Lighting Bollards, useful or nuisance?
We've enjoyed a few stays on club sites, but generally prefer small independent sites. One reason is those bright light bollards so prevalent on club sites.
Each to their own preference, but I find them excessively bright, destroying much atmosphere of countryside, making sites feel more like suburbia; they also knock out any attempt at my eyes adjusting to night vision. If I need to find something I'll use a torch.
They also find any gaps round the edges of blinds, invading our caravan with light when we're in bed.
We returned to a small site in Pembrokeshire last month, where they've recently installed some EHU / water points, using bollards with lights on top. To my great joy, they've neatly wrapped black gaffer tape round most of the light glass, leaving only a small opening on the side away from the pitches, just enough to illuminate the tap. The owner told me that when they first installed them, their regular campers protested that they came for the darkness and peace, and the lights wrecked the lovely night skies.
You'll guess that we thought this was an excellent idea which should be adopted wherever these things are used.
Are there others who prefer not to have bright lights, if any, on campsites?
If lighting's felt necessary, could they be much lower intensity? - or at least, those near the pitches.
Comments
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Totally agree HH. It’s one of the off putting things about Club Sites, however, given the number of Members who are happy to traipse around in the wee small hours (forgive the pun😂) doesn’t surprise me. I can just imagine the litigation that would arise if the Club didn’t light up its Sites like an economy football match. Carrying a torch would eat into that all important weight allowance as well.🤷♀️
I find outdoor lights on vans and MH very irritating as well if left on all night.
CLs and small private Sites are a different World.👍
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Thank you for this
Traipsing around... one of the joys of the site I mentioned, back in our tent days, was the complete lack of artificial light when walking the couple of hundred yards through the field, along a track, over the (extremely quiet) lane to the beautifully maintained tiny facilities block in those wee small hours. As long as the Welsh Weather wasn't chucking a wet gale around - and that was surprisingly rare - it was a joy being out there without a torch, seeing the stars and moon.
But it was that sort of site.1 -
I've got to say that lighting on club sites is at the bottom of my list of things to consider, in fact I can say it's not even on the list and really never thought about it. I pitch my caravan on site, use it to explore a place, and in the evenings I'm in it relaxing either in or out and lighting has never bothered me enjoying my stay.
Lighting could be ramped up with flood lights or all taken away, either way it wouldn't bother me.
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Trust me Corners, quietly sitting outside whatever outfit takes your fancy, no artificial light at all is magical. The night sky extends right down to the ground, you can watch satellites, shooting stars, and anything else out there. Our favourite dark skies Site is a CS in North Norfolk, not a light in sight, but you can see and hear the wildlife creeping around, foxes, deer etc...
Club Sites are more about far too much light pollution and that ruddy awful Deadenders theme tune blaring out from someone’s van or awning. 😱
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It just shows how it has changed from when we first used club sites, we loved the lack of lighting,
But even then members were starting to complain about the lack of illumination, on club sites, then bollards on most sites were ten amp grey and not illuminated, it was more the increase in members complaints that have ,as sites were upgraded ,increased the lighting levels
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I do and indeed know what you're saying, in my (much) younger days I used to stay overnight on the fells, especially at this time of year, in some safe spot high up and yes it's was a magical experience.
But I suppose I don't expect that in my caravan. After all there's electric light just inside it.
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Two weeks ago we stayed at Wood Farm in Charmouth.
There are few lights, all steps are lit, which means that emerging from the well lit facility block you are pretty much walking blind for a while.We are lucky to enjoy quite dark skies at home, and some lovely starry nights, but on site if lighting is an issue it’s most likely to be as there is not enough.
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On the C&CC sites we have stayed in Scotland, the fact sheet you are given mentions that a torch is an essential bit of kit for navigation of the site at night. No idea if that’s true as it’s light so late and early at the moment. However, I can see the argument for plenty of lighting, especially on a Friday afternoon / evening in winter. Lots of vehicles arriving for the weekend, folk filling aqua rolls etc. Yes you could carry a torch, but I think it’s so much safer with the lighting. Although there is certainly an argument for turning it off 12 midnight to 6am. I also don’t see why the facilities couldn’t have a night mode for lighting, that would not leave you blinded when you emerge.
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Personally I find the amount of lighting on Club sites is about right, one light to every three or four pitches plus a few low level lights where site roads intersect? In addition of course many units will also have their awning lights on at least until they go to bed. Having been on a few sites with minimum lighting I find the lack of lighting dangerous. I always have my trusty Maglight with me but prefer a reasonable amount of lighting for safety. Not really noticed any light ingress into the motorhome, at least not enough to keep me awake.
David
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You’ll never please everyone but I prefer a dimly lit site where any lighting is sympathetic to light pollution. Nothing like a dark sky and the stars to wonder at. Just take a torch, it adds to the ambiance and awe and wonder of ‘camping’!
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On one site we were on in The Picos all path/road lighting was no higher than you waist. (Think they call them down lit church lights). Those around facilities were eye lid lights which also throw light downwards. All bulbs were clearly low wattage and cast a calming yellow light. The whole lighting around site was minimal but all strategically placed.
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True pitch black can’t see a hand in front of you is very rare, at least in this country. Only times I can recall, two in Lake District, one on Dartmoor. I was 12 the first time, camping with school at Low Wray, up itin woodlands. Teachers dog woke us up at 4am in morning, still pitch black, we decided to explore. Got utterly disorientated in woods, bit of a scare but we got back to tent. Second time stopping in Youth Hostel at Buttermere, work course, pub the only place to visit for miles. It was only around half a mile, but we all carried a tea towel and walked in file. Things went a bit awry on way back, but that was self inflicted🤣 Dartmoor was scary. We had parked up in daylight, walked further than we thought, darkness complete and we had no torch, no compass, just three less than reliable Airedales. We found a stream, knew it came from area we had parked car, so just followed it against flow. Dogs kept us out of deep pools, we had to push through gorse and bracken, following very narrow sheep and cattle paths. Bit scary bumping into cows, I don’t like them at best of times. We were filthy and scratched to bits by time we reached car. A lesson learned the hard way.
Club Sites are essentially safe as I said, a lot of folks would not use them if they weren’t. No effort required to stay safe, but they lack that bit of true camping magic. We still prefer the magic bit.😁
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I find it getting light at 4.00am in the morning more annoying that the odd light on a campsite at night!!!!
David
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Most people can't see much in the dark, my night vison in true darkness is very poor.
At home we have dark skies and I know my way around but not in a strange field or wood.
I prefer the low type lights already mentioned, we have them around airfields near us, they don't light the sky.
David, not only do you have early morning light just now you have all those other campsite occupants twittering away at dawn....
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They have certainly made a difference to urban areas JV. We use a cottage way up high in the NY Moors. You could pick out Middlesbrough and Teesside very easily by the orange glow over the horizon, but it’s a lot less pronounced nowadays. I do recall first time I saw Milford Haven in the dark back in the 1980’s. That was like something out of Close Encounters, a strange beauty of its own.
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Thanks for all the comments so far. It seems a majority of people responding would prefer at least lower lighting - in both senses!
And some lovely stories of why we take ourselves into the countryside.
As to the comment about litigation... yes, sadly that's probably relevant too. Litigation culture is such a hugely depressing, destructive thing... but that's another thread, so I'll come back to mentioning the site we paused in near Monmouth, where there was simply no light at all, just natural sky, (yes, it did rain one night), and so much birdsong late and early.
That's the magic we seek.
Who knows, maybe the club might enjoy reading this thread....3
