggests: a modern toilet and shower block with free hot showers and underfloor heating, drinking water taps, a washing-up area, fridge and freezer, a drying room, boot washing, a washing machine, baby bath and changing mat, secure charging lockers, and free Wi-Fi. The reception shop stocks basics, local meat, camping essentials and maps, and a fish-and-chip van calls on Fridays.

Tents, touring caravans, campervans and motorhomes are all catered for, and dogs are welcome on leads around the site.

• There are no electric hook-ups, so bring power banks or make use of the charging lockers.
• Wi-Fi is strongest near the shower block and weaker at the far end of the big field. Assume mobile coverage in this part of Swaledale can be patchy, so download maps before you arrive.
• Pitches close to the water are pretty but tend to attract more insects; the larger field is the calmer, roomier choice.
• The B6270 runs past the farm, so pitch away from the road edge if you want the quietest night.

The site is popular with long-distance walkers and families, and at peak bank-holiday capacity the facilities can get stretched, with queues and occasional hot-water shortfalls reported. There is no on-site pub or restaurant beyond the shop and the Friday van, so plan meals or walk into Muker.