I am currently camping at an adult-only site next to a cider pub and brewery.
I chose it as it is the school holidays and am not particularly keen on children.
The site is not very big, about 11 hardstanding pitches, 3 of which are taken up as seasonal pitches with long stay caravans.
There was another caravan when I arrived on Saturday and they left yesterday.
One MH came for one night on Monday and went.
I am now alone on the campsite, and am surprised it is not busier, given it is the school holidays.
The pub had also been quiet especially on Sunday and Monday when there was not food available.
A sign of people tightening their belts due to escalation in living costs?
How is it for you where you are?
DK
------------- Apple The Campervan - A Van For Work, Rest & Play!
- 2027: ? NL+DE+FR
- 2026: FR+DE
- 2025: 17/77
'24: 10/49; '23: 9/47;'22: 8/46; '21: 9/34
* Ex-tenter
* Treat life events like a dog: if you can't eat it, play with it or hump it, p1$$ on it and walk away!
Don't forget to leave a review of the campsites you have visited this year or last!
The first weekend we were on a pub campsite in Wilts with about 35 pitches which was busy but not rammed. However we were in one of two big groups having celebrations so no knowing what the situation would have been without us.
Second weekend we were at a fairly big private campsite near Banbury which was very busy and probably full, especially with families and groups, but it was very family orientated and a short walk to a village with 2 pubs so in a great position.
In between we were at a small private adult only site, also near Banbury, which was very quiet - to the point of offering 50% off stays for the second and subsequent nights Sunday to Thursday, but they did say they were very busy at weekends.
After that we were at the C&CC club site at Cambridge for 5 nights which was busy but not packed by any means and most people only seemed to be staying for a couple of nights as there was a big turnover. Last weekend the C&CC at Oxford which was almost full, but that is a much smaller site than Cambridge.
One thing we did notice was that there were a lot more non UK vans than there have been in the last 2 years.
To be honest I was expecting the sites to be much busier given how we have found them to be at this time for the past couple of years (due to people having 'staycations' etc) especially with the school holidays and this good weather but it's hard to say why. Maybe a combination of more people going abroad, less money about or even an aversion to camping in this heat.
Went to visit friends (day visit only, not pitching my van) staying on a CAMC CL in Bedfordshire last Sunday, and that was not fully booked all the time for the following 10 days, down to couple of pitches some days, and they were my friends!
Don't forget to leave a review of the campsites you have visited this year or last!
I have found all the sites I have gone to this summer are very quiet.
When I was in St Ives last week a taxi driver told me he was inundated with airport runs and not shuttling people around the local area, so guess people are heading back to Spain and the like!
We had 6 weeks away in June and July, 5 in France. None of the sites were full, most pretty quiet. We did not book. It was low season,in France ACSI was used
------------- DS-There's more to life than football!!!
We had a campsite in Norfolk to ourselves in July apart from a couple of nights when one other pitch was occupied. It was just before the kids broke up but I was still a little surprised that it was so quiet.
Hope the Highlands of Scotland is the same next week
When we were on Sandringham C&CC site in early to mid-July it was much busier than I have ever seen it before, and we go there quite a bit. It wasn't quite so busy when we were leaving, so I guess people were doing the same as us, going home before the schools broke up. It was still busier that we have seen it before though.
We’ve just left a basic but perfectly acceptable independent site, grass pitches, EHU, toilets & free showers, where someone came around to collect the money, no online presence, no card facilities, plenty to do locally. It was almost empty.
Moved to a club affiliated site, smarter facilities and literally twice the cost pn, less to do locally. It’s rammed full, with more TA caravans than I’ve ever seen on one site.
There’s no need to spend a lot of money for a holiday but people get used to having things like a drive over drain, an office staffed by 2 couples all day, a website & online booking etc, and these have to add to the site fees. No evidence of belt tightening at this second site.
Thank goodness for the UKCS directory & site reviews or I wouldn’t know about many of the independent sites that we use.
Quote: Originally posted by Fiona W on 11/8/2022
We’ve just left a basic but perfectly acceptable independent site, grass pitches, EHU, toilets & free showers, where someone came around to collect the money, no online presence, no card facilities, plenty to do locally. It was almost empty.
Moved to a club affiliated site, smarter facilities and literally twice the cost pn, less to do locally. It’s rammed full, with more TA caravans than I’ve ever seen on one site.
There’s no need to spend a lot of money for a holiday but people get used to having things like a drive over drain, an office staffed by 2 couples all day, a website & online booking etc, and these have to add to the site fees. No evidence of belt tightening at this second site.
Thank goodness for the UKCS directory & site reviews or I wouldn’t know about many of the independent sites that we use.
The site you have just left Fiona sounds like our kind of site, pity it is probably much too far for us to travel these days. We don't always use club sites, far from it, we use whichever site suits us best at the time.
Site 1, the basic site, is at Langholm Rugby Park, the site is called Ewes Water . £16pn for MH with EHU. If they just changed the shower curtains it would almost be perfect!
I will put a review on here when we get home.
Six owls calling one night. And we saw the Milky Way for the first time for many years.
But that’s off topic - Sorry DK!
Now at Ducklington Farm CS, not full, perfectly acceptable, a basic £14 pn, but EHU charged more if you go over a limit on a card which the owner loads. We will use more as we have and are using aircon in the caravan, we need it. The occasional plane from Brize Norton, quiet otherwise. Similar at Bagmere Barn CS near Wantage on the way and a week at Charlton Manor CL near Pewsey.
Quote: Originally posted by Fiona W on 11/8/2022
Site 1, the basic site, is at Langholm Rugby Park, the site is called Ewes Water. £16pn for MH with EHU. If they just changed the shower curtains it would almost be perfect!
I will put a review on here when we get home.
Six owls calling one night. And we saw the Milky Way for the first time for many years.
But that’s off topic - Sorry DK!
No worries - taking notes about the sites as they sound great!
DK
------------- Apple The Campervan - A Van For Work, Rest & Play!
- 2027: ? NL+DE+FR
- 2026: FR+DE
- 2025: 17/77
'24: 10/49; '23: 9/47;'22: 8/46; '21: 9/34
* Ex-tenter
* Treat life events like a dog: if you can't eat it, play with it or hump it, p1$$ on it and walk away!
A day of all things motorhome and campervan. The show is held both in the main indoor arena and across the grounds. Catering, hot drinks and food options are available. Easy access to the site and free parking included. Win one of five pairs of day tickets
Topic: Is it quiet where you are camping?
via mobile 10/8/2022 at 6:35pm
