Dark Sky Campsites

[City9Town0]

Up in the hills from Lake Vyrnry... Spent one night at Bwlch y Groes car park I think 52°79N 3°61"W... plenty isolated enough, plenty dark enough (and cold enough!)

[estwing]

Elan, Brecon, Llyn Peninsula..cant go wrong. 

[Gfamily]

On 05/09/2020 at 00:15, globular said:

Not been for a while (and was my pre astronomy days so I wasn't looking for sites) but it was all trees from what I remember.
Where is a good spot there?  Do you have coords?

Not on Vyrnwy, but a favoured location for nightscape photography is the car park below Alwen Reservoir. This is about 30 minutes from Bala.

[ScouseSpaceCadet]

On 05/09/2020 at 11:55, carastro said:

All the nice dark sky sites seem to be in Wales or the North of the country, we have nothing as dark as that in the SE even though we probably get less cloud and rain.

Carole  

Depending where you live it's still a trek to dark sites. From Liverpool, Bortle 4 skies require a 60 mile drive and Bortle 3 at least 100 miles. Then as you mentioned, it rains more up here. 🙄

There are national parks an easy driving distance in & around Kent. Are the Kent Downs, High Weald and South Downs not adequate?

Edited September 10, 2020 by ScouseSpaceCadet

[carastro]

Quote

There are national parks an easy driving distance in & around Kent. Are the Kent Downs, High Weald and South Downs not adequate?

We do go to High Weald, also Kelling which is for me 145 miles approx, but these are both Bortle 4, there is nothing lower than Bortle 4 that I know of in the S/SE.  If there is some-one please tell me where.

What I was saying was the darkest sites seem to be up North or in Wales/Ireland.  Still can't have it all ways.

Carole 

[icpn]

Haw Wood in Suffolk is pretty good with SQM's in the 21.6 range on a good night we saw the Zodiacal light there twice on the last trip.  Devon around Exmoor is pretty darl as well, better than Kelling.

[x6gas]

Grange Farm on the Isle of Wight?

Also there is this website: https://www.campsites.co.uk/search/dark-sky-campsites

Agree this should be a sticky!

[ScouseSpaceCadet]

Back from Kielder campsite. Midge central but no bites, although I've probably poisoned myself with repellent.

Despite the insects and mud, a well maintained site with decent facilities and pleasant staff.

On Tuesday night around 10pm the skies suddenly cleared and I was treated to amazing sights. The Milky Way arching across the sky was just awesome. A naked eye M31 was better than I imagined through binoculars.

The list of objects I consumed is just too long. Those three hours lying in the tent vestibule, head poking out of the door with 10x50s perched on my face was worth the 340 mile, six hour round trip!

 

Edited September 17, 2020 by ScouseSpaceCadet

[wormix]

Sounds amazing - I’m currently set up in a campsite in the chilterns (Bortle 4, SQM20.54) with excellent Eastern views ready for some planetary action tonight. 
 

Still planning a dark sky later this year hopefully.  

[ScouseSpaceCadet]

4 hours ago, wormix said:

Sounds amazing - I’m currently set up in a campsite in the chilterns (Bortle 4, SQM20.54) with excellent Eastern views ready for some planetary action tonight. 
 

Still planning a dark sky later this year hopefully.  

Sounds good. Regarding the 'no bites' statement, this afternoon I have eleven itchy lumps on my legs. Avoid Kielder in the summer unless you can tolerate incredible itching! 

[Viv]

Just searching myself for Astro camping / van.

i stopped at Hares leap near Louth. Not sure on the official Bortle, but it’s visible milky way.

they have 5 hard standing pitches, with grass inbetween. Each has power hook up. Only £15 per night. But need to take your own toilet though.

i did ask about Astro nights, as there is a single bright lamp At the entrance, but with prior agreement, it can be turned off.......

[Barry-W-Fenner]

On 05/09/2020 at 11:55, carastro said:

All the nice dark sky sites seem to be in Wales or the North of the country, we have nothing as dark as that in the SE even though we probably get less cloud and rain.

Carole  

I hear you Carole, after my adventures to rural Devon I have been looking over the light pollution map all arround Kent. The best I can find are a few areas that are listed as high bortle 4 to low 5. I think that might be optimistic to be honest. I would love to have some darker skies down this part of the country.