Crystal Palace Site

Dolphins
Dolphins Forum Participant Posts: 1
edited March 2018 in UK Campsites & Touring #1

It is always disappointing when for various reasons one of the Club Sites has to close but the news that Crystal Palace Caravan and Motorhome Club Site has to close is no less than a disaster, not only personally for myself and my wife but for all Members and Non-members that have used it. It is a wonderful oasis in London has superb transport links and is very easy to access for Caravan & Motorhomes from all directions. 

I only hope that the Club has done everything in its power to keep this site open. We have been members of the Club since 1969 and have stayed at Crystal Palace on many occasions over the length of our membership and for the last 10 years have stayed her annually, it always is the site that we start our season at and always over the Early Spring Bank Holiday and we shall be back there again this year for that week. 

I cannot imagine what the landlords intend to do with the site although it will probably go to some quick fix developer to build some monstrosity on it and spoil the whole area. Crystal Palace Village is also a loser in this as many people that stayeed at the site would walk to Crystal Palace for Refreshments and meals not to say how many used the local shops for their needs. 

A very sad day for the Caravan & Motorhome Club and for the local area and for the Membership overall.

Moderator Comment - Moved from the Story Section

 

Comments

  • Metheven
    Metheven Club Member Posts: 3,987 ✭✭✭
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    edited February 2018 #2

    There's another thread with the reason [HERE]  there was nothing the Club could do.

  • Flightcrew
    Flightcrew Forum Participant Posts: 1
    edited February 2018 #3

    After several enjoyable stays at Crystal Palace, it came as a shock to hear it is closing at the end of the year. We visit every year at Easter, apart from 2018, when GCSE and A level exams have had to take precedence.

    The closure also came as a surprise. What can the landowner be thinking of doing with it? The transmitter mast houses several microwave antenna which have to be line of sight with their counterparts elsewhere. That would seem to rule out anything high rise going there, unless they are planning major redesign of the lower levels of the mast.

    As for the site itself, it is so convenient for all parts of London, far more so than the other London site which we stayed at, once, and found it took far longer to get into the city.

    I suppose it may be possible that the landowner may have a change of heart, but money talks the loudest these days. I would like to know, however. Perhaps the club could find out?

    This little site, tucked away next to Crystal Palace Park and the village will be a great loss to the club. One only hopes that it may be possible to secure another London site, even if only for the short term.

    I shall miss this site perhaps most of all the ones I have used.

  • DavidKlyne
    DavidKlyne Club Member Posts: 13,867 ✭✭✭
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    edited March 2018 #4

     I think we have to accept that any Club site held on a lease basis is subject to that lease being called in at the end of the lease period. There are already sites in both Clubs that are on short term leases some on a year to year basis which restricts the possibility of site investment. Abbey Wood is not so far away as an alternative to Crystal Palace. 

    David

  • Wildwood
    Wildwood Club Member Posts: 3,583
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    edited March 2018 #5

    A sad loss and it will put pressure on Abbey Wo0d which does not have the capacity to take the Crystal Palace bookings. We did know it was coming and basically the site is worth far more as a building site than a caravan site and commercial interests won out here.