If there is one thing we have learnt since opening Camping at Cardewlees in 2019, it is this: Easter camping in Cumbria can be anything from glorious sunshine to full-on storm mode.
When we first opened, we were incredibly lucky. Easter 2019 brought beautiful sunshine and the sort of weather every campsite owner dreams about. The field was full of happy campers, there was a bar in the back of a horse box, singing on the back of a bale trailer, and the whole day had that lovely buzz about it. It was one of those weekends that made us think, yes, this is exactly what we hoped Camping at Cardewlees could be.
It was a cracking start.
Since then though, Easter has shown us just how unpredictable camping in Cumbria can be.
Easter camping in Cumbria is never predictable
One year Easter fell at the end of March and, to put it bluntly, it was bloody cold. Another year, despite our fields being very well drained, the weather had been so relentless that it was simply too wet and we had to cancel bookings altogether. That is never a decision we enjoy making, but sometimes the weather makes the decisions for you.
This year brought another mixed bag.
The ground itself was actually okay, which felt like a small win, but Storm Dave was out doing his worst. Because of that, I rang everyone beforehand to offer them the chance to rearrange their stay. Some took the opportunity, and honestly, I could not blame them. Others decided to brave it anyway and stick with their Easter camping break in Cumbria come what may.
Some campers understandably still chose to head home early once the weather really set in, while others saw the weekend through. Those are the moments that remind you just how hardy campers can be. Some people hear wind and rain and run for cover. Others put another layer on, tighten the guy ropes and carry on.
Breakfast in the Barn did not go to plan 🙈
The weather also meant that our Breakfast in the Barn was not quite the event we had hoped for. We had imagined a busy, cheerful gathering with campers enjoying breakfast, soaking up the atmosphere and meeting the animals. Instead, the storm rather stole the limelight.
Still, all was not lost.
The campers who did brave the weather got a more personal experience and a few extra cuddles with the lambs, which is not a bad consolation prize if you ask me.
That is the funny thing about family campsite life in Cumbria. It rarely goes exactly to plan, but there are often little moments in the middle of the madness that make it all worthwhile.
Behind the scenes of a family-run campsite in Cumbria
Having a campsite is a funny old business. For months of the year things can feel relatively quiet. There is planning to do, repairs to think about, ideas to develop and endless jobs to chip away at. Then all of a sudden the season kicks back in, the bookings pick up, the field fills, and you are left with a list of what feels like a thousand jobs all at once.
There are toilets to clean, arrivals to organise, messages to answer, pitches to prepare and plans to juggle. And in our case, all of that happens while family life carries on in the background too.
This Easter, that background has been particularly chaotic. The hubby has been lambing, which means he has been popping in and out of bed all night. Sleep has been pretty elusive, not helped by the fact that his snoring is absolutely unbearable until he is properly asleep. So quite frankly, campers are lucky he is still standing and here to look after them on site.
And as if that was not enough, all of this has been happening in the middle of GCSE revision too, while I am trying to support a dyslexic son through it. Between the weather, the campsite, the lambing, the lack of sleep and revision, I am just about done.
That is the reality of running a family-run campsite near Carlisle. It is busy, seasonal, unpredictable and never, ever boring.
Easter also means lambing season at Cardewlees
This time of year also means lambing season.
We were especially excited this Easter because we were waiting on lambs from our Valais Blacknose sheep, including some from the flock Johnny saved from slaughter. That made these lambs feel even more special to us. There was a lot of hope tied up in them.
Sadly, we lost the little girl, and that was heartbreaking.
That is the side of farm campsite life in Cumbria that people do not always see. It is not all sunsets, toasted marshmallows and pretty photos. It can be tough, emotional and completely unpredictable. You can be welcoming guests one minute and dealing with loss the next.
But alongside the sadness, there is also a lot to be thankful for.
We now have three strong tup lambs for the future, and we are really grateful for them. In the middle of the wind, the mud, the worry and the endless jobs list, they feel like a reminder that good things are still growing here.
The real story of Easter at Camping at Cardewlees
So no, this Easter weekend was not the picture-perfect event we might have hoped for. It did not bring wall-to-wall sunshine or a packed Breakfast in the Barn. It brought strong winds, changed plans and a few hard moments.
But it also brought the reality of what Camping at Cardewlees is all about.
It is real life. It is family-run. It is weather-watching, problem-solving, mucking in and carrying on. It is appreciating the campers who stick with you through the rough weather as well as the glorious days. It is celebrating the good bits, learning from the difficult ones and finding joy in the smaller moments — like lamb cuddles in a barn while the storm batters on outside.
And somehow, even when Easter is a washout, there is still something special about it.
Because that is campsite life.
Messy, unpredictable, exhausting at times — but never dull.
And we would not have it any other way.
Thank you to our people, we love you ❤️
