Pitch allocation at Rowntree
I see that the wardens who have been at Rowntree for the last two years (Janet and Carl) have moved on. Great shame, because they were so friendly and helpful and coped really well with this busy site with all its flooding issues. They were a breath of fresh
air after some of the more 'officious' wardens that we have encountered there (why does a popular site seem to make wardens this way? We remember the same at the C&CC Derwentwater site for many years).
Anyway, there are several reviews on here (and on Trip Advisor) saying that pitches are now being allocated to owners of twin axle caravans. There is also some mention of 'officious' staff.
I do hope that a step backwards isn't being made here......
Comments
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I've flagged this up to staff in the hope of receiving a reply from HQ.
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I see that the wardens who have been at Rowntree for the last two years (Janet and Carl) have moved on. Great shame, because they were so friendly and helpful and coped really well with this busy site with all its flooding issues. They were a breath of fresh
air after some of the more 'officious' wardens that we have encountered there (why does a popular site seem to make wardens this way? We remember the same at the C&CC Derwentwater site for many years).Anyway, there are several reviews on here (and on Trip Advisor) saying that pitches are now being allocated to owners of twin axle caravans. There is also some mention of 'officious' staff.
I do hope that a step backwards isn't being made here......
Write your comments here... Could it be to assist "warden's discretion" relating to the vast numbers of people not wanting to vacate their pitches at the normal time of midday.
K
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I have just made a booking at the site and the confirmation email states this:
"Sometimes pitch sizes vary on this site and we may need to allocate outfits above 7.8 metres or below 6 meters on arrival. This helps us to accommodate all visitors comfortably."
...That sounds like the real reason rather than the usual negative assumptions,as there are some quite tight pitches on this compact extremly popular site,and it may be that since the "new part"opened needs more manageing
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Yes, that will be the reason, this was posted by a warden on another discussion........
" It would be very poor management if on a site with varying pitch sizes I didn't provide a suitable pitch to suit the size of outfit, that is why you provide outfit details. "
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I recall being very short of space on a pitch on this site with a twin axle due to the hedges bounding the pitch, yet there were much smaller 'vans where the occupiers were able to spread their stuff about everywhere.
Seems fair that the longer pitches are used for the longer 'vans. And what is probably the case is arrivals ARE give a choice of the available pitches appropriate to their size of outfit.
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So, how did the previous wardens manage to do such a sterling job of running the site, without having to place bollards on numerous pitches (as has been reported)? I only ever saw one or two near the toilet facilities (I assume for less able-bodied people)?
Some reports say that 'reserved' pitches (which they would have liked) stayed empty for the duration of their stay. Others report caravans of a similar size as theirs going onto reserved pitches that were denied to them.
This smacks of solving a problem that never existed to me.....and possible over-officiousness.
Thanks for reporting it to the management, Jill.
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I recall being very short of space on a pitch on this site with a twin axle due to the hedges bounding the pitch, yet there were much smaller 'vans where the occupiers were able to spread their stuff about everywhere.
Seems fair that the longer pitches are used for the longer 'vans. And what is probably the case is arrivals ARE give a choice of the available pitches appropriate to their size of outfit.
That's what's known as the 'first come, first served' principal. If you want or need a better choice of pitch, get their sooner. All the pitches would fit 99% of units.
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Do members with twin axle vans or those with very long motorhomes pay a higher subscription fee?
We were once allocated a pitch on the AS site in Shrewsbury. When I asked why I was told that outfits under 6 metres would be allocated smaller pitches. They refused to give me a refund so I've never darkened their doors again.
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We all pay the same regardless of size of unit. I'm afraid I get annoyed when "site management" means some units get more space than others. We all pay the same and at most sites it's "first come first served". Until and unless pitch choice comes in at
the time of booking there should be no allocation of pitches.0 -
If you want or need a better choice of pitch, get their sooner. .
The emphasis on Health and Safety nowadays (to the benefit of everyone) precludes siting a 'van with the tow hitch 1/3 of the way across the access road. So my original comment still stands - bigger outfits need bigger pitches.
What the "club" should be doing about extending short pitches that have become sub-standard is another matter. On this particular site it would be very difficult on some of the rows.
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Two points then......
Firstly, every pitch at this site will fit a twin axle caravan. Yes, some might be a bit smaller than others, but as I said, it should be first come, first served.
Secondly, our booking confirmation doesn't say anything about pitches being allocated, so based on your logic WaytoGo, I shouldn't expect to see any allocation happening when I arrive?
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Don't want to get into an argument. I cannot recall what the pitches are like as it's 2 years since we were last there. No "logic" being used. I am just stating what my confirmation email says [it is under the section "Important information"]. If yours
does not mention pitch allocation then you go with your own expectations.Maybe this caveat re pitching is on new bookings, made from a certain date onwards?
From when new wardens started, I suspect........
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It could be a totally different issue but, when wardens changed at another CC site, what had been perfectly workable previously suddenly 'became unworkable' until I challenged it with the Sites Team. It then reverted back to what had always been the way of things. So it does sometimes pay to question these sudden changes.
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Wish I could get any weekend pitch at Rowntree....
guess that is for another thread
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It's a pity that pitch allocation hadn't been in force last time we visited Rowntree Park ( Pre improvement days ) We were told which pitches were available for our with awning booking in the extension and duly pitched up but no way would we have been able
to erect our awning as the pitch was too narrow. We would have had to park our car in front of the van which would have blocked the roadway. They knew the size of our van as I had booked several weeks before yet a small VW Camper van was occupying a pitch
which would have held a much larger outfit ! So maybe common sense has prevailed and small outfit gets a small pitch leaving the larger pitches for longer single and twin axle vans. Kellysmum0 -
It's a pity that pitch allocation hadn't been in force last time we visited Rowntree Park ( Pre improvement days ) We were told which pitches were available for our with awning booking in the extension and duly pitched up but no way would we have been able
to erect our awning as the pitch was too narrow. We would have had to park our car in front of the van which would have blocked the roadway. They knew the size of our van as I had booked several weeks before yet a small VW Camper van was occupying a pitch
which would have held a much larger outfit ! So maybe common sense has prevailed and small outfit gets a small pitch leaving the larger pitches for longer single and twin axle vans. KellysmumOh how I agree with you, it used to annoy me no end when we used to arrive on a site with our caravan and awning and have to shoe horn in on a ptich, while small campervans occupied a huge pitch. To those who say we all pay the same price for membership,
yes we do, same as we all pay the same price for a pitch. The key word here is A PITCH. The first come rule is only useful if all the pitches are equal. The wardens are there to manage sites for the benefit of all members not just those who think they are
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For several read a very few. For managing large units, this has always happened in my experience.
Finally, this must also be amongst the cheapest off road 24hr parking anywhere in the centre of York for a car, let alone a car, twin axel caravan and awning! You also get lovely facilities to boot.
I haven't a particularly large unit but I'm happy that management takes place to ensure even the largest have at least a pitch on their arrival.
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Sorry Tammygirl I cannot agree with your point regarding keeping bigger pitches for bigger units!
In the vast majority of cases there is no need for the member to buy a large outfit but they just
want one. They should have realised that buying large brings limitations similar to the limitations of exploring country lanes if you have a behemoth of a MHAs has been said before, we are all members paying the same rate and should have the choice of all pitches when we arrive on site. To sum up if you buy large then you have to accept the consequences
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Sorry Tammygirl I cannot agree with your point regarding keeping bigger pitches for bigger units!
In the vast majority of cases there is no need for the member to buy a large outfit but they just
want one. They should have realised that buying large brings limitations similar to the limitations of exploring country lanes if you have a behemoth of a MHAs has been said before, we are all members paying the same rate and should have the choice of all pitches when we arrive on site. To sum up if you buy large then you have to accept the consequences
Totally agree Greythatch. Where there is such a change in pitch size the cost should be appropriate and you should be able to book a larger pitch at a greater cost. Once those large pitches have gone - tough. You go elsewhere.
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For several read a very few. For managing large units, this has always happened in my experience.
Finally, this must also be amongst the cheapest off road 24hr parking anywhere in the centre of York for a car, let alone a car, twin axel caravan and awning! You also get lovely facilities to boot.
I haven't a particularly large unit but I'm happy that management takes place to ensure even the largest have at least a pitch on their arrival.
..+1
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greythatch/mbee, that's fine that you don't agree we all have opions. We all have choices to and some people like to own bigger vans (we only have a 6.6m) that's their choice. I'm sure they would love to be able to book a larger pitch at an additional fee just so they have room to breath, as you say we are all members and pay the same membership fee, so we should all be allowed to have the same level of comfort once on site. Until such time that the club decide to make that possible then the wardens HAVE to manage their site to accomadate ALL its members that are arriving. Imagine booking a pitch in January for a stay in June, having travelled from the North of Scotland you arrive at 18.00 only to find that the one pitch left is far too small for your outfit, would you not be shocked,angry,dissapointed, not everyone can arrive at 12.00. The wardens know what size of unit is due to arrive that's why the club asks for the size of your outfit, I have no problem with the wardens allocating pitches on arrival or removing from selection those pitches that are required for other members, be it for a disability or larger unit.
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Sorry Tammygirl I cannot agree with your point regarding keeping bigger pitches for bigger units!
In the vast majority of cases there is no need for the member to buy a large outfit but they just want one. They should have realised that buying large brings limitations similar to the limitations of exploring country lanes if you have a behemoth of a MH
As has been said before, we are all members paying the same rate and should have the choice of all pitches when we arrive on site. To sum up if you buy large then you have to accept the consequences
That's a very sweeping stement. How do you know if someone need the vehicle they buy or are they just buying it because they can? Don't we all have the free dom of choice? Before you ask, I have a single axle caravan.
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Common sense dictates that the CC should decide on the maximum size of unit allowed on their sites and design all of their pitches to accommodate any unit up to that size.
Anybody with a unit larger than the CC maximum should simply go elsewhere.
It just needs positive action by Grimstead Towers. -----Simples
K
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In the vast majority of cases there is no need for the member to buy a large outfit
. . . and there is no need for you to go caravaning!
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Mitzi, I am sure you will agree that back in the 70s and 80s a 14ft van was accepted as being perfectly adequate for families, in that case why is it the fashion for many large vans now to be use solely by couples. This increasing use of large units seems to be a peculiar British trait, when we were in France last year you could almost guarantee that large vans coincided with British occupants
If somone requires a larger pitch there should be some cost involved similar to extra leg room on an aircraft being an upgrade
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