Stopped here for just one night yesterday - What a well maintained site with excellent facilities! Pitches well divided with hedges between each giving extra privacy. Each pitch served with adequate hookup supply but sadly not water (at least on the pitch we stopped at) however, that was a short roll away as was rubbish containers. Shower blocks and grey waste disposal central to the plots. Onsite they have a cafe and a small shop. In these COVID days, separation using one way systems was well thought through. Reception was easy and very friendly with excellent parking outside for caravan/car rigs whilst checking in. Situated just off the A258 in Dover, whilst remote, only a very short distance off the main drag had to be negotiated to get to the site (I hate driving miles down single lane 6ft 6 wide roads with a 7ft wide caravan - don't you always meet a tractor trailer set up?)
Dover is minutes away with the Castle and and of course links to the continent with the ferry port - Sandwich and Deal just up the road too and in between some of the best of the Kent countryside, best negotiated without the caravan..
Thanks Champing. Good stuff. Could you copy & paste your post into a Review on the UKCS entry for this site? That way I’ll be able to find it next year when I need it.
Hi - I've tried finding it on the "camp site search" but its not listed - Where is the UKCS entry for that site? - I thought I had posted in camp site reviews but I did wonder why system said I still had not posted a review
Ok found it and posted - I'd put an E on end of Hawthorn
whats the pitch sizes like? ive had a look on google maps and from what i can see the hard standing doesnt seem very big at all, no room for parking the car down the side of the van if you had your awning up, i detest the car in front of the caravan, i dont go away to sit looking at my car, i have enough of that at home from the living room window
Aye. One letter wrong, and the search doesn't work. Sometimes if you can't find a site, it works if you search by the nearest town instead.
But thanks for posting your review, it'll be up in a day or two.
Its many years go when we last stayed there. Certainly handy for the ferries at Dover. More recently we have used the Tunnel so stayed at Black Horse Farm, that is when we have not just straight to France.
Quote: Originally posted by marg6 on 28/9/2020
whats the pitch sizes like? ive had a look on google maps and from what i can see the hard standing doesnt seem very big at all, no room for parking the car down the side of the van if you had your awning up, i detest the car in front of the caravan, i dont go away to sit looking at my car, i have enough of that at home from the living room window
All the hardstandings I saw had RESERVED on them (we were given free rein to pick whichever pitch we wanted which from my experience is rather generous - normally its pitch 48 with a sat nav required to find it, have a fight with the awning only to find you're on 49..) but yes, the car parking was in front of the caravan on my pitch - There were plenty more pitches that may have offered parking beside your caravan, and if you don't use an awning that would work too. Pitches were situated at various angles too, so side views may be an answer if you have side windows perhaps? Not for everyone I suppose but I really liked it
Quote: Originally posted by marg6 on 28/9/2020
whats the pitch sizes like? ive had a look on google maps and from what i can see the hard standing doesnt seem very big at all, no room for parking the car down the side of the van if you had your awning up, i detest the car in front of the caravan, i dont go away to sit looking at my car, i have enough of that at home from the living room window
All the hardstandings I saw had RESERVED on them (we were given free rein to pick whichever pitch we wanted which from my experience is rather generous - normally its pitch 48 with a sat nav required to find it, have a fight with the awning only to find you're on 49..) but yes, the car parking was in front of the caravan on my pitch - There were plenty more pitches that may have offered parking beside your caravan, and if you don't use an awning that would work too. Pitches were situated at various angles too, so side views may be an answer if you have side windows perhaps? Not for everyone I suppose but I really liked it
no good then for us, with an 8 meter twin axle and then a 4x4 on the front end there wont be enough room to reverse it in to the pitches never mind get the car parked alongside it, another site to cross of the list for parking them to closely it seems
Yes you'd be fine for space to park (if you would put up with looking at your 4x4 haha) - My rig is similar length if you include the car and there was loads of space in front of the car after parking. That said, I've stayed at quite a number of these places over the years and this was one of the good ones - but of course, its not for everyone - where is?
Quote: Originally posted by champing on 29/9/2020
Yes you'd be fine for space to park (if you would put up with looking at your 4x4 haha) - My rig is similar length if you include the car and there was loads of space in front of the car after parking. That said, I've stayed at quite a number of these places over the years and this was one of the good ones - but of course, its not for everyone - where is?
oh believe me when reversing a twin with a 4x4 of the front end you need all the room you can get! they dont turn like your single does, and no way can we manhandle it. so if say you went out for the day and the only pitch left was opposite yours we would be hoping you didnt have an awning up on that site just so we could get the caravan backed in straight
We had our static on this site up till this year and can tell you its a great site for both vans and tents, in fact I would say the grass pitches are far better for location and privacy than the hardstanding pitches. As for access, if you take the turning for Martin Mill train station then you only have a very short road which is a bit narrow but still much wider than some access roads Ive used. Best pitches IMO are.. bear right at the little rowing boat they use as a flower planter and use one of the more secluded plots on the right then use the older toilet and shower block there. There are so many places to visit in the area, I was surprised just how many places there were around.
Quote: Originally posted by geoffprinter on 09/10/2020
We had our static on this site up till this year and can tell you its a great site for both vans and tents, in fact I would say the grass pitches are far better for location and privacy than the hardstanding pitches. As for access, if you take the turning for Martin Mill train station then you only have a very short road which is a bit narrow but still much wider than some access roads Ive used. Best pitches IMO are.. bear right at the little rowing boat they use as a flower planter and use one of the more secluded plots on the right then use the older toilet and shower block there. There are so many places to visit in the area, I was surprised just how many places there were around.
Thanks for the tip Geoff - we are looking to return next week for another couple of nights so will give that pitch a try. When we drove in we used the satnav from Sandwich - oh that was not good, I won't be using that again with the caravan on - it took me up some pretty dodgy roads. Little did I know it was just a couple of hundred yards from the main A258. Lesson learnt eh. The satnav is built in the car, and I've checked but it only has an option to exclude unmade roads, is there a satnav that can be "use major roads only" or maybe an HGV one - our rig, and most these days I guess, comes out at about 40ft long which is HGV territory really. Maybe thats another search/question...
Quote: Originally posted by champing on 09/10/2020
Quote: Originally posted by geoffprinter on 09/10/2020
We had our static on this site up till this year and can tell you its a great site for both vans and tents, in fact I would say the grass pitches are far better for location and privacy than the hardstanding pitches. As for access, if you take the turning for Martin Mill train station then you only have a very short road which is a bit narrow but still much wider than some access roads Ive used. Best pitches IMO are.. bear right at the little rowing boat they use as a flower planter and use one of the more secluded plots on the right then use the older toilet and shower block there. There are so many places to visit in the area, I was surprised just how many places there were around.
Thanks for the tip Geoff - we are looking to return next week for another couple of nights so will give that pitch a try. When we drove in we used the satnav from Sandwich - oh that was not good, I won't be using that again with the caravan on - it took me up some pretty dodgy roads. Little did I know it was just a couple of hundred yards from the main A258. Lesson learnt eh. The satnav is built in the car, and I've checked but it only has an option to exclude unmade roads, is there a satnav that can be "use major roads only" or maybe an HGV one - our rig, and most these days I guess, comes out at about 40ft long which is HGV territory really. Maybe thats another search/question...
Oh gawd my sat nav did the same on a early trip from Sandwich, so know your pain going that way. Just noticed you have a caravan in tow, so at this time of year those plots I suggested might be a bit soft, so hardstanding plot might be best for you. But take a walk down there and have a look at the grass plots for future trips. If you fancy a nice walk and local then try the Dover Patrol memorial walk. You can park next to it for free and walk as far as you like either way along the cliff top and down to the sea.
Amazing family weekend with old steam engines, classic car displays, market stalls, and full catering and bar. And camping on site - Save £25 by booking in advance.
Topic: Hawthorn Farm - Martins Mill - Dover
via mobile 28/9/2020 at 2:26pm
