Bristol Baltic Wharf Site
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These fifty five caravan couples will not spend a lot, it is visitors to the hotels and the coach trippers that spend the dosh, a nice premier inn would suit me for a visit to Bristol one day would be enough. Probably be cheaper has well.
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I've never been to Baltic Wharf - not sure if it is our sort of site, but I know it is a favourite of many. There certainly seems to be pressure to close Baltic Wharf, and personally, it sounds as if it could eventually happen - but all this has been going on for a number of years and still the lease is renewed. Perhaps those who wish to should make the best use of the facility while it is available. Although she appears to be warming up her voice, the fat lady has not yet sung!
David
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It's a site many choose to use due to it's position on the harbour front in Bristol, not a pretty or spacious site but in a unique place. Bristol is a vibrant city and has lots to offer, one day there isn't enough. The calculations have been done before about the revenue this oversubscribed site brings to the club and the locality, the revenue is very high. Shutting down a successful UK business is questionable but if Bristol City Council makes genuine efforts to find an alternative for the club then all's well that ends well except that special place that many have enjoyed will be lost. So use it while you can and discover what's on offer!
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agree with Brue, the 'site' is nothing to shout about, in essence it's a car park with showers...what's great about it is the location, an opportunity to take advantage of everything a vibrant city like Bristol has without having to get in a car...
we have another booking for a few weeks time, if open..
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It's not just the city though ET. The advantage of the central location, is also that it gives access to radiating bus routes. Take the bus from outside the site into the centre and you can get another up onto the Downs / IKB's suspension bridge, the zoo, Bristol university botanical garden to name but a few. Or in the other direction to Bath, either by bus or train. A bus to Temple Meads station and a cheap day return to Weston super Mare, is also a good day out.
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I live in Bristol and love it in every way .except the council . The site at Baltic Wharf is in a fab location .
But isn’t it a bit small?
I think it would be great to help the people who run it /own it to get a great replacement site . I can think of a number of great locations that are similarly close on main roads with great bus routes and would offer a great opportunity to grow.
‘The old sports ground along the portway but think it’s a wildlife park now?
Ashton court has masses of space they might support a site?
There are plenty of fields next to the park and ride long Ashton .
i know none of these ideas are as central and lovely as Baltic Wharf but all have advantages of being able to grow in size and space . I’m sure pressure on the council would lead to them supporting it ( maybe a bit hopeful on my part)
Rob
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I was also thinking of the MH's. As we are thinking of getting one, I find myself analysing what is available without a car. BW is an ideal site in that respect. The bus stop is only a few metres from the front gate, or the water taxi from the back gate.
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Well my view is entirely a personal one Steve. If I was single I might well consider a small motorhome. As a couple any that we might consider suitable would be a problem to get off our driveway. Also a problem to park and therefore, for us, too limiting. As a caravanner with car I prefer not to limit my site options to revolve around proximity or public transport.
We are presently 3.5 miles from Abersoch which is 10 mins run. Weather was poor yesterday morning and so we went out at 11.30 for a meal in town. Central parking says 'no large vehicles' and on street parking all taken with 1 hour limit. Buses every two hours. So, although we have a Welsh bus pass the bus is a non starter and moreso if we wished to move on.
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It’s good that you’re thinking that way, Steve, so you won’t get nasty surprises come the day you find yourself on site in a MH.
Choose a MH carefully and you’ll find you’ve mostly no need of secondary transport.
Bristol, for me, is not even a place to take a car, let alone a MH. 😀
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I am of the almost the same way of thinking except if a bus service is available, even with our now car/caravan combination i would use it rather than trying to find parking ,we are "spoilt" where we live as buses run at less than 15min intervals to local towns with connections to numerous places in the adjacent counties,plus we have a good train service to London KX (30mins) or or North and East on Thames Link or LNER,so Commons Wood site is a good place to stay if in the area and want to explore without moving a motor caravan,(if you have an English bus pass
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Motor Home, Bus stops and bike's, seems a theme 😀😀😀😀😀
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In fairness there are lots of sites all over the country which have access to city and town centres without the need for taking a car or motorhome anywhere near these centres. In six years we have managed pretty well to visit many,many places (all listed on my website and recorded in the Story Section on here) without the need to have a car or use the motorhome. Baltic Wharf is probably not unique but pretty close to in that you are already in the centre of Bristol and if you are reasonably fit it is an easy walk into the centre. I reckon if I can do it most can!!! Even if the Club found an alternative site in Bristol with good transport links some of us would prefer to keep Baltic Wharf because of its unique location. Unfortunately that is probably a pipe dream so we need to spend our energies trying to find a good alternative. The only way we could secure Baltic Wharf is to buy the freehold. Regardless of cost I imagine this would be a lost cause as the Council seem set firm on building on the site as there are no lollipops (or other incentives) from Central Government for keeping open city centre campsites!!!
David
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we actually walk, too
, though not generally busses....retired 12 years but still no bus pass, talk about goalposts moving.....end of this year, though (at today's terms).i spent many years doing lots of corporate miles and, although I enjoy driving (especially the MH overseas) I wouldn't choose to always drive a car, even if I had one with me....
its too darn easy to get in and rely on the car for the shortest of trips.
as I said, we are long retired but are also a long way off wanting to hop in a car at every opportunity.....in our opinion, we can see (and enjoy) far more on two wheels or two legs than we can from a car, and if what we want to see is more than 25m away, we'll happily make that our next stop...
..but away from this silly post of H's and back to BW....
for those with a little stamina, there is a great circular walk from the site, along the Avon, over the bridge, visit the Cabot Tower and back to harbourside....no doubt for a beer...lovely...
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for those with a little stamina, there is a great circular walk from the site, along the Avon, over the bridge, visit the Cabot Tower and back to harbourside....no doubt for a beer...lovely...
A nice walk BB. You used to be able to get a free coffee at the small Waitrose, to drink sat in Brandon Hill Park by the tower. Unfortunately no longer, unless you carry your own cup.☹️
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Funny you nearly always see bikes on the back of motor caravans, and members asking about bus stops near site's so you might see it has silly but it is a fact.
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we dont do busses but I'm sure there are also plenty who have cars but who use them perhaps because they have a bus pass and/or they can do without the cost and hassle of town centre parking.
have you done any polling at these bus stops you monitor?
FWIW, I'm happy to use my own steam and don't need a 'sympathetic' car ownwer taking pity on this 'poor' MHer
hence we like sites like BW and RP, but we also stretch our legs with a decent walk or cycle...
perhaps that first thought to jump in a car, rather than other forms of transport, is contributing to why we (as a nation) now won't fit into small cars...or our trousers?
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For affordable housing, which is what has been mentioned, you are probably right. However, it is more likely to be sold to a developer and have expensive dockside apartments built on it. Given that most councils are trying to fill a black hole where budgets are concerned, it must look very attractive.
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Can I be the first to suggest that when the lease is not renewed in the next few years, the site will be left derelict for decades while various factions in the local Council prevaricate. It might even get invaded a few times by members of the other caravanning community.
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That is of course possible but it is also the very reason why the Club and Council need to work together to make the site available until the very last moment. This would be in the interests of both the Club and the Council. As there would be minimum demolition required to site could be ready for building work to commence at pretty short notice so there is no real need for what you suggest to happen if everyone is sensible. Given that Councils are now cash straped I would have thought having a few thousand pounds coming into the coffers before they start build would be an incentive to make maximum use of the site?
David
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Each site lost means less pitches and more congestion. Something that Scotland and it's wilderness does not worry about. It's not about profit but providing pitches, please get real.
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what you suggest the club does W&J?
PS Have you forgotten the two new sites bought this year?
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They are not new, just new ownership
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