HS or Grass - Essential?

24

Comments

  • Wildwood
    Wildwood Club Member Posts: 3,585
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    edited November 2016 #32

    We take hard standings when they are available but do use grass if we have to. Grass looks beter but being realistic hardstandings are more durable and are the future. I gather planning permission can be a problem though in some instances and a bit of grass
    between pitches does help the appearance.

  • cyberyacht
    cyberyacht Forum Participant Posts: 10,218
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    edited November 2016 #33

    Whilst many have indicated their preference nobody has answered the question I posed. If there were no HS, would you give up caravanning?

  • Takethedogalong
    Takethedogalong Forum Participant Posts: 17,076 ✭✭✭
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    edited November 2016 #34

    Page 2 CY, bottom of my post! If only grass was available then we would still tour, both MH and caravan!Happy

  • JayEss
    JayEss Forum Participant Posts: 1,663
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    edited November 2016 #35

    Whilst many have indicated their preference nobody has answered the question I posed. If there were no HS, would you give up caravanning?

    It would depend on pitch price for us touring as a couple but if we were still travelling with the family then yes we would probably stop  

     

  • David2115
    David2115 Club Member Posts: 548
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    edited November 2016 #36

    Whilst many have indicated their preference nobody has answered the question I posed. If there were no HS, would you give up caravanning?

    Write your comments here...no never but would only go on sites with good drainage, would probably go less in winter 

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    edited November 2016 #37
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  • Tammygirl
    Tammygirl Club Member Posts: 7,957 ✭✭✭
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    edited November 2016 #40

    We caravanned before H/S so yes we would carry on, probably not in the UK though Wink

  • peegeenine
    peegeenine Forum Participant Posts: 548
    edited November 2016 #41

    Spend most of my camping on grass pitches so a definite no to giving up should HS's disappear. Carry on regardless.

  • nelliethehooker
    nelliethehooker Club Member Posts: 13,657 ✭✭✭
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    edited November 2016 #42

    Whilst many have indicated their preference nobody has answered the question I posed. If there were no HS, would you give up caravanning?

    No. Caravanned often enough before there were H/S pitches, although might not go out as often in the winter.

  • SteveL
    SteveL Club Member Posts: 12,311 ✭✭✭
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    edited November 2016 #43

    If no HS would still caravan, but be considerably more choosy about where and when. Did too many years with tents to want to go back to wet and muddy holidays

  • IanH
    IanH Forum Participant Posts: 4,708
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    edited November 2016 #44

    It's not the end of the world, being on grass. On our holiday in France we had grass pitches everywhere we stayed. They all seemed to be well drained, though, unlike many that we see in the UK. 

    That said, I would prefer to be given the choice on sites where there are both grass and hardstanding pitches......and we would chose hardstanding because we prefer it. Frustrating, when it would be so simple to give us that choice.

    The answer is simple......if you want the choice, go to somewhere other than a CC site. Or write to the CC and encourage them to bring in the choice. It won't happen by simply moaning about it on here.

  • Jammy
    Jammy Forum Participant Posts: 39
    edited November 2016 #45

    HS every time for a M/H

    Write your comments here...Definitely!  Getting stuck and leaving ruts in the grass makes you public enemy number one with the wardens.

  • IanH
    IanH Forum Participant Posts: 4,708
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    edited November 2016 #46

    HS every time for a M/H

    Write your comments here...Definitely!  Getting stuck and leaving ruts in the grass makes you public enemy number one with the wardens.

    I wonder how all those M/H's manage in France then? Undecided

    Might it be the driver, perhaps........? Some people cannot drive in a bit of snow, either...... Wink

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  • Spriddler
    Spriddler Forum Participant Posts: 646
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    edited November 2016 #51

    I guess that H/S are easier for site operators to maintain, don't get churned up, and the whole site can be mown without having to nip along with the mower immediately the previous rig leaves and before the next one arrives.

    I much prefer grass unless the pitches are seriously sloping (like Smedmore House!!).

    Grass feels more rural,  'holiday' and 'away from it all' than a tarmac, concrete, or gravel emplacement. Nostalgia perhaps for my cub and scout camps with musty bell tents and elsan closets, a KFS  from home with a bit of red cotton tied on the handles, enamel 'crockery',  and school caravanning holidays with gas mantle lights.

  • IanH
    IanH Forum Participant Posts: 4,708
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    edited November 2016 #52

    I tend to think that a field full of tin boxes on wheels is never going to look overly 'natural'......so a bit of hardstanding for them to sit on won't make it any worse.

    The best, most natural sites, in my view, are those that have a bit of open space or lots of treees, shrubs etc to divide areas up, rather than big, open spaces.

  • Spriddler
    Spriddler Forum Participant Posts: 646
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    edited November 2016 #53

    I tend to think that a field full of tin boxes on wheels is never going to look overly 'natural'......so a bit of hardstanding for them to sit on won't make it any worse.

     

    Agreed, although for the past thirty years 90% of my touring has been abroad where *most* sites I choose are riverside,  grass, and with hedged pitches and numerous willows to provide shade. Just being abroad is an adventure in itself. When in U.K. I use CLs and only a formal site as a last resort if there isn't a CL within walking distance of my choice of say, a coastal path. 

  • Tammygirl
    Tammygirl Club Member Posts: 7,957 ✭✭✭
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    edited November 2016 #54

    We are on H/S at the moment, surrounded by grass. After last nights weather which is also continuing today, the 6-10 feet of grass we have to cross to reach the road isn't looking very inviting Sad

  • peegeenine
    peegeenine Forum Participant Posts: 548
    edited November 2016 #55

    TG, Warm your engine up a little and then move off on in first gear and on tick over only, don't touch the throttle. It'll be fine, famous last words I know.Wink

  • baileybear
    baileybear Forum Participant Posts: 19
    edited November 2016 #56

    To answer the original question, we would definitely consider giving up if no H/S pitches available. Only had a couple of stays on grass in the caravan, which were deeply unpleasant due to wet weather. Now we have a motorhome, even more important not to
    be on grass. Horrified to read in the latest magazine that the trial of being able to book H/S pitches is over and will NOT  be rolled out across the network as we had hoped. There is obviously a demand from members for this option to be available, as evidenced
    by previous threads on this subject, so come on Club management-listen to your members!

  • tigerfish
    tigerfish Forum Participant Posts: 1,362
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    edited November 2016 #57

    OK for Motorhomers, but many caravaners like me much prefer CL type locations with undefined grass pitches.  Not for us the regimentation of hardstandings!

    TF

  • moulesy
    moulesy Forum Participant Posts: 9,404 ✭✭✭
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    edited November 2016 #58

    Whilst many have indicated their preference nobody has answered the question I posed. If there were no HS, would you give up caravanning?

    Wouldn't stop us, CY. For many years before joining the CC we used to come down to a grass only site in Cornwall regularly and never had a problem. I guess that now we'll opt for HS if available on most occasions, but on some sites (I'm thinking particularly
    of Cirencester Park and Tewkesbury) we're quite happy to stick with grass. Happy

  • Cornersteady
    Cornersteady Club Member Posts: 14,436 ✭✭✭
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    edited November 2016 #59

    Whilst many have indicated their preference nobody has answered the question I posed. If there were no HS, would you give up caravanning?

    well I did say that;

    Everyone has their own preference but personally I won't go to any site where I may end up on grass.


    It's very unlikely that all sites would be grass, but yes I probably would stop, certainly in winter

  • EasyT
    EasyT Forum Participant Posts: 16,194
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    edited November 2016 #60

    Whilst I have similar views there are some all grass sites that I am happy to use

  • ErnieJH
    ErnieJH Forum Participant Posts: 114
    edited November 2016 #61

    I totally agree I would never go to any site where I might have to go on a grass pitch.