Narrow Site Roads
Don't go on too many Clubsites, however just comeback from a weekend away at Wirral country park site. I think that this site is in a fantastic postion with great views across the Dee estuary a lots of walks.
However we arrived on site on Friday evening, found a pitch and attempted to reverse onto it. I think that it was impossible to do without going onto the grass. As far as I was concerned I did every thing correct reversing ( this is not always the case) but to cut a long story short the distance between our pitch and the one opposite was not long enough to reverse up to the peg. Fortubarely the pitch was good h/s and sloping backwards so pushing the van back wasnt that difficult. As I've said I make no pretence at being an expert reverser, but I mentioned this to the person next to me. He said that he'd had the same problem. He had a shorter van and is a hgv driver and they can normally reverse
Coming off the pitch we could only hitch because the pitches opporsite were empty. We also had to do a left hand turn to join the one way system, which is fair enough. However even keeping as far right as possible and getting within 6" of the hitch of the caravan opposite the turn I still cut the corner and end up on the grass and churning it up actually the it was already churned because others had done exactly the same.
I don't think that this is only site with poor access to.Pitches but I wonder what outfit length the CC consider when designing pitches? Also why don't they consider not having pitche at 90 degrees to the road to make manoeuvring easier. At least at Wirral there weren't lots of caravan damaging obstacles protecting the precious grass. Although in my view both Wirral and Lady Margeret's in Chirk suffer from an infestation of rabbits which have over grazed the grass to destruction. I think that a cull is long overdue.
Moderator Comment
I have edited the title slightly to show you mean site roads
Comments
-
Actually when manovering onto a pitch. I have absolutely to compunction about invading some else's pitch. The pitch opporsite had a small MH on it pitched well back. I got to 2 inches of it before stopping, still couldn't get in. So it would have been
much worse than if it had been a big twin axle.With regards to Ludlow we were there about 3 weeks ago, and as Bolero boy says the quality of the facilities is superb. We use our own but went for an inspection
The 3 nights for 2 offer was useful when we found out about it my wife asked about a late Sunday departupre and was told it was £5. Then someone else booked in with the 3 for 2 offer, so she said were have had 2 nights I want my extra night So we could leave
at about 3pm and saved a fiver, but I digress. It is not fair to compare Wirral CP with Ludlow as the space available is limited, but I do wonder if some thought to layout could improve pitch access. Surely the CC must employ people who are experienced in
the best use of the available land.0 -
The site was being used for a Cheshire centre rally so not many small outfits. But as I said I couldn't reverse on a whenit was a transit sized Motorhome opporsite. I do wonder if it wouldnt be possible to have some drive through pitches where space allows.
The irony is, Bolero Boy has described the virtues of Ludlow and I absolutely agree with him. But given the choice I would choose Wirral CP in a second. There's no pleasing some people well me at least
0 -
Boff, my post was about the narrow roads on some sites and how some others do it better...
Ludlow wont suit everyone and we like Wirral, too....
...but with all the spacing regs, its very difficult, i guess, to modify an older existing site to give better, wider access without reducing the overall amount of pitches....another bugbear within the club....
a difficult one, but lets hope that, whenever refurbishment od a site takes place, at least some time/budget is diven over to access where its particularly narrow....
I appreciate that to some extent I am asking for the impossible and regarding Ludlow it is without doubt a much better designed site I just would prefer Wirral CP. I was not getting at anyone but myself and the contradiction in my position. But there must
be ways of optimising the available space to make life easier. For instance would it not be possible to make Motorhome service points drive through? Won't effect me as we have caravan but can't be impossible surely?What I really object to and this is not the case at Wirral is the number of van damaging obstacles placed to protect the precious grass. Really if we have to accept narrow roadways then the Wardens need to accept some inevitable corner cutting. As posted
previously we rally so are not overly precious and have taken on some pretty difficult access to get on a field and have to say on occasions the access has won.0 -
Goes to show that whoever designed club sites has NEVER towed, reversed or lived in a caravan?
Not really a very fair comment. A lot of the sites were designed and laid out many years ago, when vans weighed a lot less than they do now, and were generally much smaller. Given that and the smaller tow cars, it was probably more likely that there would
have been room to reverse. Even if this was not the case, pushing the van without the aid of a power mover was far less likely to result in a heart attack.0 -
Many Club sites I have visited show signs of the roadways having been widened at some time. But what is the problem about grass (apart from it usually being 20% grass 40% moss 30% weeds as 10% "fertiliser")? Did I miss a new rule being introduced about "Keep off the Grass"?
I'm not entirely sure that this thread isn't a wind-up. Drive through pitches indeed! Maybe by the beginning of April the Club will announce a new charagable service where one stops at Reception on arrival and a warder comes along, unhitches the 'van and then uses a tractor to site it.
0 -
Many Club sites I have visited show signs of the roadways having been widened at some time. But what is the problem about grass (apart from it usually being 20% grass 40% moss 30% weeds as 10% "fertiliser")? Did I miss a new rule being introduced about "Keep off the Grass"?
I'm not entirely sure that this thread isn't a wind-up. Drive through pitches indeed! Maybe by the beginning of April the Club will announce a new charagable service where one stops at Reception on arrival and a warder comes along, unhitches the 'van and then uses a tractor to site it.
No not a wind-up. I haven't got a problem with driving on grass but it was so soft that the cut corner on leaving was about 4 inches deep. I wad also serious in suggesting that excessive rabbit population is part of the problem.
0 -
I also think it is partly a problem with the 'older' sites.
On the newer sites (Burrs springs to mind) the layout appears to be better.
However, on my last visit to Burrs, my reversing was hampered by new 5mph signs that had been placed in the grass at the edge of the roadway. Why can't they just paint a big 5mph on the roadway?
0 -
I have here a serious suggestion for the Club to use to save it money and members hassle. Can someone pick up on it and take it where it can be actioned?
There is a thing I know as "grass concrete". It consists of concrete slabs with coffee cup sized holes right through so that less than half the surface is concrete. After laying the holes are filled with soil and grass seed. Once established it can be mown
as if it was grass but will support the weight of a vehicle. There is a 21st century version made from recycled vehicle tyres.Now would that not be a great thing to use down the side of site roads and at the corners of pitches? Jings, one could even make hard standings out of it so that unused pitches don't make a site look like an abandoned airfield.
Only drawback is Health and Safety as those who wear high heels might get them caught in the grass parts. Not that I have seen high heels in use on a Club site in past 40 years!
0 -
I have here a serious suggestion for the Club to use to save it money and members hassle. Can someone pick up on it and take it where it can be actioned?
There is a thing I know as "grass concrete". It consists of concrete slabs with coffee cup sized holes right through so that less than half the surface is concrete. After laying the holes are filled with soil and grass seed. Once established it can be mown as if it was grass but will support the weight of a vehicle. There is a 21st century version made from recycled vehicle tyres.
Now would that not be a great thing to use down the side of site roads and at the corners of pitches? Jings, one could even make hard standings out of it so that unused pitches don't make a site look like an abandoned airfield.
Only drawback is Health and Safety as those who wear high heels might get them caught in the grass parts. Not that I have seen high heels in use on a Club site in past 40 years!
Yes they are used on the front of some pitches at Chatsworth and get very muddy in winter. Although you are right you don't sink. Personally I thing it would be better to use gravel. It might not be as attractive, but if you want to use a site all year, I think it is a price you have to pay.
0 -
Gravel is incompatible with the beloved rotary mowers.
0 -
I have here a serious suggestion for the Club to use to save it money and members hassle. Can someone pick up on it and take it where it can be actioned?
There is a thing I know as "grass concrete". It consists of concrete slabs with coffee cup sized holes right through so that less than half the surface is concrete. After laying the holes are filled with soil and grass seed. Once established it can be mown as if it was grass but will support the weight of a vehicle. There is a 21st century version made from recycled vehicle tyres.
Now would that not be a great thing to use down the side of site roads and at the corners of pitches? Jings, one could even make hard standings out of it so that unused pitches don't make a site look like an abandoned airfield.
Only drawback is Health and Safety as those who wear high heels might get them caught in the grass parts. Not that I have seen high heels in use on a Club site in past 40 years!
These have been tried before. Henley Four Oaks had some pitches like that (may still have) The problem is that over time the block sink a bit, the grass wears away and gets muddy and starts to cause a serious trip hazard. Now your high heels comments may well have been said tongue in cheek but there are many of us who are not quite as good on our pins was we would like to be. So a minor trip can cause all sorts of problems. Gravel hardstandings do the job and do it well and I hope the Club stay with that surface.
David
0 -
Here is a site where they use those blocks and very effective too in wet places,
This site is reasonably new about 5 to 7 years I think but I didnt see any sign of the blocks sinking.
But the idiots have put the hard standing for the awning on the wrong side
0 -
A while ago I wrote to the Club about access at the Scarborough site as there seemed to be a proliferation of posts and plastic chain link fencing - apparently all designed to keep you on the road and not cutting corners across grass. Reversing onto some
pitches does involve temporarily removing the occasional peg when you have a long van and/or hoping the pitch opposite is empty.0 -
I agree that some sites are not laid out with caravanning in mind. Last year we had problems reversing onto a pitch at Much Wenlock. So what you say. Well we only have a 380 van and a small saloon car and no motor mover so I get lots of reversing practise
but it was impossible to reverse onto this pitch with the car still attached.Manoeuvring on gravel with no motor mover is no joke either so not a big fan of that surface either.
0
. 
But you must admit once it was pointed out. It is a school boy error. 