We welcome small camper vans and tents. Dearden wood was planted by North West Water with the assistance of local schools around 1930. We understand the pines were planted as a crop to supply pit poles to the coal mines in the local area and as a timber resource for felling as and when the trees grew to maturity. A small number of oak trees existed in the plunge valley however in the main, no wood
land existed. The campsite within Dearden Wood was originally the nursery for North West Water and supplied plants and tree saplings to the company’s sites around the North West. After the nursery closed in the 70’s, Rossendale Girl Guides secured the site as a campsite for Guides, Scouts, Duke of Edinburgh groups and the local community. In 2014, new owners Mark and Karen Law purchased the campsite and woodland with a view to improving the rustic facilities on site for the children and managing the woodland back into good health. Over the last 4 years the campsite has been transformed and along with assistance from Myerscough College in Garstang, the woodland is receiving the regeneration attention that it requires. Following a request from a local councillor, the owners also applied for a licence for public camping. This was confirmed in 2019. The site is in a beautiful and peaceful location just North of Edenfield. Part of the charm of the site is the well known Plunge Valley with its river and waterfalls and the beautiful moorlands that surround the site which provide access for walkers and cyclists. Edenfield with its famous bakery, butchers, cafe, local pubs and eateries are only a short walk away. Ramsbottom with its restaurants, bars, supermarkets, shops, steam railway and yearly events is only a 5 minute drive from the site The owners are now offering public camping in the school holidays which is the time that the children groups rarely use the campsite, however; “first dibs” will always go to the children out of the holidays which will ensure that the site is enjoyed as an environmental outdoor experience for children groups for years to come.
