Dream site
We're all different - some of us tug caravans along, others have motors in our vans, We have outfits ranging in size from tiny teardrop caravans to massive American motorhomes. We might be looking for family holidays or for peace and quiet away from little monsters. Pooches on site might be much-loved family members or the yappy snappy irritants next door. Our idea of fun might be sitting outside our vans on site for a week, or being on the go, out and about and touring from site to site.
So given that we're a well-assorted bunch we're all going to have different ideas of a dream site...
I travel in a smallish 5.4 metre camper van with it's own bijou shower and toilet, and prefer to use the onboard facilities to sharing site ablutions. The van has a water autofill system, so my dream site would have all fully serviced pitches and no shower or toilet blocks. It would have plenty of chemical waste disposal points though, and the EHU units would all be 16 amps. Pitches would all be hardstanding, but include a dedicated grass area adjacent.
The site would be laid out to provide a high degree of privacy to individual pitches, and would be designed to give an irregular feel - too many sites can have all the charisma of a suburban estate of semis...
Part of the site would be the "dog area" with a decent dog walk, and the remainder strictly pooch-free. As there are currently no little monsters around and peace and quiet are high on my personal list of priorities, my dream site would be adult only.
And you'd be able to buy the Travelling Brits' two essentials on site: milk for our tea and biscuits to dip into it...
So far the sites that I've enjoyed the most have been CLs with serviced pitches - so I guess that the dream for me would be a small site.
But we're all different so our dream sites will be, too. What's yours?
Comments
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Isn't the aire a means to an end to aid touring rather than a dream site to stay on?
My thoughts are not too far away from the OPs.👍
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Adults only, no dogs, privacy, peace & quiet, near traditional pub, no clowns with flashing LEDs and flags/bunting, canal or river side location, more grass than concrete, walking distance (couple of miles) to interesting town/village with a good deli and bakers.
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For us it already exists. But I'm afraid it's in France. Sorry.
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As far as I am concerned an Aire is a site just the same as one with full facilities. I have a motorhome with all facilities, I do not need a fancy or want fancy sites. If I want luxury it would be via other forms of travel/holidays
peedee
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So you don't really subscribe to the concept of a dream site. Fair enough 🤷♂️
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Well dont share your optimism peedee we are on a site near Tavistock just now, was at Polpero 2 days ago main car park, only car park really, was £5 for 3 hrs per car and £10 for 3hrs per motor home and if you wanted to stay over night it was £25, ouchh!!!, no facilities, not even a toilet block open, they even had a ticket machine that had a button for cars to obtain tricket and 1 for MH's, at Looe it is no Motor homes /campervans in the main car park 2300 - 0800 hrs, will let you know if i come across an "Aires" but not optimistic
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You’re visiting the wrong places! Cornwall & Devon is generally MH unfriendly but here’s a selection of places you could go:
Bideford Riverbank Long Stay Car Park The Quay, EX39 2QS Bideford
Appledore, Churchfields, The Quay, EX39 1RL Appledore - don’t follow sat nav, along Staddon Road (narrow) continue down hill
Westward Ho, Main Car Park, 33 Nelson Road EX39 1LG Westward Ho!
Holsworthy, The Manor Car Park, Holsworthy, EX22 6DJ
Torrington, Sydney House Car Park, Torrington, EX38 8AA
Tintagel, King Arthur's Car Park Fore Street, PL34 0DA
Mevagissey, Willow Car Park
Clovelly Visitor Centre EX39 5TL
Plymouth Jenny Cliff Staddon Lane, PL9 9SP
Black Rock Cafe, Widemouth Bay
Pendeen Car Park, TR19 6LF
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sorry SB, i dont think eutopia exisists
, would not say Woodovis is our dream site, but it meets our needs, reasonably peaceful, although I do like children and there are perhaps 10 on site, leaving tomorrow school i guess, but all good with them, pub 15 mins away, not been yet, situated in a very nice wooded area, more grass than gravel, Tavistock 15 mins drive Indoor pool 15 people at any one time managed by an arm band regime, facilities block, def would not be what club members would expect, more Bingham Grange, quirky, but cleaned at least 3 times per day so immaculate with power showers to die for. Pitch very large, caravan/awning/car whirly gig for washing all good fully svcd with all svcs on one stanchion , trees to rear of caravan, open grass area to front, just miss the heat of France/Spain but 19degs today and sunny so cannot complain.0 -
Not sure I subscribe to the idea of a dream site as that suggests the site is the destination rather than the area in which the site is situated. The sites I like are the ones where there is something interesting within the immediate vicinity. I was rather impressed with the serviced pitches at White Water Park which were both large and private because they were hedged. I am not quite sure why the Club have not gone down this route on more sites. I suppose hedges do create more work for the warden team. However they would break up the visual landscape and would probably cut out all the complaints about people cutting across pitches!
David
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Tbh, there haven’t been many sites we've stayed on over the last 50 years that I can say I’ve hated. Because they’re only used as stopping off/overnight pitches, it’s never really mattered much. There are only a couple of sites I consider to be the reason for visiting an area and, for the rest, it’s the area that is the reason of the visit.
I don’t think in real life the dream site exists as such. It’s a bit of this and a bit of that and I think the OP was employing some free thinking and fantasy and inviting us to join in with the fun. Good game. 😄
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This little community site on Shetland at Burravoe came near to what I think, for me, is a perfect small site. Inside the building underneath an upturned life boat roof from SS Canberra there was a very clean large shower room, a kitchen and laundry area, information etc with a donation box towards costs and care. Payment for the pitch was via an envelope into a collection box. The site was alongside an interseting inner harbour, the walks and views were great, the sheep were friendly and the village was a stroll away. The drawback was it was on a first come first served basis, no bookings but quite a few pitches for vans and tents.
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We had the pitch next to yours while a couple from Plymouth had their caravan on your pitch. It was nearly full when we were there.
The standard of hospitality and facilities on the Northern Isles and the Western Isles amazed me. The sites had the CL feel but the facilities, like Canberra, went way beyond expectations.
And the peace.....!
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Flat, dry site, all hardstanding pitches but with plenty of grass in between. Modern, clean shower block, with underfloor heating and plenty of large shower cubicles, endless hot water, all with somewhere to hang your clothes. Small trees dotted around the site. No speeding drivers, no loud radios. No yapping/barking dogs. Village close by with a pub that serves food, and a farm shop. Good internet connection. Near lovely woodland walks, and a river. Within easy drive of a couple of historic houses with gardens and a town seeped in history.
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Debsc seems to have similar criteria to us to which I would probably add public transport nearby.
I'm not sure Seaside Bill's list, whilst encouraging, is entirely MH friendly. Some of the bays on the list look a little cramped.
Eurortravellers pic looks enchanting but where is it?
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My dream site would have large private pitches, part of the pitch would have shade for the van to sit in, the rest of the pitch would be in the sun
It would be in an area of beauty, near the coast, river, mountains or a canal. There would be lots of easy off road cycling. Food shops near by but not to near. No major roads so nice and peaceful.
No yapping dogs, no children and no noise after 10 pm or before 8am.
We have a few sites that tick most on my list but like AD sadly they are not in this country.
We have been on 3 sites this trip that have been very nice with lots of space, this one is the quietest, lovely roomy site, dark at night and peaceful ☺️ all sites have things to do in the area so good so far. All that's missing is the warm sun.
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Site itself: flat hardstanding with grass; easy access to water e.g. tap for pitch; grey water drain easily accessibel or drain into hedge. No dogs. Adults only, or well behaved children; no flashing lights; no noise from 10 pm to 8am on site (I dont mind farm noise) Good space between pitches.
Prefer no facilities blocks.
Location: not too near busy road but public transport and handy village with a couple of shops; in view of a canal would be nice
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Thanks to 'Seaside Bill for all those useful locations.
Anybody tell me how i can print those off from my 'Lappy' ??
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