Chatsworth Site Closing
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At least you have still got two out of three @hostahousey Our favourites were Marazion, Nunnykirk and Bromyard Downs, all gone☹️
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I have also given up touring, although I miss it really badly. In my case it was due to retirement and having to cut my purse strings. The cost of running and maintaining a large motorhome and paying increasing site fees just got to a point where I decided it was a luxury I could no longer afford.
Anyway, it is hard to summarise my ideal site, but the thing I always hated more than anything else was sites where I felt closed in or claustrophobic or where the site was just too noisy and busy. I loved the sites which were not surrounded by trees and which had large pitches and where one did not feel on top of one's neighbours. I can't reproduce my entire review of Chatsworth here, but it was pretty blunt. Have in mind though that it was in 2014 so that's 11 years ago now. My "super" pitch was just terrible, very dirty and the drain blocked with leaves, which I spent a good half-hour clearing out myself. The site was unbelievably noisy and very full. It was warm when I was there and TVs and radios, not to mention barking dogs, were prevalent. I also foudn the palaver of gaining access a real pain - but perhaps that is different now. It was just an awful experience and as much as I like Chatsworth House I just never once thought about going back to the site. I might have just been unlucky.
I liked to be near a town or city or near a good bus route or train station, so that tended to limit my choices. Favourites sites include: Littlehampton, White Water, Beechwood, Black Horse Farm, Ayr, Abbey Wood, Dalecares, Forfar, Seacroft, Brora, White House Beach. I would inlcude Bridlington but with the priviso that I was on the new section. The older part was too cramped. Stonehaven is lovely but can also feel rather "busy". I've been to many other sites, in my 36 years of motorhoming, almost always Caravan Club sites. Many were wonderful, but not ranked in my favourites due their remoteness. In addition some sites more convenient for facilites I leave out as I did not find the site congenial. Rowntree, Edinburgh and Chatsworth come into that category. The advantages of Baltic Wharf were enough to forgive the awfulness of the site. If I had to pick a favourite site it would be White Water in Stockton. Some may think this an odd choice in an industrial landscape, but I found so many places to go from there, without my van, some lovely walks as well, and after the refurbishment which occurred a good number of years ago now I think, it had huge pitches many with nice hedges surrounding them. I loved it there and could easily walk into Stockton along the river for a coffee in Costa. Oh Happy Days!0 -
@Graydjames You might be surprised to learn that I completely agree with you regarding White Water Park. It is well designed and as you say its handy to get around from by public transport or even on a bike. So the best of two worlds. I think perhaps where we differ is that if a site (for me)is in the right location I am inclined to overlook any perceived disadvantages. I think I also understand that when you have sites in urban places you won't get as much space simply because land is at a premium and usually very expensive to buy or lease so anyone developing a site would want to make maximum use of the area. What we don't know is how sites like Chatsworth would be developed now rather than say 40 years ago? Obviously a bit academic for both of us now albeit for different reasons.
David
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We only went to places we wanted to visit, or needed to visit, but as Chatsworth House was never on that list we never went to the site in question there.
We had no favourite UK sites at all. Campsites were just useful places to stay. No more or less than that. When we ferried four children to and from university we stayed at sites nearby. When they lived in shared houses without spare bedrooms we stayed at sites nearby too. When we used ferries from Dover and Harwich we found overnight sites there. When we wanted to see the rose garden at Mottisfont abbey, the historic ships at Portsmouth, to climb Cader Idris, to look for a house near Penrith, to go to the theatre at Stratford, or to see a certain exhibition in London we found sites there. If friends were going somewhere we went to meet them. We neither liked the sites we used nor disliked them. We never chose a campsite and then wondered what there was nearby. We had no favourite sites at all and there were none we particularly liked or disliked. They were simply useful caravan parking lots .
Frankly if the Chatsworth estate is asking an arm and a leg to renew the lease on the site there, then the Club should walk away. There will be plenty of other places in that area to stay. Shed no tears.0 -
We visited Chatsworth earlier this year and as we drove down the heavily pot holed road and only having the choice of a couple of pitches as it was full,we selected a pitch as you exited the site on the left.I at first didn't like it,it just felt I was outside the actual camping area.But after a walk to one of the nearest village and returning to our van now in lovely evening sun compared to the rest of the site in shade,my views slowly began to change.
The next day we did the house and the amazing gardens ,returning again to our sunny pitch,I could see why this site was so popular.
Would I go again? Difficult one,lovely situated in the park,but expensive,and you can only visit the house so many times.Would I want to lose it ,no.
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I happen to agree with @Graydjames about Chatsworth. We went sometime in the early 1990s and hated it yet we love the Peak District. Whilst working we nearly always headed to the area straight after work on Friday, returning home late Sunday. We tended to use the Buxton site as it was more central to our walking or biking activities but had no problems going to Castleton, Blackshaw or Carsington if needs be.
The fact we only went the once to Chatsworth speaks volumes in itself.
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