Dornafield Touring Park

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  • Takethedogalong
    Takethedogalong Forum Participant Posts: 17,044 ✭✭✭
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    edited December 2022 #32

    That was my first thought as well. It’s a nice location in some ways, edge of Dartmoor, not far from Devon Riviera, couple of nice towns close in Newton Abbot and Totnes. But high Summer traffic is usually horrendous, and getting onto Dartmoor with anything larger than our MH would be a challenge, unless you drive off and get on from somewhere further South or North.
    Best potential for it would be to go the whole holiday camp route, shove more on-site facilities on, such as an all weather pool, indoor play space for children, cycle hire etc……. Along with pods and lodges. Go for the family market. We won’t be tempted, much prefer Exeter Racecourse or Stover. More our kind of place. And Price.

  • Cornersteady
    Cornersteady Club Member Posts: 14,426 ✭✭✭
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    edited December 2022 #33

    What an amazing extrapolation YT. Just because it's written on CT it must apply for all club members? Is that what you're saying?

  • JVB66
    JVB66 Forum Participant Posts: 22,892
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    edited December 2022 #34

    IMHO metering is not as much of a priority as having more sites in this clubs portfolio that they actually own rather than lease

  • peedee
    peedee Club Member Posts: 9,387 ✭✭✭
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    edited December 2022 #35

    That did cross my mind.

    After the inrtoduction of deposits shall i leave shall I stay swung in favour of staying but purchases like this are absolutely of no use to a motorhome owner. What am I paying my membership for? This year only 14 percent of my nights away have used Club sites. The swing ometer has started to head towards the shall I leave direction again. If that happened I would give my membership fee to CAMpRA. They are doing for motorhome owners than ever the Clubs are!

    peedee

     

     
  • Cornersteady
    Cornersteady Club Member Posts: 14,426 ✭✭✭
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    edited December 2022 #36

    The proof of the pudding of course will be in the pitching, not what is posted on here. Will people use it? Who knows but it will be interesting to see when it's possible to see the booking pages, I assume as an AS it had its own booking system? 

    Was it well used?

  • Cornersteady
    Cornersteady Club Member Posts: 14,426 ✭✭✭
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    edited December 2022 #37

    Deleted User by me, duplicate post.

  • young thomas
    young thomas Forum Participant Posts: 11,356
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    edited December 2022 #39

    'In my experience'....and in only one day of announcing it, the vast majority of comments I've seen have not been gushing with praise or excitement.

  • JohnDL
    JohnDL Forum Participant Posts: 30
    edited December 2022 #40

    I've only stayed at Dornafield once and enjoyed my stay - I was allocated a pitch which I'm not keen on, but it was in a nice position so I was happy.

    The Blackrock Copse section's layout  is less regimented than the majority of CMC sites, so I hope it stays that way and they don't try and cram in more pitches. I also prefer that Club sites allow you to choose your pitch rather then have it allocated.

    Perhaps the Club had no choice but to either lose the site or buy it if the current owners wanted out?

    John

  • Unknown
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    edited December 2022 #41
    The user and all related content has been Deleted User
  • young thomas
    young thomas Forum Participant Posts: 11,356
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    edited December 2022 #42

    Certainly not for the ones who've already posted here. What will the CAMC banner bring that this site hasn't already got?

    1. a new one way road system
    2. The usual less than useless drive over waste...this should not be the case as this site has acres of space where a decent one (not on the main circuit) could be installed, near the exit.
    3. an office that's open less than now
    4. Toilets/showers closed to a strict regime

    yes, it will be 'clubified' in the usual way, I'm sure it'll be lovely👍

  • JVB66
    JVB66 Forum Participant Posts: 22,892
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    edited December 2022 #43

    Oh dear, if your standards are as they were at BG then I feel for youwink

  • JVB66
    JVB66 Forum Participant Posts: 22,892
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    edited December 2022 #44

    Where have this club installed the latest drive over waste points that appart from the queue of motor caravans waiting to use them they are not in a place that without major water and drainage work is not usableundecided

  • KjellNN
    KjellNN Club Member Posts: 8,668 ✭✭✭
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    edited December 2022 #45

    It could still have stayed as an Affiliated Site, if new owners wanted to.  

    As already stated, why not do more to open or obtain sites in areas where the Club offering is poor?

  • Cornersteady
    Cornersteady Club Member Posts: 14,426 ✭✭✭
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    edited December 2022 #46

    Yes but only on here, on CT, but you're trying to apply that to all the membership with your earlier post when you talk about the club:

    As most of the comments on this thread already are negative, perhaps the club could have spent this money on meters for the sites they already own?😉

  • JVB66
    JVB66 Forum Participant Posts: 22,892
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    edited December 2022 #47

    Essex is a county that is in need of a club site but as noted there is also as other places a very vocal and active nimby population and the planning departments are scared of them,

  • JVB66
    JVB66 Forum Participant Posts: 22,892
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    edited December 2022 #48

    I think most are about the narrow acces lane not the site itselfsurprised

  • JVB66
    JVB66 Forum Participant Posts: 22,892
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    edited December 2022 #49

    FM MC West side waste point is terrible that may hopefully be replaced over the winter period?   as the stream of  waste water shows as motor caravans leave the site in stead of joining the queues ,which we have also noticed even at Seacroft that has two drive over waste points and one is beyond the exit barrier

  • KjellNN
    KjellNN Club Member Posts: 8,668 ✭✭✭
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    edited December 2022 #50

     If the access puts people off, then what?

  • JVB66
    JVB66 Forum Participant Posts: 22,892
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    edited December 2022 #51

    It has not put off people when it was an AS it seemssurprised

  • NutsyH
    NutsyH Forum Participant Posts: 534
    edited December 2022 #52

    We have used this site a number of times. Excellent site and I hope it stays that way. As said previously the access lane is a bit tight, and will cause problems for those who tend  to ignore arrival times - I for one won't be doing any  reversing on that lane.

  • JVB66
    JVB66 Forum Participant Posts: 22,892
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    edited December 2022 #53

    Caravaners or Campervaners sitecool,  any site that has decent disabled facilties in the area we are going to will now be on our lists, with our go to most places campervan wink

  • Tinwheeler
    Tinwheeler Forum Participant Posts: 23,138 ✭✭✭
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    edited December 2022 #54

    But this is CT whose posters are not given to praising CAMC. What else would you expect? 😄😄

  • JVB66
    JVB66 Forum Participant Posts: 22,892
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    edited December 2022 #55

    Arrival times can be critical with access problems at not just cc or ccc sites either

  • SteveL
    SteveL Club Member Posts: 12,302 ✭✭✭
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    edited December 2022 #56

    I’d be prepared to give the access a go, at least out of season. However, the fact there are no footpaths close to the site and the narrow access has to be walked to get to the bus stop,  makes it an uninviting site for us. I suspect they will get very few MH’s visiting

  • JVB66
    JVB66 Forum Participant Posts: 22,892
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    edited December 2022 #57

    winkYou will have to tow a car when using sites in the UKcool

  • brue
    brue Forum Participant Posts: 21,176 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited December 2022 #58

    One of the reasons all types of van users like public transport in places like Torbay is the lack of parking at peak times and the expense of parking. There are often queues at the Hillhead bus stops in both directions because bus passes can be used to get to all sorts of places and day tickets are available for families etc. Battling through the holiday traffic can be hard work. This is why I made a comment about lack of transport at Dornafield, I think this applies to Modbury too?

    I presume seasonal pitches will be on offer and they offer good alternatives to people who don't live too far away.

    I have noticed that the facilities on offer at some of the Club's bigger sites are getting hard to maintain, cafe and bar opening hours reduced, shops closing, lack of staff etc. I do hope the club will be able to maintain what it offers.

  • JVB66
    JVB66 Forum Participant Posts: 22,892
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    edited December 2022 #59

    Even some sites this year have been short of site staff FM  we have seen it, to cover the short fall about 50? pitches have been taken out of use ,and I understand other big and busy sites have had the same problems

  • JVB66
    JVB66 Forum Participant Posts: 22,892
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    edited December 2022 #60

    It is the queues of traffic that puts us off using our vehicle to go out if public transportation is available close by, why drive in heavy traffic if someone else can take the straincool

  • eurortraveller
    eurortraveller Club Member Posts: 6,829 ✭✭✭
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    edited December 2022 #61

    This Dornafield - is it near Torquay ?  I must confess I have lived in different parts of Devon and Cornwall for 48 years and have only been to Torquay once, so I can’t help with any inside information about the caravan site. I wasn’t too keen on Torquay on the day we did go there.   Has it improved?