Visitor Reviews - Kielder Water Caravan Club Site
Kielder Water Caravan Club Site 
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Leaplish Waterside Park
Falstone
Hexham
Northumberland (Browse area)
NE48 1AX See Map
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Tel: 01434 250278
Pitches: 80
Open: 18th March - 31st October
Rating: 
8/10 from 32 Reviews
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32 Reviews in total, now showing 1 to 6
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| Date of Visit: August 2012 |
Unit: Motorhome |
Rating:  |
| Reviewer: Tench |
10 reviews from this member |
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We had two nights here as part of our extended return journey from Scotland.
The site really is off the beaten track with an approx 10 mile journey after leaving the nearest B road so it does take some getting to.
It's time well spent though as this is a site that's really worth a visit. You are greeted in the small reception by an affable Geordie who is bursting with enthusiasm for the site but also for Kielder in general.
After being briefed on the site facilities, you are sent off to take your pick of the pitches. Once you have chosen you return to the site office for your keys for the toilet/shower block. The latter are top quality and well maintained.
There are the usual electric hook ups but you can also get a TV hook up if you have a long enough cable. The washing up area is fine but is outdoors so you are at the mercy of the midges if washing up in the evening. Bizarrely, we were unable to find the drinking water tap and waste water point - there must have been one though.
The site itself is a short walk (approx 5 minutes) from the waterpark where there is the Boat Inn (check on opening times) and a fairly well stocked general store and souvenir shop.
The Boat Inn is great for an evening meal and has fantastic views over Kielder.
Also in the waterpark is the Birds of Prey Centre and children's play areas. The Birds of Prey Centre is good but it's quite small so its a couple of hours entertainment rather than a day out.
If you're heading further afield there are plenty of walks around the banks of Kielder Water most of which are on well defined, hard paths.
On the subject of midges. They are an issue here and you need to take the usual precautions but still resign yourself to getting bites even quite early in the day. Its bearable though to be able to enjoy the spectacular surroundings.
If you are planning on hiring bikes for the day, bear in mind that they are NOT available from Leaplish. You need to go to Kielder Castle (approx 10 miles) for that. If you are a family, there are lots of organised activities and you are given a comprehensive information pack on arrival at the site.
All in all, an excellent base for an outdoor holiday.
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| Date of Visit: August 2012 |
Unit: Touring Caravan |
Rating: |
| Reviewer: Kargus |
30 reviews from this member |
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Slightly disappointed on arrival. We canoe all over the place, and are part of the British Canoe Club, but unless you have qualifications at least Level 2, you are not able to use any of your own craft on Kielder Water lake. Which is a bit ridiculous, when we go on the sea, and that's tidal. So we took the canoe up there for no reason, and when booking these rules were not given to us. Website needs to be updated with a warning for the rules of Northumbrian Water in general. However, the week was peaceful and quiet, but a bit remote - be warned that if you want to cut yourself off from civilisation this is the place for you, if not, then go somewhere where you are contactable.
Pros - quiet, peaceful, lovely place, lovely people, area is clean, loads to do for walkers[us], bikers, kids[if you want to pay for the lakes facilities], lovely bistro type restuarant, small shop, bird of prey centre good,
Cons; - very remote, no mobile network coverage of any kind, no internet of any kind, fuel stations are not in the vicinity, bellingham is nearest and is £1.56 per litre, which is too pricey but as he is the only one for miles, he can charge what he likes I suppose, no supermarkets, good co-op in bellingham. Pitches down the bottom end are too close together, we were lucky not to have someone next to us, otherwise it would be cramped. Looks like quantity gone for rather than quality in that dept.
So all in all a good week, bring a book, you will need it, midgies are awful so bring your repellents etc.
Wildlife is good for watching.
Walking was also a must in Kielder. These activities together with a Bird of Prey Sanctuary and The Boat Inn, plus more, makes for a wonderful place to stay.
There is a feeling of isolation on site, Kielder Village is 10 minutes drive away but tiny and the next real sign of civilization is in Bellingham, a 25 minute drive away.
Would we go back - No, not to this site, as too remote, would be nearer a signal so that we are contactable, especially when our burglar alarm went off at home and no one could contact us.
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| Date of Visit: August 2012 |
Unit: Motorhome |
Rating: |
| Reviewer: The Gamblers |
9 reviews from this member |
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Wow ! What a base for an adventurous holiday. My wife and I are certainly not Bradley Wiggins, but with our bikes with us we were tempted a few times by the easy cycle tracks in and around the site. A packed lunch and we set off around the lake choosing one of many beautiful spots along the way to stop and eat.
Walking was also a must in Kielder. These activities together with a Bird of Prey Sanctuary and The Boat Inn, plus more, makes for a wonderful place to stay. Site Manager John is on hand to make sure you are happy and is a wonderful host. The toilet block is excellent and well maintained / cleaned with an excellent laundry area and dish washing facilities.
There is a feeling of isolation on site, particularly people in motorhomes. Kielder Village is 10 minutes drive away but tiny and the next real sign of civilization is in Bellingham, a 25 minute drive away.
Also, despite us seeing prolonged periods of sunshine, there is a feeling of dampness in and around the site. This may be a result of the tall trees preventing natural sunlight drying the area, but the ground was always very soft underfoot and there was a dampness in the air. These conditions resulted in a lot of the dreaded midges! Yes, they are around. But if you take the necessary precautions they won't spoil your holiday. I was bitten 'a lot' as I am always in shorts. They were a slight nuisance but when you take in the views and enjoy the environment then the midges are worth putting up with - JUST ! Despite the number of occupied pitches the site always appeared quiet and peaceful.
We most definitely will return as there is so much to do.
Maybe a little expensive, but I believe you get what you pay for and I give Leaplish Caravan Park 7 out of 10 for value for money.
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| Date of Visit: June 2012 |
Unit: Campervan |
Rating:  |
| Reviewer: Jrayner |
11 reviews from this member |
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Unfortunately, the plagues of biting midges rather spoiled our week's holiday here. The campsite was like a ghost town for much of the week, as the hordes of midges kept everyone inside their vans for most of the time. It was impossible to sit out without being bitten to death and continually harassed by the swarms. Apparently midge season runs from around May to September - if only we had realised this at the time! A number of people actually cut their holidays short and went home without refund as they just couldn't stand the midges.
If you go out of midge season, it would be agreat place to go if you like walking, cycling etc. Lots of places to go - great cycle ride round the 27M of lake perimeter. Very dog-friendly too.
Facilities good, showers in particular were top quality. Staff friendly and helpful - unfortunately there's not a lot they can do about the midges! It's also an expensive site - the other facilities on site, like the crazy golf, pool etc all cost extra, on top of an already quite pricey site.
The lake view pitches are not on the lakeside - rather 5 min walk up a hill with a partial lake view down below. Most pitches are in the (conifer) trees, which I would have found very dark and oppressive. It seemed to suit some people though.
We would go back to this site for the scenery and ease of accessing good walks and lake swims with our very energetic dog. But not in midge season
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| Date of Visit: April 2012 |
Unit: Touring Caravan |
Rating: |
| Reviewer: Schmorgie |
9 reviews from this member |
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Great campsite in a stunning location. Large pitches, laid out through woodland and some with views over Kielder Water. The layout of the site means that even when it's very busy, it doesn't feel cluttered.
We had heard about the midge problem and although there were quite a few starting to make an appearance, they weren't troublesome (although it is early in the season for them).
Wardens extremely friendly and helpful. Toilets and showers immaculate. Showers were free and no push button which makes a nice change. Temperature adjustable too which is great if you have to take little ones in with you.
They are very powerful though, so make sure your clothes are hung up before you switch them on. The shower curtain doesn't seem able to keep back the force of the water! Not complaining though - beats a tepid trickle!
Plenty to do around Kielder water - very geared to the great outdoors which, having 2 boys aged 7 and 4, suited us just fine. Lovely footpaths and cycle trails around the lake with plenty to see along the way.
When our 2 boys weren't building dens amongst the trees, they were spotting the different varieties of birds in the hides and trying to catch the bunnies that darted along the path in front of us.
Down by the lake (5 min walk from caravan site) there is a fab kids adventure playground and mini golf - which isn't your conventional crazy golf course.
There are fishing boats to hire and the ferry runs from here, although this was broken down for the full 5 days we visited. The pub, The Boat Inn, was a very pleasant experience. We were expecting a Brewer's Fayre type thing with freezer-microwave-plate meals, but everything was home cooked and the portions were huge.
The sticky toffee pudding was to die for! The shop sells a range of everything from the essentials to toys and gifts. The swimming pool and changing rooms were all lovely and clean, but the pool was a tad on the chilly side.
Our boys tried out the Water Walkerz, but we found this extortionate for the little amount of time they had doing it - having said that, they did enjoy it. We also tried out the ice skating on the artificial rink which was great fun.
All staff from Wardens, shop staff, pool staff, restaurant staff were all extremely friendly and helpful.
Once you leave the Kielder area, we found you had to make quite a drive to see other stuff. We had a trip to Warkworth on the coast one day as we had heard so much about the stunning Northumbrian coast. However, it was almost a 2 hour drive down very windy, hilly roads and we all felt pretty green round the gills when we finally arrived. It was worth it though and we had a lovely day.
All in all, I would highly recommend this caravan site and area.
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| Date of Visit: May 2011 |
Unit: Touring Caravan |
Rating: |
| Reviewer: Mumdadjack |
1 review from this member |
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We had a 4-night stay here over the Spring Bank Holiday week, following a recommendation from a friend. Despite having quite different interests we all absolutely loved it. There are so many things to do here and even though we were busy all of the time we didn't manage to fit everything in. Having said that it is a perfect place to relax and just take in the scenery if you so choose.
The campsite itself is well-run, clean and tidy and the wardens were really friendly. Even though we went at a busy time it didn't feel crowded, although I agree with earlier comments that an additional toilet block would come in handy, as it can be quite a walk from some of the pitches. Also many of the pitches are on a slope, so take extra levelling blocks and wheel chocks.
You need to be aware that the gate to the campsite is locked at midnight until 6:30am - only a very small sign is displayed in the information room.
One night we went to an Astronomy Evening at the observatory on the Kielder estate (highly recommended - but make sure you book ahead, as it fills up quickly (cost £8 each) - astronomer and volunteers are all brilliant and we got a lot from the evening, even though it was cloudy and we didn't observe much!). We had seen the sign re gate locking earlier that day and returned to find we'd been locked out at 11:45pm! There is no bell to ring, or any way in we could find, so we ended up having to climb the fence to get to our bed. We had a laugh about it, but a sign (and a bell) on the gate would be helpful (as would sticking to the times advertised!).
We stayed on a woodland pitch and I would go for one of these again when we return, which we probably will. The lakeside pitches do not seem worth the extra cost, as the view of the lake is obscured by trees on several of the pitches and the pitches overlook the lake from a distance, rather than being near it as I'd imagined.
A short walk (5 mins) down a steep hill gets you to the lakeside where you'll find the shop, pub, pool, ferry, playground, birds of prey centre and a path to one of the red squirrel hides, which continues all the way around the lake (27 miles round trip). We didn't eat in the pub (the menu was a bit lacking in choice), but people we had spoken to said the food was good - they have two menus (daytime and evening, but they are very similar). I was surprised that last orders for food was 8:30pm; last orders for drinks was 9:30pm and by 10pm everyone was out, as the place shuts on the dot at 10pm. We went in one night for a drink and the place was empty - pity really - I'm sure more people would use it if it was open longer and had a better menu.
If you want to use the pool you have to plan ahead and book an hour's slot in advance. The pool is only small and this stops it getting too crowded. Bear in mind there are no showers at the pool, so you have to get dressed and walk up to the toilet block if you want to wash your hair after a swim. The changing rooms are in need of an upgrade and I didn't feel they were that clean. The floor is covered in absorbent matting, which provides a perfect breeding ground for bacteria.
Information about events taking place whilst we were there was a bit on the scant side and not always accurate. However all the staff we spoke to were incredibly helpful and we stumbled upon things by accident - such as a half-hour taster session on a climbing wall for £5 at the Calvert Trust centre, which our 9-year old absolutely loved. Again it was very quiet, because no one knew about it. It is worth asking at reception about events, as often things are organised at the last minute and are not always advertised in the literature you receive when you book.
Don't rely on getting a phone signal here by the way. Some networks had patchy reception, but we had nothing (Vodafone). It is in a very remote part of the country (hence the observatory - very low light pollution) and the nearest sizeable town is Hexham (about an hour's drive). If you take a trip to Hexham (mainly to fill up with petrol and get cash for the many extra things you are charged for - already mentioned in previous reviews) I can recommend a shop called 'Inspired Pots' in the town centre (we weren't allowed to leave leaflets in the information room about this - apparently they don't like people going off-site for entertainment, according to one of the wardens). We spent a lovely afternoon there painting our own plates, which they will glaze and fire and post on to you. It was something really different to do and a perfect way to shelter from the rain. Parking in Hexham is plentiful and reasonably priced and it's not far from there to Hadrian's Wall.
The midges had arrived in mid-May, but their presence is very weather-dependent. The first two days were cold and windy, so we didn't see any. On day 3 the wind dropped, the sun came out and so did the midges. If you take plenty of repellent and plug-ins you'll be fine, but don't risk even a short walk without repellent, or you'll be itching for days! We were amazed by how many dead midges we found each morning on our windowsills, even with all the windows shut, so it really is worth investing in a plug-in.
In summary if you want a holiday that is a real get-away-from-it-all, with plenty of activities on hand, this is the place to go. Bicycles are essential kit for getting about, and take your binoculars too, to watch the ospreys, red squirrels and other wildlife, or even do a bit of stargazing if the weather permits.
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