About Krankenhaus
Krankenhaus Festival is brought to you by Sea Power, Muncaster Castle and friends.
Krankenhaus Festival will be held once again at the stunning setting of Muncaster Castle, a striking and ancient site near Ravenglass, on the wild and beautiful western edge of the English Lake District. Ravenglass was described by Lake District sage John Ruskin as “the gateway to paradise”.
Ravenglass is the Lake District National Park’s only coastal village and sits within two UNESCO World Heritage sites: The Lake District National Park and Frontiers Of The Roman Empire. For more information: https://whc.unesco.org
Muncaster Castle sits overlooking the River Esk, in an area with easy access to both the coast and the majestic lakes and fells of the western Lake District. The castle is just a short drive from Lakeland peaks such as Scafell Pike. The steam trains of the Ravenglass And Eskdale Railway and the sand dunes at Drigg are a short distance away. The nearest mainline rail station is Ravenglass For Eskdale.
The festival runs from Friday 28 August until Sunday 30 August with general camping available from midday Thursday 27 August until 6pm Monday 31 August. We also have additional options of extending your stay for those of you who want to holiday and further enjoy Muncaster, Eskdale and the surrounding Cumbrian countryside and coast. The Long Stay Pass allows you to stay from midday on Tuesday 25 August until midday on Tuesday 1 September. Or you can book one additional night after the festival, extending your stay until midday on Tuesday 1 September.
Each day will roughly be split, with mornings and early afternoons to enjoy the castle and grounds – or to go further afield and take part in organised activities such as guided walks to the surrounding fells and seaside. You can also take the Ravenglass And Eskdale Railway’s L’al Ratty narrow-gauge steam train out into Eskdale. In the mornings there will also be a programme of talks and other entertainment in the castle buildings and castle grounds. From early afternoon, the focus will move to the Home Farm Barn and the Glade stage areas where most of the musical performances will take place, followed by DJ sets until around 1am on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights. A full schedule of performances and talks will be announced before the festival.
Muncaster Castle is open as a tourist attraction and festival goers have access to all the facilities at no extra charge. In the daytime you will be able to enjoy the castle and its grounds, including play areas, cafe and gardens. You will also be able to take advantage of the Weapons Hall and the birds of prey flying displays. All these features are included in the festival ticket price. Visit www.muncaster.co.uk for more information. The festival is very dog friendly.
Festival-goers will be eligible for a 25 per cent discount on the Ravenglass And Eskdale Railway, giving reduced-price excursions on the narrow-gauge stream trains. The discount code will be emailed to festival goers at least two weeks before the festival begins. Once you have the code you can book here: www.ravenglass-railway.
Getting Here
GETTING TO MUNCASTER
Please do not attempt to try the scenic route over the hills if your vehicle is past its best or unusually large. The best advice is to ignore sat nav and stick to the A595. The postcode for the festival car park and entrance is CA18 1RD. Please avoid driving through the coach and disabled car park entrance and the Muncaster Castle main gate. Keep your eyes peeled for festival signs and the obvious large car park adjacent to the A595.
PARKING
There is a large car park available in front of the castle main entrance. Spaces for overnight weekend parking, including camper vans and motorhomes, can be booked online. There are charges for overnight, weekend and day parking and all parking can be booked online.
ARRIVAL & DEPARTURE
The nearest train station to Muncaster Castle is Ravenglass For Eskdale which can be accessed from Carlisle train station in the north or Preston and Lancaster train stations in the south.
Carlisle to Ravenglass For Eskdale train tickets and timetables: northernrailway.co.uk
Lancaster to Ravenglass For Eskdale train tickets and timetables: northernrailway.co.uk
For more tickets and times to Ravenglass For Eskdale: thetrainline.com
TAXIS
Muncaster Castle is a short walk from the station, but taxis are available locally:
Gosforth Taxis Ltd (tel: 019467 25308 or 07774 868579)
Sims Travel (tel: 019467 23227)
Camping & Accommodation
Four nights’ camping is included in ticket price. There is an additional charge for camper vans and parking. You can arrive to set up from midday on Thursday 27 August and leave by 6pm on Monday 31 August. There is no vehicle access to the campsite. Please park in the designated festival car park near the Muncaster main entrance and make your way on foot with your camping gear to the campsite. The campsite is accessible via the castle’s main entrance gate and is no more than 400m from the car park. There will be plenty of benches, chairs and straw bales to sit on in the festival area, but do bring fold-out chairs if you don’t mind carrying them.
BBQs and fires are not allowed on site. We will have controlled fires in the courtyard during the weekend but ask that you do not start any of your own. Camping stoves are fine provided they are away from flammable tents. Don’t forget your tent, sleeping bags, waterproofs, suncream, insect repellent and toilet roll. This is Britain so pack for all weathers. Lighting is limited on site so remember a torch. Campsites have access to a rubbish and recycling point, toilets (including accessible toilet) and drinking water. Hot showers are nearby. Please note that a seldom used public footpath runs alongside the camping field. Belongings are left at your own risk. As with other campsites, we advise guests should manage their own belongings and security. For general supplies the nearest store is the Spar at Holmrook petrol station which is a short drive away, three miles to the north, towards Whitehaven on the A595.
CAMPERVANS
The camper van field is adjacent to the festival car park, with sea views available. There will be clean running water, showers, toilets, waste water disposal and toilet emptying facilities. But there are no electric hookups.
TOILETS & SHOWERS
There will be fresh water, hot showers and toilets in the camping fields and also at the Gateway Cafe. There will also be toilet facilities and fresh water at the Old Barn and Courtyard. There are permanent toilets in and around the castle including disabled access. Please only use environmentally-friendly shower gel and shampoo in the showers. We will provide eco-friendly shower products, but please bring your own too.
ACCOMMODATION
There is a range of self-catering accommodation and hotel rooms and glamping tents run by the castle which can be booked via the castle website (https://www.muncaster.co.uk/)
OFF-SITE ACCOMMODATION
If camping isn’t your thing there’s plenty of accommodation locally, ranging from hotels and B&Bs to self-catering cottages and caravan parks. The links below help you explore the options available.
www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Hotels-
www.muncaster.co.uk/staywithus
Accessibility
We are committed to making the festival as inclusive as possible and aim to provide an accessible and enjoyable experience for all our guests. But the festival is being held at a working farm with rough tracks, paths and uneven ground which may make access a little challenging for some. We will provide extra assistance where we can to ensure all guests enjoy the festival. Throughout the festival weekend a programme of performances have been scheduled across the Muncaster site. These performances have step-free access which should enable access for all. There is an accessible raised platform in the main barn. Companion tickets are available free of charge and can be booked with weekend tickets.
The main paths and tracks within the Muncaster Gardens that lead to the castle, café and performance areas offer easy access for most, however some of the smaller paths that lead away from this central hub become steep and uneven and are not recommended for people with accessibility difficulties. Accessible camping is situated on the right hand side of the camping field where the terrain is at its most level. There are also a limited number of accessible pitches for motorhomes. Accessible parking is situated within the day visitor car park and will have a designated area.
Accessible toilets are available at the Gateway Cafe, campsites, Festival Barn Site, and Stable Yard. The festival has access to two mobility scooters, available to hire on request. Please phone 01229 717614 to book these and confirm availability.
Assistance dogs are welcome, however there is no access for any dogs in the Muncaster Hawk & Owl Centre.
There is a chill-out area in the festival’s Barn courtyard and Muncaster Gardens have plenty of beautiful spaces with breathtaking views and cool woodland walks for quiet times and relaxation.
If you have specific access requirements, please let us know by emailing info@krankenhausfestival.com
Sustainability
Please respect the environment and wildlife throughout the festival site and surrounding countryside. Abide by signs, keep to paths and use common sense.
RECYCLING
We aim to be an eco-friendly festival. Recycling bins are situated in the camping fields and in the main festival area. Please use them. Consider only bringing what you need so as to not overwhelm our rubbish and recycling; leave bulky packaging at home and travel light where you can. Please leave your camp tidy and take all your camping gear with you.
REUSABLE CUP SCHEME
This year, we’ve moved to a reusable cup scheme, reducing single-use plastic at the bar. When you buy your first drink, you will pay a non-returnable fee of £1. Re-use your cup or exchange for a token at the bar so you can re-claim the cup later on. Cup cleaning available by the bar.
SHOWERS
To protect our environment please only use environmentally-friendly shower gel and shampoo provided in the showers.
DRINKING WATER
Please bring reusable drinking bottles. Free water refilling stations are situated in the camping fields, festival area and Stable Yard in the Muncaster Gardens.
Muncaster Castle’s Conservation Matters page is available here: muncaster.co.uk/castle-
CHILDREN’S ACTIVITIES
There are play areas within the Muncaster Castle grounds, including the Yeti Adventure Quarry, the Giant Swing, the Adventure Playground, the Enchanted Trail and the Bird Hide. Muncaster Castle has a Hawk And Owl Centre and there are bird of prey displays daily (muncaster.co.uk/
The Curlew’s Tale is a 1.5-mile trail along the England Coast Path at Ravenglass. For the story and map visit here: taletrails.co.uk/the-
During the festival, the Knotted Project will be providing children’s activities daily. Please see festival line-up for more children and teens activities.
Families & Dogs
We are a dog-friendly festival, but please be responsible and keep your dogs on a lead and bring plenty of poo bags. Unfortunately, dogs are not allowed into the castle so can’t be at the talks and readings taking place in the Drawing Room and Old Laundry. Dogs are also not allowed in the DOG FREE ZONE within the barn, which is the central area in front of the stage, so please keep them to the sides or rear of the barn. Please be mindful that leads and dogs are trip hazards.
Other Info
CASH & CARD PAYMENTS
The castle cafe, gift shop and the barn bar will accept card payments. However due to the weak phone signals it may not be possible to pay with cards for some of the food vendors and the merchandise stand so be prepared to have some cash.
The nearest ATM is at the garage in Holmrook, 3 miles north on the A595.
WIFI & PHONE SIGNAL
There is free public WIFI at various points around the gardens enabling visitors to access WIFI without a password. The closest location to the barn/campsite for WIFI is in and around the main ticket office where the showers are located. Alternatively public WIFI is available in the castle itself and around the main buildings including the shop, cafe, reception and eco barn.
FOOD AND DRINK
Food and Drink will be available in the Barn Courtyard and also at the Castles Cafe serving breakfast, lunch, dinner and supper.
Vegans, Vegetarians and Meat Eaters will all be catered for. We welcome back the Honest Supper Club amongst others. There will also be a wide range of local and real ales, including from award-winning Cumbrian brewers, Gan Yan, who will have their own separate bar.