Aires in the UK
Comments
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There are a lot that choose same as you, I think I said that, and I am not saying there is anything wrong with it. But if the others you are speaking to are on a Club Site like you, then it’s likely they will be doing the same as you.
Our conversations are slightly different, because we use a variety of provision. Whilst we haven’t wild camped with our MH (so far), we do however pull up alongside many others in a daytime car park, get chatting, and are often asked if we know area, and can we recommend somewhere to stay (there’s often the caveat, “not Club”, because it’s not what they want.) You won’t get asked that pulling up in a car park in your car very often, because MH folks will have no idea you Tour. We actually gave a map to some Dutch visitors who were touring SW with some nice places to stay marked on it.
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As I would use P&R there is probably little to choose between them for transport to Cambridge.
The road is narrow. No way would I turn right on exit with the visibility even though that would be the easiest route to the next stop. When I was leaving on my last visit a white van man approaching from the left mounted the kerb and flashed me so that I could pull out and be able to pass him..
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Helmsley is lovely DK. It got a Castle, a big House, a superb Walled Garden, an outdoor swimming pool, Rievaulx Abbey is a couple of miles away, and the shops are independent, superb delicatessens, antiques, some swanky clothes shops (Barbour, Joules, Etc...) lovely church and some nice eateries. Too much to see in just one day. A tad further on is Pickering, not quite as swanky, but Castle, Railway, riverside walks, again great shops. That has a small MH park up in the town based I think from Pickering Antiques. But there are some lovely small sites as well.
You can use the H in this area, it’s “vair powsh” It’s not uncommon to see someone trot into town on their Hunter, headscarf and basket, tie up, shop in deli and then trot off home😂 Livery stables used to be in middle of town, but they moved out and now it’s a posh shopping terrace.
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There are still a few considerate drivers about ,our bus route that we use has a difficult exit on to two roads , which entails having to use the full width of the road they access and when the school runs are on it is very rare that anyone gives way to allow the buses out
We have had car horns sounded when we have given way for them
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Our horse had a very posh postcode, but we often used to get to his field to find some low life had glued up the gate padlock, or even worse, had pee’d into it. We had something that someone else decided was only for the “rich” so it got targeted. I have no doubt some would consider a MH just the same.
You choose your overnight stop of any kind in this country with a great deal of care. We have overnighted wild in caravan, but only in areas we considered safe, and very occasionally on our way somewhere. Years ago, and we would use a CL instead nowadays.
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This is the sort of thing I meant. The problem is our laws and policing methods are not like France or Spain. We have seen local authority places which were lovely, just trashed by low lifes (and not just travellers). Decent people whether in motor caravans or not should not have to put up with it. I think people's fears of the worst are the biggest stumbling block the aires idea is up against.
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The answer to these kind of problems is to provide time limited stopover facilities and toughen up on moving those that flout the rules/law That is increasingly likely to happen in Scotland from what I have been reading and it is happening in Spain now after a sucessful campaign to allow Aires a few years ago.
peedee
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Great idea, however, this lot knew what they were doing, arrived day before lock down claiming that all sites had shut and nowhere to go, despite as i said, a site willing to take them within 5 miles.
The LC took the decision to let them remain rather than have 10 vans touring the county possibly infected with covid19 and spreading it around, as i said on a previous post 1 of the MH was a 19 plate Concord, you dont run them on fresh air or buy them.
They stayed for 2 months, best pitches ever, next to beach south facing and as we know weather was glorious,then the local residents association got on their case and made it quite unpleasant for them so they moved on, no doubt to another freebie site, and this is another aspect that is concerning, vigilante groups setting up to move these people on
Spain as you say are getting tougher not surprising some of the wild camping sites are disgusting, dont know how people can stay in them.0 -
Exactly the same for me. I was surprised when I looked at CamperContact for Tintagel in North Cornwall - there are four or five overnight parking lots listed for motorhomes and the going overnight rate is about £4.
They aren't at all picturesque or pretty - but they are a lot cheaper than Trewethett Farm and they don't need booking in advance - and for well equipped motorhomers they are adequate places to stay - and one night in Tintagel is more than enough when there are far better places up and down the coast.
Seems to me there are quite a lot of Motorhome Aires already without a petition for local government to build more. Private enterprise is doing it already. Try Jamaica Inn which is happy to have motorhomes overnight for £12.
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We have toured in this country for years, as have a few others I know, and it simply isn’t as difficult or constraining as some would possibly believe. I do doubt you have quite the range and spontaneity of on the Continent, but then Spain, France, Germany etc... are a whole lot larger countries than UK, and the MH culture is more established. But with some decent research, and mixing up of sites and locations offering pub stops, overnights in car parks, etc..... it is perfectly achievable. It would be even more achievable if a selfish few didn’t spoil opportunities for the majority and upset local communities and other visitors by their actions.
AD, we are a lot more wary nowadays about pulling up and leaving our motor of any kind. All through the 1980’s/90’s, we didn’t worry too much, but we have a good look around now, and even in some of the “nicer” places in UK, you notice just how much security there is around on farms, houses. Tells it’s own story, it isn’t just big cities where crime is rife. Very sad.☹️
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All through the 1980’s/90’s, we didn’t worry too much, but we have a good look around now, and even in some of the “nicer” places in UK, you notice just how much security there is around on farms
I can remember in the mid eighties parking the car in a very remote spot and going off on probably 7 hour of hill walking in the lakes. I also remember taking the rotor arm with me, tracing a line with a graphite pencil under the spark plug over the porcelain and switching the spark plug leads around. If you came back and there was no car and you were miles from anywhere with two kids, no mobile phone and an hour or two of daylight you were in a bit of a pickle.
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A day at Hadrians Wall used to be our between Xmas/New Year Walk. Parked at Steel Rigg in MGB GT, spent around 5 hours out walking, got back to find MG doors wide open, inside well rifled, and they had taken the only things we had left in there, our shoes. Pedals too close together to use old fashioned hiking boots, so OH did a three hour drive home (in Winter) in his socks. The air was blue I can tell you.
Then there were the *******’s that smashed our Range Rover side window and stole a Barbour and a Puffa. Closer to home, but by no means a dodgy area. Insurance sorted that, but it wasn’t nice.
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I think it’s a practice discouraged for good reason. Most of the hapless folks I’ve met abroad who’ve fallen victims to lowlife experience it in service areas on major routes or within city boundaries. Most thieves are lazy and cowards, They don’t want to have to put themselves out too much and they want to be on their way asap with minimal chance of encountering Police or victim. Service areas are anonymous, nobody takes much notice of what others are doing and many folks will have their worldly treasures with them, often left in the vehicle. Anybody watching you arrive, knows there is a window of opportunity when you get out of the car.
I’ve had a few near misses, all in service areas. I’m especially vigilant if I see a car/van parked up with obscured windows and Romanian plates.
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Canterbury opened in 2005 and now has 23 motorhome parking places with water and a disposal point. Cost £3.50p.n. An overflow area is also provided. I'm surprised they do not charge more.
One of their motivations for its provision was carbon emissions reduction by encouraging people to walk, cycle or get the bus into the city centre. That is new angle I had not thought of before.
peedee
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Beachfront in Cornwall at Praa Sands near Penzance -£8 for 24 hours - courtesy of CamperContact once again.
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What a progressive attitude. Let's hope the Forestry Commission do likewise.
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I hear it’s been available for years.
My only thought is Scotland, trees, summer - best get the midge repellant out. 😯
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