December, 2010

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By Stephen Neale

Pitches overlooking the Dee Estuary and north Wales. Pitch 15 is one of the best for a great view of the sea. Sunsets are glorious.

The campsite is inside Wirral Country Park, with 2,000 acres for safe walking and cycling, miles of trails and paths, a disused railway line and the Wirral Way opposite the front gate.

Towards the beach there are seven private sailing clubs offering temporary and family membership to visitors. Power-boating, water skiing and golf courses are all available nearby.

The beach is OK, but sadly not among the best in Britain- mainly because of litter. Better beaches at West Kirby and Hoylake are within walking distance. The local beach is still a great place to walk the dog. The campsite itself if spotless.

This is good base from which to explore Liverpool. Take the park and ride by train from Hoylake to Liverpool.

Of 93 pitches, 49 are hardstanding. Open from March to November. web link

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Close to the River Devon. Activities include a ranger service of guided walks.

Edinburgh, Glasgow and Perth and Loch Lomond are nearby. web link

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By Stephen Neale

More than 1,000 feet above sea level and the gateway to the Cairngorms. A perfect base for canoeists, walkers, mountain bikers and skiers.

The site is bordered by Clunie Water. Herds of red deer roam freely around. Capercaillie, red squirrels, and golden eagles are seen around the site.

Open throughout December for the Winter Sports season, the camp is purposely built for family skiers, and Glenshee is just nine miles away. with its exciting snow cannons. web link

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The River Teise borders the site and offers an opportunity to fish for trout.

Set within a 150-acre working farm, campers with children can help bottle-feed the lambs in spring, watch the pigs, feed the ducks or see the working Shire horses in action. web link

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By Stephen Neale

One of my favourite adult-only camps. This 150-acre, family-owned farm provides fishing and tennis onsite. An 18-hole pay-and-play golf course is right next door.

Other facilities include a shop, café, bar and a-la-carte restaurant. The Barn Restaurant was awarded Best Restaurant and Best Home Grown Menu in Huntingdonshire’s Food & Drink Awards 2009.

Visit here for more food info: www.thebarnrestaurant-pidley.co.uk

Walking and cycling are good, with many miles of footpaths. Cambridge, Ely, Peterborough and Huntingdon aren’t too far away. web link

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Surrounded by woods and the Yorkshire Dales, the campsite is within the Bolton Abbey estate with its 75 miles of footpaths across the moors and farmlands. Close to a bend in the River Wharf, a waterway made famous by Turner and Landseer.

Skipton is 15 minutes away by car. web link

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Walk along the busy River Dart or stroll into the town at Totnes. web link

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A nature reserve, beach, Victoria Park and bowling greens opposite the site.

The Lake District, Yorkshire Moors, Chester and Wigan Pier are all within a short drive, as is the sea-side resort of Southport. web link

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Next to the River Dee. Pony trekking, salmon fishing and golf courses nearby, as is Aberdeen. web link

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By Stephen Neale

This is how to enjoy one of Britain’s most exciting and historic cities on a budget. Rowntree Park combines cityside, riverside and countryside. On the banks of York’s River Ouse, the campsite is one of the most popular in the Caravan Club network, so it’s worth booking up early.

The river path guides walkers to the centre of the city, which is just 10 minutes away.

There’s so much to do here, from visiting the historic monuments to enjoying the many restaurants and pubs.

A few of the top attractions are free: the national railway museum, walking the city walls and cycle routes in and around the city.

There’s also York Minster Tower, Jorvik Viking Centre and York Castle and Castle Museum.

Rowntree is a great base for exploring North Yorkshire, Whitby and Scarborough.

All 102 pitches are hard-standing and divided by hedges. Flooding can be an issue during heavy rainfall, so consider fitting winter tyres.

Campers are expected to vacate pitches by 11.45am and arrivals are only accepted after midday because of the single lane access. A fish and chip van calls at the site on some evenings.

Open all year.

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This campsite is inside the 165-acre Poolsbrook Country Park. Amenities include an adventure play area, visitor centre, cafe and fishing lakes. The caravan park adjoins the Trans-Pennine Trail. web link

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The River Font is nearby. web link

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Situated on the River Croe. The surrounding area is owned by the National Trust for Scotland, and has been designated as a National Scenic Area. web link

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On the banks of the River Lochay in Scotland. There’s a 9-hole golf course and trout fishing is free. web link

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Set in National Trust woodland, next to the River Kent. A good place for fishing. web link

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A site in National Trust woodland, with paths to explore the northern lakes. Low Manesty has easy access to Derwentwater and Bassenthwaite Water. web link

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By Stephen Neale

This is a popular site – and for good reason.

Longleat Caravan Club Site is among Europe’s most unique camps.

Much is made of roaring lions that serenade visitors to sleep, but there’s more to Longleat than a wild stereo system.

The first glance you get of Longleat House and the estate is driving into the park along the narrow drive. It’s like the opening scene from a Steven Spielberg film – you know… the happy bit before the animals get hungry and ugly.

The camping area is green and surrounded by trees, with hardstanding, full-service pitches.

If you can set aside your nerves about absconding animals (Longleat was the first safari park to open outside of Africa), pack the bikes. Cycling through the park is excellent, especially for kids. You can ride for several miles around the woodland and park areas, which are full of deer.

There’s no charge to use the Longleat estate unless you want to get inside the safari park and house proper, a few hundred yards away. A passport ticket costs £24 for an adult, although check out discount vouchers (sometimes available from supermarkets).

During the evening, campers can still walk through to the rear entrance of the house grounds when it’s quieter, and not open to the public.

Apart from cycling, fishing is worth a try if you’re a keen angler. There are five lakes. The Longleat Estate claims to offers some of the highest quality coarse fishing in Britain. An extensive stocking programme was started in 1989 and has gone on ever since. Here’s a link for fishing at Longleat.

Bring a long TV cable, otherwise you can pay £15 from the shop. Nice extras include table tennis, a decent laundry area and a family room where kids can watch DVDs at weekends.

There are all the normal facilities. A small shop, a fish n chip van and showers.

The Longleat site is renowned for its cleanliness, which is quite something considering the wardens have 165 pitches to look after.

A pub close to the park feeds a family of four for about £40.

Once you’ve had enough of the safari fun, the Wiltshire countryside provides a tame, but beautiful reality check.

The cathedral city of Salisbury is a few miles away. Bath – famous for it’s Roman spas – is also nearby. web link

• If you like this review, here is my Top 10 Caravan Club sites for 2011

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Boating and fishing available on the River Nidd, a few hundred yards from the camp.

Good base for the Yorkshire Dales. Bar, restaurant and take away food available on site. Wednesday market at Knaresborough is nearby. web link

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A large area within the Caringorm National Park. Great for anglers who like to fish for salmon and trout, as the site sits between the fork of two rivers, the Spey and Truim. web link

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At the heart of the Grampian countryside and few hundred yards from the River Deveron. There are 15 golf courses within 25 miles. web link

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A National Trust owned grass-site on the banks of the River Great Ouse. Perfect location for fishing, walking or cycling.

Footpaths and bridleways crisscross the area.

Watching the river traffic pass through the loch system is a relaxing way to pass a few hours. Boat trips are available if you forget to pack the canoe.

The river footpath leads to St Ives, where there are pubs and a few shops. Fresh bread is available from the mill across the water from the campsite.

Tents are allowed close to the river. Some caution is needed if arriving before 1pm as the access road is narrow, and kits leaving get priority. Best advice is arrive later.

Not among the best of sites for kids as facilities are limited.

Open from March to November. web link

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Next to Avonmore River and in the valley below Wicklow Mountains. The site also has its own lake, where campers can fish and canoe. web link

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By Stephen Neale

There are no toilets or showers, the nearest shop is more than 20 miles away, and hook ups are limited across the 24 pitches, only one of which is hardstanding.

But the scenery alone is priceless.

This is site for the camper who really wants to get away from it all. April and May are a great time to avoid the midges.

Fly fishing, canoeing, sailing and silence are a premium. Pack as much as you can and wallow in the beauty of it all. An angler’s paradise, with pitches right next to Loch Naver. Fly fishing is free from the shore. Red deer roam wild.

This is a great base for birdwatching and rambling in the Highlands. Choose from a walk across the gentle hills at Ben Loyal and Munros, or take on the challenge of Ben Klibreck and Ben Hope. There are trips available to Cape Wrath by ferry and minibus to see Scotland’s most north westerly point, its lighthouse and the highest sea cliff on the British mainland at Clo Mor (900 feet).

The wardens provide basic rations including bread and milk for campers who run low.

Open from April to October.  web link

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Almost my perfect campsite. Within a few hundred yards of the beach, a short drive from the Norfolk Broads, and nestled in the middle of Great Yarmouth Racecourse, alongside an 18 hole golf course.

The famous seafront is perfect for all the family, with traditional beach attractions, the Time & Tide Museum, the Sea Life centre and Thirgby Hall Wildlife Gardens (big cats, crocodiles and other reptiles).

If this site had it’s own fishing lake stocked with bream, pike and carp… well. Still unbeatable fun. web link

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Just off the A1, and set on 70-foot rocky peninsula in a bend of the River Wear. A few hundred yards from the water. web link