Still Gems out there

Fisherman
Fisherman Forum Participant Posts: 2,367
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edited April 2017 in Certificated Locations #1

Last minute decision. Found suitable CL. e mailed owner, quick response and booked on line. Price as stated on web site £13-50 per night. Hard grass pitch, EHU and WC, Facilities readily to hand. Bus stop, Pub and shop within 270 yds. Located close to beach holiday hot spot. All for £13-50 per night.  Nearest CC  ( Shawsmead) Same time  £25-50.  Where is it? No 2125.Everything a Cl should be. If they can do it why are some others out pricing themselves? This site wont let  me add a picture (over 500kb?)

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  • ChrisRogers
    ChrisRogers Forum Participant Posts: 435
    edited April 2017 #2

    There sure are, mine was £6 a night with full facilities............water tap and toilet empty point, that's all we need. The grass was a little soft at the beginning of April so used hard standing, the fishing lake car park. Cycle path at the lane end, plenty of walks for dogs. C&MC site 8 mile down the road £28 a night

  • nelliethehooker
    nelliethehooker Club Member Posts: 13,636
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    edited April 2017 #3

    Agree with you there, Fisherman. Our last trip, Feb-April, of 52 nights worked out at exactly £13 pn, 9 CLs and 1 non-facility comm. site, all with EHU some with toilets. 

  • AndyNYorks
    AndyNYorks Forum Participant Posts: 144
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    edited April 2017 #4

    Looks good Chris. Are you going to let us into the secret of which CL it is?

  • Fisherman
    Fisherman Forum Participant Posts: 2,367
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    edited April 2017 #5

    Pointless putting comments on here without identifying the Gems.

  • nelliethehooker
    nelliethehooker Club Member Posts: 13,636
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    edited April 2017 #6

    We're at present on another little gem....Moss Thorn, No.296.....H/S, EHU, toilet and easy access, on the doorstep of the Lake District, all for £10 pn!!

  • Athel
    Athel Forum Participant Posts: 80
    edited April 2017 #7

    I've just booked our first trip of the year to Lough House Sweethope. Didn't have much detail on the CC entry but found their website and it looks wonderful. Middle of nowhere, right by the water. There are toilets and showers at the fishery and each hardstanding has its own ehh and water. £13 per night. Hoping it will be as good as it looks, we lost one of our dogs last week so will be nice to get away somewhere new.

     

  • Takethedogalong
    Takethedogalong Forum Participant Posts: 17,041 ✭✭✭
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    edited April 2017 #8

    Sorry to hear about your dog athel, very sad to lose a four legged friend. 

    We are on another gem, up on North York Moors at Lockton, we have 100 metres either side and to front of us, so very private, lots of space, reliable free wifi, great dog walking out of gate, surrounded by glorious countryside and things to see and do, steam Railway half a mile away. Pub is a half mile stroll, serves great food. All for £12 per night. Bliss!laughing

  • Fisherman
    Fisherman Forum Participant Posts: 2,367
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    edited April 2017 #9

    Could you please put in the Cl numbers when  posting. Makes finding them on line and in the book easier. We need to keep these  Gems going as they are a rare species.

  • Takethedogalong
    Takethedogalong Forum Participant Posts: 17,041 ✭✭✭
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    edited April 2017 #10

    Ashfield Caravan Site, Lockton. Under Pickering, North Yorks. Sorry haven't got handbook with us at moment.

  • Pilgrimphil
    Pilgrimphil Forum Participant Posts: 97
    edited April 2017 #11

    Regarding the Lough House Sweethope site. We stayed in 201 ans there were no showers/toilet. I can't see reference to them on their website either.

     

    This is the review we did that seems to have been "lost" in the recent website revamp. Originally posted on UKCampsites :-

     

    We stayed at Sweethope Lough for 4 nights in mid September 2012.

     

    As the previous reviewer has stated, the site is fairly isolated but it is well set up with long terraced hardstandings, electric hookup and a dedicated water point to each pitch. No awnings are permitted, probably due to the narrow pitches and the boggy nature of the grass dividing strips between pitches. Views across the lakes from the pitch are stunning whatever the weather.

     

    There are short walks around the two site lakes although, during our visit, the fishery & boating businesses were closed, so it was very quiet. Great Wanney Crags are close by where you may encounter some ”crag rats” attempting some quirkily names climbs such as Nosey Parker, Broken Wing & Willing to Sin! Some of the footpaths in this particular area were a bit of a quagmire giving us wet trousers, socks & boots!

     

    The nearest shops appeared to be the hotel/filling station at Knowesgate on the A696 crossroads which is probably 3.5 miles away.

    We didn’t get to see the site manager at all, so we left our site fees in the fishery “returns” box at the entrance building.

     

    PilgrimPhil

     

  • Athel
    Athel Forum Participant Posts: 80
    edited April 2017 #12

    Thanks Phil, I saw your review. I have contacted the CL manager and he confirmed that there are toilets and showers. He said they were about 200m from the CL site itself.

  • ChrisRogers
    ChrisRogers Forum Participant Posts: 435
    edited April 2017 #13

    1911 in club handbook, Street House Farm, Tadcaster. Only 8 mile to centre of York by bike.

  • fatbelly
    fatbelly Forum Participant Posts: 438
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    edited April 2017 #14

    Thanks fisherman, it looks a good CL. We're off for a week in June so may pay it a visit 

  • nelliethehooker
    nelliethehooker Club Member Posts: 13,636
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    edited April 2017 #15

    I see that there's no reference to the web site on the CC's web page, but did manage to find it :- http://www.sweethope.co.uk/index.php.

    It does certainly look a good choise. Athel. Sorry to hear about the loss of your dog, we know just how you must feel.

  • Takethedogalong
    Takethedogalong Forum Participant Posts: 17,041 ✭✭✭
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    edited May 2017 #16

    I am not sure the website links to CLs are all live to be honest Nellie. Certainly the one to Ashfield wasn't when I tried it. There are certainly quicker routes to finding a CL than the Club's own website at the moment! 

  • Johnny57
    Johnny57 Club Member Posts: 369 ✭✭✭
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    edited May 2017 #17

    Hi
    Just had the following review left today!

    “A HIDDEN GEM”
    “We stayed over the bank holiday to try camping off grid. The site, despite its slope, was carefully planned to accommodate both caravans and motor homes. The grass is short, battery charging via the solar panel is available, and the site is well kept. The off grid experience was a good experience.”

    If any of you are ever in Oxfordshire come and stay with us at Newton Grove

    Regards,
    John
    NEWTON GROVE, Barford Road, South Newington, BANBURY, OX15 4LN
    Caravan & Motorhome Club Site Directory 2017/18 no: 1273 (p440) CMC Listing
    Reviews
    E: newton.grove@btconnect.com
    P: 07722 918265
    W: newtongrove.co.uk
    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NewtonGroveCL

  • Takethedogalong
    Takethedogalong Forum Participant Posts: 17,041 ✭✭✭
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    edited May 2017 #18

    Your avatar is excellent J57! We hope to use your CL at some point, but a tad far for a short tour at the moment. Hope things are going well though.

  • nelliethehooker
    nelliethehooker Club Member Posts: 13,636
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    edited May 2017 #19

    Stopping on another little gem...Newark Farm, Sanquhar, No.1992 in SD. H/S, EHU, easy access, great views & good traffic-free dog walk, all for £12 pn. Oh, and their web site works too and is well worth a visit!!

  • relaxatresthaven123
    relaxatresthaven123 Forum Participant Posts: 27
    edited May 2017 #20

    Hi.We view ourselves as a gem. We are a cl in North Devon with Woolacombe and Ilfracombe only 5 minutes away. We are in process of updating our cl listing on website as it doesn't contain the information or photograph we thought it did. We have a Facebook page Resthaven Farm. Please take a lookcool

  • nelliethehooker
    nelliethehooker Club Member Posts: 13,636
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    edited May 2017 #21

    Yet another gem on this trip.....Davochfin, Dornoch. All grass, EHU with views, very quiet, a great dog walk straight into the adjacent forest, 4 fishing lakes and a driving range. All for £10 pn!!!

    Of course the fishing and golf are not included in the price.wink

  • Fisherman
    Fisherman Forum Participant Posts: 2,367
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    edited June 2017 #22

    Another. No 749.Just returned near Leominster. Tarmac farm drive. Choice of Grass or  hardstanding .EHU. Best  Facility block we have seen. Long views to Welsh Marches.At top  of our price range ( £15 and not £13 as shown on web site)

  • nelliethehooker
    nelliethehooker Club Member Posts: 13,636
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    edited June 2017 #23

    And another one that's great value at £12 pn....Greenpark CL, Banchory, large all H/S pitches, toilet and free shower, good dog walk along old railway line just outside the drive. Pods & cabins for rent too.

  • 1Tracey1
    1Tracey1 Forum Participant Posts: 240
    edited June 2017 #24

    Don't be spreading the word ;) .  This is one of our favourites.

     

  • Fisherman
    Fisherman Forum Participant Posts: 2,367
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    edited June 2017 #25

    How selfish can you be. No wonder Cls close

  • EmilysDad
    EmilysDad Forum Participant Posts: 8,973
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    edited June 2017 #26

    undecided

  • Firedragon
    Firedragon Forum Participant Posts: 509
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    edited June 2017 #27

    We love CLs, but I have a different quest this summer, I'm looking for ones with/near things to do for small kids as we have the grandkids for the summer and much as they love being in the van I do need things to keep them occupied. Also don't want too much travelling time but CLs in this neck of the woods nearly all charge around £20 a night frown so having to look a bit further afield. Anyone have any suggestions?

    Alison

  • 1Tracey1
    1Tracey1 Forum Participant Posts: 240
    edited June 2017 #28

    Fisherman, if you note my previous comment there was a smiley/winky face after my comment not to spread the word (that means it is said in jest).

    Firedragon, If you can go non EHU we stayed at a lovely CL just outside Canterbury last summer.  We spend time meeting friends who were staying at Whitstable which was about a 20minute drive away and Canterbury was a lovely place.  On the CL itself there were two large areas of grass so plenty of room for the children to play if they are able to make their own entertainment.  We had children visit and there was enough space to fly a kite and put up a paddling pool.  It was called Howletts Farm.

     

  • nelliethehooker
    nelliethehooker Club Member Posts: 13,636
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    edited June 2017 #29

    On our latest trip away we've visited 14 sites, for a total of 64 nights, and all bar 9 nights were spent on CLs. Every site was peaceful with very little if no traffic noise. All had EHU, most had H/S and a few also had a toilet/shower. The total cost of site fees was £765 which works out at an average of about £12 pn. So yes there are still gems out there!!

  • Natasha2
    Natasha2 Forum Participant Posts: 306
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    edited June 2017 #30

    We are currently staying on the CL mentioned in the OP and is just what we like a CL to be - spacious, not pretentious and excellent value at £14.50 ( includes our awning). 

    We've stayed on a CL recently that was more like a mini Club site, it was very very nice but not what we look for in a CL.  It has rave reviews so lots of folks are obviously taken with that style of CL. It was also our most expensive CL ever at £18 per night, not our cup of tea at all.