Help shape future facilities at UK Club campsites

Yes, looks like an ideal site for some glamping units. No risk of getting too close to nature or, heaven forbid, grass on your shoes. 

Best hedging we have ever enjoyed was in Cornwall on a CL. Six pitching areas, and a separate hedged “service” area. Now Cornish hedges are a bit special……farmer had banked up earth, carefully consolidated with stone, and then planted up with a wealth of wildflowers and what some might think of as weeds😂 Long grasses, primroses, dog roses, three cornered leeks, scabious, bluebells, ragged Robin, field poppies, thyme, rosemary, blackberries, etc……. Wonderful colour, scents, free foraging, a haven for wildlife, including frogs, toads, hedgehogs, field mice, lizards, bees, butterflies, moths, and all sorts of birds and insects. It was truly the sort of place if you did decide to have a day on site, nature came to you. The pitches were huge as well, and very private. It still remains to this day the best Site we have ever used, and for 15 years was our home from home, as we kept a van stored down there, so despite the long drive, we were up and down four or five times a year, in all seasons, often for a month at a time. Sadly no longer available due to very tragic circumstances, but it’s given us some of our best holiday memories.

I agree DK, somewhat sadly. It is what many Members want. Absolutely no effort required to pitch up. It does have an exciting Watersports centre on its doorstep, and the Nature Reserve. But all that tarmac and gravel is very sterile, and those serviced pitches have the MH waste point and the loos as their view, which isn’t my kind of heaven. Some of the other pitches might be more attractive, I can see grass on your photo.

Winchcombe looks better👍

"It would be interesting for those that claim such campsites are like car parks to provide some photos of examples of sites that have hardstanding that don't look like carparks."

Hi David, I think its the hard standing that leads to some of the perceived issues.

So far as I can see the reasons that hard standings are usability in all weathers and a level pitch and costs dictate that the pitch size will usually be the minimum usable and invariably this means pitches are as in your picture.

The weather aspect is probably the most significant which means, for us, staying on UK sites will see us looking for hard standings so that we have no issues with muddy surfaces etc.

However, when abroad we would not think about a hard standing and don't recall ever using one, but what you do get, due to the dryer weather, is a surface more likely to tolerate a caravan being maneuvered onto it than would generally be the case here.

So, if in the UK would have no expectations that sites would look different than you and TW pictured, and would be happy to stay there, but cross the water and I would neither expect nor find such layouts.

Cant see either provision changing much so "vive la difference!"

Black Knowl when the days are shorter and the grass pitches not in use usually has a herd of deer jumps over the fence to feed on site

Meanwhile, in a World not dominated by gravel and tarmac…….

First photo is our spacious (🤣) pitch looking towards Chastleton House in the Cotswolds, you can just see the HS option over bonnet of MH. Thoroughbred racehorses ambling about in next paddock.

Second photo, we are in fact on hardstanding, but not as the Club knows it! Photo taken from levee bank of Kennet and Avon Canal, our view from rear window was up towards Avebury. Field is owned by HM The Queen, and you get lots and lots of space😁 You can just see our nearest neighbours.

I won’t rub it in and give the pitch price.