Welcome to High Wray Basecamp

Four volunteers on an upland working holiday working together to move a large boulder with metal crowbars — Learn all about teamwork on a working holiday

Nestled in its own private wooded grounds, High Wray Basecamp is the National Trust’s full time volunteer centre in the Lake District.

We work closely with the rest of the South Lakes ranger team to ensure that volunteers at High Wray play an important part in helping to keep our marvellous countryside in tip top condition.

Still going strong since 1969

Since opening in 1969 the High Wray ethos has been that volunteers get as much out of working with us as we do from them, something that still holds true today. We aim to help people feel that they've contributed something towards a beautiful place, learnt some new skills and had some fun doing it!

Littledale Hall Therapeutic Community on the path they helped build at Wray Bay — Littledale Hall at Wray Bay

In the heart of the Lakes

We're proud to be an integral part of the South Lakes property, a gloriously diverse area that covers everything from lakeshore to high fell. Our area includes famous beauty spots like Tarn Hows and Windermere lake, Beatrix Potter's house Hill Top, an art gallery of her work and even a castle. With 15 working farms and a wonderful network of paths linking it all together, that's a lot of land to look after!

We couldn't do it without:

Volunteers from Mind in Barrow with their freshley resurfaced path in the play trail at Wray Castle

Meet the volunteers

Find out more about the different volunteer groups we work with.

Drystone walling working holiday members half way through their build

Working holidays

Want to join in? A working holiday could be for you ....

Video

Building a path to recovery - Littledale Hall at High Wray Basecamp

Follow Littledale Hall therapeutic community as they spend a week at High Wray Basecamp, building a new path along the shores of Windermere Lake.

The view from the access track to High Wray Basecamp volunteer centre

High Wray Basecamp Yearbook 2018

2018 has been another packed year at High Wray Basecamp, the National Trust's oldest and busiest volunteer centre. Our annual yearbook looks back on some of the great conservation work tackled by the brilliant volunteers we’ve worked with.

The Acland block at High Wray Basecamp in afternoon sun

I'd like to stay

You can hire High Wray for your own private group and with prices from £11 per person at weekdays and £14 at weekends it's a great way of exploring the lovely South Lakes. We don't have a link yet but give us a ring on 015394 34633 to find out more.