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Myself and 2 kids (13 yrs and 7 yrs), visited this site for a week.
We were a little disappointed upon arrival, at the sites general location.
We stupidly thought that because the site was in Derbyshire, it would be within the Peak District national Park, needless to say it isn't.
The Site owners do not claim to be anywhere near the national park, to be fair, it was a daft assumption on my part.
The site is in an urban area of Derbyshire, a few miles out of Derby city centre.
The site is screened from the busy main road by lots of trees.
We have camped all over Britain and this site, as with all others has good and bad points.
Good points- on site fishing pond with loads of hungry fish in it, good toilet and shower facilities,the staff are friendly and helpful,great playgrounds for kids up to 12 yrs old, football nets,on site cafe serving good basic grub,on site bar,bar not noisy after 1030pm,small town 2 mins away in car,reasonably priced fishing (3 quid a day), if site is quiet you can pick your own pitch,good fish and chip shop in Codnor, bins emptied daily. Lots of other kids for your own to play with
Bad points-staying here is expensive, litter problem, portable toilets are disgusting, weekends are too busy, the boss of the site is very grumpy, helicopter noise at night from nearby police HQ, road noise at night if you camp in bottom field, there is no shop for milk / papers / bread etc, site is a little untidy, not enough drinking water taps in top tent area,
To sum up we felt we would return someday for the great fishing, but not for any other reason.
Took 4 children to this site, lots of lovely touches here such as tractor/train ferrying little ones round site free of charge, really nice playgrounds, daily visits from ice cream van with wonderful and very cheap knickerbocker glories with every sweet going in them, staff friendly, picturesque park.
Only criticisms, we were allocated a really wet site and could only tolerate it for one night so asked to move and much better pitch was found, and the site was noisy til around 1am both nights, no one enforcing the quiet after 10.30 rule.
Chose this site to visit after reading reviews on it good facilities and the cleanliness of its toilets and shower block. The toilet / showers were disgusting, they weren't cleaned in the 3 days we were there - fact.
There is a smashing fishing pond on site where fish are easily caught, though myself and two boys were all charged £3 each to fish (another £27 on top of the £90 we had already paid !) We were in a tent though wouldn't want to be in a caravan as all seemed hard standing on little more than very rough hardcore/tarmac mix.
Looked great place for kids under 10 years of age with rustic climbing obstacles / playground --BUT-- no dedicated playing field for a game of football, flying kite etc.
Would we go back - I doubt it only because of the toilet / showers. Great shame.
Visited as part of a group of friends with kids on a weekend break. I guess it really depends what you're looking for, in our case one of the three families has teenage (or nearly) kids and was looking for a site with plenty for them to do. The rest of us are generally happy with a flat field and clean lavvies, so if you're that type it probably isn't worth paying the extra money for a site like Golden Valley.
That said, we had a pleasant stay - the pitch was nice, pretty flat in a wooded area. A fair stretch to the EHU point and we were glad we had a long extension cable, although we were told that they are available for hire from the office.
Can't really comment on the bar and other extra facilities as we didn't use them. The toilets were nice and clean - appeared to be almost constantly being cleaned.
Nice playgrounds for the kids. Somebody commented that the caravans looked as if they were pitched in a car park, meaning that the caravan area was entirely covered over with hardcore or gravel, with trees here and there.
The tent areas were grassy, though. The other negative was that one of the Chemical Disposal Points blocked up rather unpleasantly when I came to empty the lavvie. I walked to the other one, which was clear, but it was a very long stretch to reach the 'tipping point'
Round and about, if you head west you are soon into some of the pleasanter parts of Derbyshire. Two of us had a day at the National Tramway Museum at Crich and the other lot went Kayaking at Carsington Water. Nice dining pubs at Brassington, among many others.
A pleasant enough stay, but at £30 per night for the four of us with EHU make sure you really want what this site is offering. Also note that some of the kids' activities like the quad bikes and zip wire are at extra cost.
We stayed here for 2 nights (thursday and friday) on the way back from the lake district and to be honest wish we hadnt bothered. The site was big and we had plenty of space but we were pitched a long way from the toilets ( I found the toilets clean enough but my partner said the ladies were being cleaned with a mucky old mop if at all and the showers didn't have a proper head on, more like a spurt of water with no power to it) and we had an extremely toffee nosed caravan owner next to us.
A bit hard to explain this site but there seemed to be a lot of kids running round unattended by there `care free` parents so the general feel of the place wasn't for us. The town of settle is 2 miles from the site and there isn't much to see there apart from the strange people and the viaduct
There was a small shop on site selling a few basics and the people running it seemed ok but we won`t be going back to this site in a hurry. All in all a very strange and dissatisfying couple of nights camping.
The '5 Day' rule which was told to us when we arrived for a 10 night stay. If you are planning on more than 5 days with a tent or awning then please be aware that you are required to move your pitch on the 6th day. This is to stop the grass dying under your tent. Fair enough, but what's the point in the rule when the site lets tents etc. camp on freshly decamped sites
Secondly, if you are planning on getting some R&R then don't go at weekends. Although this is a rated C&CC site with site rules, they don't seem to get enforced. 22:30 is the curfew for loud noise and music etc. There are no wardens on at that time so it's up to the customer to either sort it out or contact one of the staff members (who live a distance off site) to come and sort it out. Perhaps putting on a late shift to do a patrol at 23:00 to make sure everyone is following this simple rule would be a good idea.
Anyway, onto the good stuff. This site was booked just after Christmas time after searching for somewhere to go a bit further out than our home county of Norfolk. Derbyshire is about 2 1/2 hours from us. Just right before the kids get to fidgety. The website showed ALOT of things for the kids to do and adults to join in with. There are excellent play parks, good walks, a land train, donkey rides and a zip line. There is also two fishing lakes. A £20 deposit secured our pitches with EHU.
The site itself is just outside Ripley, North of Derbyshire and about 15 miles West of Nottingham. Turning up to the site it had keycode gates and a large parking area in front of the reception. Staff where very welcoming and friendly. Local attractions magazine and site rules where given out after we paid. They then showed us where to pitch and off we went.
Looking around the site after pitching and a cup of tea it was found to be clean and well maintained. After rain one of the groundsmen came around to airate the land to allow the water to clear quickly. It's a David Bellamy award site as well with plenty of signage up showing all the animals that can be seen around. The nature walks are well sign posted with little maps showing you where you are. There is also a nature lake with a family of geese living on it with other wildlife.
The shop facilities and limited with mainly spares for campers like poles, air beds etc. I did pick up a Kampa heater for £18 which was good.
There are no basic food supplies on site, but a large Sainsburys is just up the road, and a Tesco Express around the corner so it was not a real bother. There is a cafe/bar next to reception which sells bacon sandwiches and chips etc. They even do some specials on a night as well.
Well stocked bar there and a large TV if you want to catch the latest news, sports and things. Upstairs there is a small hall for the Saturday entertainment and also a games room and fitness suite. Excellent toilets and showers are also on the ground floor with a bath in the ladies side.
Washing up facilities are brilliant as well with a well lit three sink setup with constant hot water. There is also a food prep sink there. A free fridge for freezing ice blocks is in here as well. There is another building up the hill which contains the laundry rooms and jucuzzi as well as more toilets and showers.
There are also portaloos scattered discreetly around the site and plenty of recycling bins for glass, plastics, cans, paper, cardboard and then bagged waste. Top Marks!
The kids play grounds are well made and thought out. The big main wooden fortress type one is near the bar so you can have a drink while keeping an eye on the little ones. Just over from that within view of the bar is another assault course climbing play ground. Next to this is one for the toddlers with a plastic tree house looking slide and platform with swings.
All the floors are bark chipped to help against falls. There are two fishing lakes that are fenced off for safety. The two lakes are next to each other and both offer plenty of stock. The shallower of the two lakes has the bigger fish in, while the deeper one with the fishing platforms has smaller fish for younger anglers, but also holds the big 15lber in there. £3 per day per person, which is good value for money.
Surrounding area is stunning. Whilst there we visited the Heights of Abraham, Bakewell (go on Monday as it's market day), Tramway Museum and Conkers south of Derbyshire.
All excellent value for money and all worth a day out. Take a picnic to all to save some money and get an ice cream whilst there. Plenty of free walks to be had as well. Visit the nine sisters near Bakewell for a good walk around an ancient and magical feeling area.
Two last bits of info. If you got here try and book Monday to Friday to avoid the noise and if you have kids ask to pitch in the lower part of the site as the upper area has some steep drops.
Overall an excellent site, shame that others could not bide by the rules.
Visited this site with my wife and 2 kids (3 and 6). Where do I start? The facilities were excellent and extremely clean. The toilet blocks and showers did get busy, but we never had to wait so long as we were getting fed up. They were also spotless. The park areas were great and very well maintained and the fishing pool is superb for a few hours fun.
We had a great pitch, and were visiting friends who had a seasonal pitch.
Negatives.
Well, not many really, and nothing which should stop anybody going. Some of the areas around the seasonal pitches need a clean up weed wise and the site needs to get some of the owners to wash the vans as some look a bit tired and generally don't look nice.
It also gets a bit hectic at the clubhouse around 19:00PM. Alot of the parents do not keep an eye on what their kids are up to on the adjacent playground. Perhaps at peak times a member of staff could 'patrol' this area and keep on top of some of the 'wilder' kids. Nothing heavy, just stepping in when they decide to throw stones or have a punch up over something - although that is really the responsibility of the parents. That said, it is no different in any wacky warehouse when it gets busy so its really not that bad!
We visited as two families wanting to pitch large tents together and the site accommodated us very easily.
Not the most picturesque of sites - some of the caravan/campervan pitches were, as others have said, little more than a hardcore car park. However, we were happy with our tent pitch and glad that we weren't on the main tent field opposite the reception (very congested) or near the toilet block and caravan pitches
However, the toilets/showers were good and very clean, and there were plenty of distractions for the children.
OK as a base for sightseeing or if, like us, we wanted to test out a new tent not too far from home. You would need to be lucky with the pitch you were given, or be a big fan of 'fully loaded' sites to really enjoy it here. Not much in the immediate locality but some lovely areas within a 20 min drive.
Also, expensive - we paid over £50 for two nights (non EHU).
Our very 1st camping trip ever! we were shown our to our pitch which was in a nice area, our car was parked next to the tent which was very handy. We thought the site was grand! facilities were of a good standard. My only gripe was that the porta loo which was the nearest toilet to our tent wasn't very pleasant, but hey, to be fair what porta loo's are! the toilet/shower blocks were clean. They even had a bath which was great, it meant we could give our son a bath in the evening to calm him down for a good nights rest, after all the fun he had, had during the day. Very friendly site. Our 4 year old had a ball. Lots to keep children entertained. He loved the little train ride round the site, which was free! It was a bit noisy on the Saturday night. Sunday was so chilled and relaxed a lot of people went home, it was lovely! Would go again.
On first viewing this is a lovely campsite, very pretty, however when we arrived we were told to follow a member of staff to where we should set up camp, he wanted us to set up in the middle of a small area completely surrounded by other tents. I said that I would prefer to have my money back he took us to another field which was completely empty! This spot was lovely and we were eventually joined by a couple of other tents. The showers/toilets were clean- but you had a long wait. We like to eat out, but the nearest pub had shut down and the town is beyond walking distance. The town is run down and not what you want on a relaxing break. The Indian was nice though.
If you like busy sites with loads of children and smells of BBQ's then this is for you.
Just come back from our second visit to Golden Valley. Our first was back in May on the back of visiting friends there few weeks before, our first visit we'd rate 9/10.
The facilities are above average, pleased with the powerful warm showers and even a hair dryer! the wash pots room is great, kept nice and clean by both staff and diligent customers. Provide grey/chemical waste disposal and facilities to rinse off muddy boots(and the dog if need be!),have adequate laundry room and ironing boards too.
A nice welcoming cafe the food was delicious. The two parks are for a good age range from 2-12 year olds and now two ponds which are apparently well stocked.
The tractor train ride is great fun for the kiddies and great way to explore the grounds itself. Local shops a short ride in the car away so come prepared ie bread milk etc if you don't want to get caught out as they don't sell them. There are local attractions but our kids just wanted to stay on the parks or ride around on bikes. There are a few animals to see, a couple of rabbits goats and chickens etc near the wardens lodge so that lovely.
There are plenty of things to do, walks round with you dog and noticed poop bins which is great, nature trails and great for the fine weather bike riders!
Our initial stay we requested the bottom tent field so we could be near the lower park to keep an eye out, close to the amenities so very impressed. The only down side hence 9/10 you do hear road traffic and the water fountains where on all night so I would advise ear plugs so that would solve that issue!.The staff are friendly enough but do be aware the owner is quite abrupt so don't take it personally!.
Our second visit end of July was marred by the fact we requested (and granted via phone and email) the lower field near the park again as we arranged to go with another family, at the time of booking a month in advance. But on arrival my husband was told you can but only if you pitch in the bottom corner (even closer to the road)because they were expecting a party of vans to arrive and they were given priority (even though we had previous agreement)or go and pitch up top.
The pitch was okay and actually quieter (no road traffic or fountain) but miffed at the fact after strolling down to where we ideally wanted to pitch was just tents.No vans.So thought well why were denied but now just covered in tents??
Also the rate we were charged was a £6 more than the family we came with with the same spec.2 adults 2 children hook up and tent, they were charged £56 and us £62.?
Overall we thoroughly enjoyed our stay due to company and state of mind. After all a camping jolly is what you make of it so anything else is a bonus!
Stayed here during July 2010, midweek break for 2 adults and 2 kids aged 7 & 4, found the site in the c&cc book. The facilities are first rate, great showers/toilets that were always clean, although the park was fairly quiet when we were there. Liked the little bar/cafe, limited food choice but all very well cooked and tasty & a good selection of bottled/canned beers. Particularly liked that there was seating outside by the play fort so we could watch the kids, they never wanted to leave the place - and there are more play areas around the site. Our pitch was excellent, although the security light shining on the entrance was a bit annoying. Some people seem to find the owner a bit abrupt, but I found had no problem with him, think he just very conscientious about his business and the security of it - good on him for that, every time I asked for assistance he was there straight away, and the free rides around the site he does are a very nice touch. Supermarket nearby which is good as no shop on site, and many places of interest to visit if you want to, plenty to do on site with the nature walks and activities although some aren't always open.
This is definitely one of the better sites we have visited, and one we will be going back to sooner rather than later.
Just got back from our first ever camping experience with 2 kids age 6 and 2 and we LOVED it! It was fairly quiet and we had a lovely big pitch for our huge tent and we did not want to come home. Our kids had a blast which made happy parents! Our son thought he was action for the 4 days we were there and he was able to have more freedom as campsite was so safe. Will definitely be back, thanks to all the staff
We arrived with our Vango Amazon 800 (8 man)and our friends with their 7 man tent was shown to a massive pitch right by the entrance road.Cars are not allowed on the grass so we had to handball everything to our pitch (approx 30m)not too much of a problem.
The kids were already off exploring the huge fort/climbing frame/slide area right by the main building.Once set up we had a look around.The site is on two levels,the lower level was the livlier (kids ball games etc nothing too rowdy) as it had families with children on and the higher level seemed to attract camper vans/caravans but also tents.
I walked our dog around grounds and came to the conclusion there isn't a bad pitch to be had on the whole site,its just whether you prefer to be semi-secluded or in the open. I took my kids fishing for the very first time with cheap rods and their faces when they caught their first fish was brilliant,Hannah caught 24 fish in the 5 days we were here.Reports of the grumpy owner,well I would just say he was very professional at running the site,no heirs and graces just gets the job done. We overheard a couple umming and arring in the very busy reception over where to pitch saying not too near the kids areas but we still want the sunshine but not too secluded,he just walked in hearing their requests and allocated them a specific pitch number which I assume fitted all their needs.Sorted he said.
The toilets/showers were spotlessly clean as was the whole site,not surprising as the team of workers work constantly throughout the day,be it cleaning loos/showers emptying bins cutting grass anything to keep on top of the site. Must say the free showers were great and I didn't see any queuing,but I didn't shower until 11ish .Located 3 mins outside the village of Codnor which has several pubs,shops mini tesco and chippies.I think it might just be out of walking distance as the main road had no kerbside to safely walk into the village.In the other direction along the campsite road was the Midland Railway Museum which although I'm not a trainspotter was, we all agreed a cracking free day out. A trip into nearby Ripley is a must for your main shopping.
Were so glad we went to Golden Valley it is definitely not the kind of place where its a pound for this and two pounds for that.
Would we go back ?yes,would we recommend this site ?yes (by the way so does David Bellamy),If were going to Derbyshire were SORTED
Been here twice over the past few weeks and this site is fantastic and all the people in our party loved it with the kids ranging from 4, 8, 12, 14, and 15, even us adults thought it was the best by far! Kept very clean and tidy the toilets where cleaned regularly.
Nice spacey pitches. The fishing on site might only look like a small pond but the fishing was excellent and the kids (and adults) where catching fish as soon as there rod's hit the water! Free tractor train that came round each evening while we were there was a hit with all the kids on site, nice big play parks too.
We never ate at the cafe so cant comment and we never explored off site either as the kids was happy to spend all day here which was great as us adults could chill with a beer
Will be coming back here again very soon without a doubt. Darren and his staff run this place very well and should be very proud.
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Common Questions
Is Golden Valley Caravan Park child friendly? YES, it accepts children & has a playground View all facilities
Where is the nearest shop to Golden Valley Caravan Park? There is a shop on site View all facilities
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
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The facilities shown on this website are a guide only, and you should check with the campsite direct before making any booking. The UKCampsite.co.uk will not be held responsible for any errors or omissions
Tent Pitches 
Caravan Pitches 
Motorhome Pitches 
Small Campervans 
Glamping Units 
No Statics for Hire 
Holiday Homes for Sale 
Seasonal Pitches 
Electric Hookups 
Hardstanding Pitches 
Fully Serviced Pitches 
Families Welcome 
Not Members Only 
Rallies Welcome 
Not Naturist Site 
Dogs Welcome 
No Dogs Allowed 
Groups Welcome 
Toilet Facilities 
Hot Showers 
Washing Up 
Bathroom 
No Baby Changing 
Laundry On Site 
Drinking Water 
Disabled Friendly 
Chemical Disposal 
No Battery Charging 
Gas Exchange 
No Recycling Facilities 
No Kitchen Facilities 
No Freezer / Fridge 
No Motorhome Point 
Wifi Access 
Shop On Site 
Bar On Site 
Restaurant or Cafe or Takeaway On Site 
Kids Playground 
TV Room 
Games Room 
Evening Entertainment 
Fishing On Site 
No Wild Swimming 
Indoor Pool <1 mile 
No Outdoor Pool 
Horse Riding <5 miles 
No Cycle Hire 
Golf <1 mile 
No Tennis 
No Beach 
No Watersports 
No Boat Launch 
No Sea Views 
Not Working Farm 
No Campfires Allowed 
Open All Year 
No Waterside Pitches 
Public Transport <1 mile
No Dog Walk 
Myself and 2 kids (13 yrs and 7 yrs), visited this site for a week.
