Hathersage · June 2026 · A letter from the team

Base Camp Hathersage is open

The journey we went on to take a loved but fading YHA in the Peak District, and reimagine it, in our own way, as a Base Camp.

How it started

Base Camp Hathersage started life as a YHA hostel, and for years it gave thousands of guests great, affordable accommodation at the foot of the hills. But over time the building began to show its age, and the quality of the stay started to fall away. In the end, YHA decided it was a building they had to leave behind, and they put it up for sale.

But there was one key point. They didn’t want it sold off and turned into a fancy home, or a bunch of flats to Airbnb out. They wanted it to stay a hostel, and they wanted to do it with a partner who felt the same way. So rather than simply walk away, they chose to entrust it to us, and to build it back together.

And we still work in partnership with YHA today, which we’re proud of. It keeps the place true to what it has always been, an affordable way for anyone to reach the outdoors, while we bring it up to the standard guests rightly expect now.

The lounge of the old YHA Hathersage, mismatched chairs and worn carpet — The lounge.

The old YHA Hathersage dining room with YHA signage — The dining room.

A dated dorm at the old YHA Hathersage with metal bunk beds — The dorms.

What we believe

It’s important to touch on what we at Base Camp believe. Our whole ethos is about connecting people to the outdoors, and through the outdoors, connecting them to each other.

But to get people to a hostel in today’s world, our view is that you need to offer a level of service and quality that isn’t so different from what they’re used to at home. People want nice bathrooms. They want comfy beds. They want lovely furniture and a friendly, kind host.

Connecting people to the outdoors, and through the outdoors, to each other.

What we did

So what does a year of work actually look like? We started by stripping the old place right back, keeping what was worth keeping and replacing what wasn’t.

The bathrooms were the first thing to sort out. Proper, clean, modern facilities you’ll actually be glad to use. We’ve put in comfortable beds, the kind you sleep well in after a long day on the hills. And we’ve furnished the rooms and the communal spaces with care, so there’s a good place to cook, to eat together, to dry your boots and sit down with a drink at the end of the day.

None of it is flashy. It’s just done properly, and done with care, because that’s the difference between a place you put up with and a place you want to come back to.

A room at Base Camp Hathersage stripped back to bare plaster and floorboards — Stripped back to the bones.

Floorboards lifted and walls taken back during the Hathersage renovation — Floors up, walls back.

New copper pipework and ladders during the Hathersage renovation — New pipework going in.

Base Camp Hathersage today

A year on, here’s how it looks. The same building, brought back to life.

The restored common room at Base Camp Hathersage — The common room.

One of the new bathrooms at Base Camp Hathersage — One of the new bathrooms.

Bunks made up and ready in a Base Camp Hathersage dorm — Bunks, made up and ready.

We’d love to have you

Base Camp Hathersage is open and taking bookings, in the Peak District village of Hathersage, ten minutes from the station. Come and see what a year of care looks like.

Book your stay →