ESKDALE Campsite has been bought by conservation charity the National Trust who welcomed their first arrivals this weekend at the start of their 2019 season.

It means people now have five National Trust sites to choose from in the Lakes giving them direct access to the great outdoors and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The trust has been running campsites in the Lake District for over 50 years, welcoming generations of campers to its sites at Great Langdale, Wasdale, Low Wray and, more recently, Hoathwaite.

Around 70,000 stay each year and many return year after year.

Campers at Eskdale Campsite will be looked after by the Trust’s Wasdale Campsite team.

The National Trust paid the asking price of £1.65m for the campsite and were the vendors’ preferred buyer.

Jane Saxon, general manager for Holidays in the Lakes, said: “We’re looking forward to continuing the good work of the vendors, Martyn and Sara, including being part of community initiatives to attract visitors to Eskdale year round.

“We are also pleased Martyn and Sara wanted us to take on the campsite.

“There are some great opportunities to connect campers with the work of the rangers, who look after the valley, for linking our campsites.”

Popular with walkers who like riverside walks and high fell adventures, Eskdale Campsite sits at the foot of Hardknott Pass in the village of Boot.

It includes 100 camping pitches, 10 glamping pods, a camping barn and a cottage.

The addition of Eskdale to the portfolio strengthens the trust’s ability to support conservation in to the future allowing more campers to give back to the places that they love in the Lake District.