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can anyone recommend dark camping spots??

Bluenosebatty

By Bluenosebatty
in The Astro Lounge

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Bluenosebatty

Bluenosebatty

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Evening everyone!

I am looking at buying myself a 4 man tent and throwing it, myself a crate of beer and my DOB in to my van and buggering off for a night or two as a regular thing as i want to try to to get the best out of my scope and i know i wont be able to do this on a housing estate, so i want to ask you guys if you can recommend any good quiet dark camp spots that you have maybe visited in the UK? i live in Elton in chehsire and drive back and too to bolton evryday for work so im use to driving and dont mind traveling to far if i need to, if you guys have any recommendations or links to websites of camps sites i could look at it would be very much appriciated!!

cheers

mark.

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brantuk

brantuk

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Well you're approx half way between Snowdonia and the High Peak and there's plenty of camping in either of those two. Maybe a quick spin up the M63 to Glossop then head down the Snake Road. Or down the other way along the A5104 to Bala. Some great sites for weekend camping once you get into the hills either way. ;)

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Bluenosebatty

Bluenosebatty

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hi brantuk,

are there any sites in particular in glossop or bala you could recommend or do you think il be certain to find somewhere if i just head out that way? il be heading out mostly fridays after work or a sat so would need to be certain im driving to somewhere that i could pitch up for the night or two and il be traveling on my own, many thanks

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nightfisher

nightfisher

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from cheshire i think i would be heading for north wales, google some camp sites and try emailing a few asking how dark the sites are for astro work, could be a nice voyage of discovery

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brantuk

brantuk

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We've used this one in Hope Valley a few times - don't know if they still take tents - very nice site:

Laneside Caravan Park , Hope Valley Campsites, Derbyshire

Also within 1 mile we stayed at this one which is darker and less lights (tents only):

Fieldhead Camp Site , Hope Valley Campsites, Derbyshire

I've not used this one but it looks and sounds ideal for astro camping:

Bwch yn Uchaf - Llanuwchllyn, Bala - Camping & Caravan Park

There's lots to choose from - Hope that helps ;)

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Bluenosebatty

Bluenosebatty

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We've used this one in Hope Valley a few times - don't know if they still take tents - very nice site:

Laneside Caravan Park , Hope Valley Campsites, Derbyshire

Also within 1 mile we stayed at this one which is darker and less lights (tents only):

Fieldhead Camp Site , Hope Valley Campsites, Derbyshire

I've not used this one but it looks and sounds ideal for astro camping:

Bwch yn Uchaf - Llanuwchllyn, Bala - Camping & Caravan Park

There's lots to choose from - Hope that helps ;)

thanks again brantuk, il have a nice read of these. cheers guys!!

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Bluenosebatty

Bluenosebatty

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fieldhead camp site looks like the spot! and its not to hard to get to by the looks of things, google mapped it and its just over a hour away. ive decided this will be my first destination on hopefully a long winter of stargazing!! bring on the dark skys!!

thanks again!

mark

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brantuk

brantuk

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You'll love it there - smack between Mam Toor and the start of the Penine Way. The hills around block all the light from surrounding towns and it's a delightfully "pure camping" site. If I was younger I'd go there a lot more and do tons of rambling in the day and observing at night ;)

(so hidden away too)

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Asur84

Asur84

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fieldhead camp site looks like the spot! and its not to hard to get to by the looks of things, google mapped it and its just over a hour away. ive decided this will be my first destination on hopefully a long winter of stargazing!! bring on the dark skys!!

I agree on this one blue.

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brantuk

brantuk

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Good choice Johnathon - wish I'd been into astronomy when we used to go there (mostly for walking) - I just love that little valley - babbling brook, close to nature, extreme relaxation, dark, and totally away from it all ;)

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Bluenosebatty

Bluenosebatty

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Good choice Johnathon - wish I'd been into astronomy when we used to go there (mostly for walking) - I just love that little valley - babbling brook, close to nature, extreme relaxation, dark, and totally away from it all ;)

That Sounds perfect to me! Ive Just been reading the reviews all very good! theres is 2 country pubs within 5 mins walk! What more could a bloke ask for! 8-) cold ale by day dark clear skys at night!! Amen!!! Looking forward to it now, tent shopping weekend!

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blackparticle

blackparticle

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I guess Stanlow isn't helping? :rolleyes:

Here's a brilliant spot with a campsite. I haven't been there myself yet although friends say it was so so dark. One of the darkest skies in Wales I believe. It's on the Lleyn Peninsula so an easy-ish drive from Chester and right near a secluded beach.

If you drop the co-ords into Googlemaps and then zoom out you'll see the campsite marked with a green arrow just to the NW of the locator for B4413.

52.851847,-4.719636

In fact it should be added as a possible venue for a star party I reckon. ;)

Alan.

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laser_jock99

laser_jock99

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I found this campsite on Google Maps- if this doesn't have dark Southern horizon then nowhere will! Zoom out and you see what I mean.

If you put the little Google 'Street Man' by the entrance to the camp site you can see the phone number- how clever is that!

Google Maps

Never been there myself so only a ground visit would really tell.

MODS- can we have a new section (maybe under Observing?) detailing recomended dark sky observing sites. I know a few places I'd like to list?

EDIT- here you go....link to campsite web page http://www.aberdaroncaravanandcampingsite.co.uk/

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laser_jock99

laser_jock99

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I have been to that last one near Aberdaron.

You can actually stay over night across the water on Bardsey Island - even darker!

Is it dark? The thing that can easily wreck an otherwise great location is a farm 'security' light or even a lighthouse (had that problem once in Cornwall on the Lizard Peninsula- that too would be a great place if wasn't for the searchlight like beam sweeping around every 10 seconds.......).

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iamjulian

iamjulian

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It was quite a few years ago so I wouldn't like to say what it would be like today. It is a popular one though and the static caravans would probably churn out a fair bit of light. You're best looking at tent only sites. Best one I ever saw was on the coast somewhere between Aberdyfi and Harlech. Right on the cliff edge, there were just a handful of tents in a small field. Saw it from the train at dusk... found it! Google Maps

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mcro89

mcro89

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I suggest any National Park.

I have camped out on dartmoor a few times and I'm sure most other National Parks are just as good. I don't know what the Peak District is like as it is surrounded by some large cities but worth checking out.

Make sure you check what areas you can wild camp on as well because i know that Dartmoor have the Army on there doing live fire training and you don't want to camp in the middle of that ;)

I Plan to do a weekend camping trip to each National Park. Hopefully will get round 1 or 2 a year.

Matt

Matt

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blackparticle

blackparticle

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Bardsey lighthouse isn't much of an issue around there. The surrounding mainland is much higher than the island so the beam from the lighthouse seems to sweep under you.

With the Lleyn Peninsula being so sparsly populated and surrounded by water it does appear on the dark sky maps as one of the places where sky glow is at a minimum. The LV Mag according to the need-less site rates it at a whopping 7.58 !! ;)

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Jiggy 67

Jiggy 67

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That Sounds perfect to me! Ive Just been reading the reviews all very good! theres is 2 country pubs within 5 mins walk! What more could a bloke ask for! 8-) cold ale by day dark clear skys at night!! Amen!!! Looking forward to it now, tent shopping weekend!

Hi Batty, let us know what you try out, I live in Runcorn and suffer the same problem, I'd be interested in travelling times and your rating of any site you try

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