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We eventually found this site after traveling the coastal route from Alnwick to Bamburgh, trying in vain to get on a site late on a Saturday evening on an August bank holiday weekend. What a relief it was when the guy manning the reception welcomed us and advised us to wander round the site and pitch where we could. The cost was £9 for two adults with a car and a small tent. Our two old went free as kids under five are free.
The site itself had a mixture of tourers and tents with a few permanent caravans as well. There was a shower/toilet block and a cafe which serves food up to 22.00. The price of food was very reasonable. In fact there's no need to bring cooking facilities for this site. You could simply eat out of the cafe if you wanted to. I didn't use the showers so unlike previous visitors can't comment on the temp of the water. The only minor gripe I would have was there was no soap in the toilet block.
On the night we stayed there was a couple performing contemporary pop songs with a few old classics thrown in to ensure all tastes were catered for. This was fantastic additional extra included in the price.
The location of the site is five minutes by car north of Bamburgh, set back from the main coastal route opposite Budle Bay and is signposted on the main road. The introductory leaflet which you receive on arrival states the site has 250 pitches for tents and tourers.
We camped in a tent and on the practical side our pitch was extremely "peg-friendly". It had thick grass and soft soil.in short the land was ideal for tent camping. The site was enclosed on all sides with thick, green trees and the sky at night was ablaze with stars. In fact we did see a shooting star during our stay. There was a soothing stream running along one side of its border as well although parents with toddlers should be warned its easily accessible from the site so could prove a potential danger.
The atmosphere on site is relaxed, open and friendly. The site appeals to both families and groups. Its ideal for those who enjoy a relaxed atmosphere and don't mind people enjoying the outdoors whilst letting their hair down. The kids on site generally do stay up late and people are drinking, eating and chatting up to gone midnight, some even later. If you enjoy sociable campsites this is one to add to your list, if you prefer tranquility it may be one to avoid.
Finally, it felt very safe and community oriented. In fact we temporarily lost our two year old and practically everybody scoured the site looking for him. Thankfully, he was found safe and well. May I take the opportunity to thank all those involved and express our sincere gratitude.
In summary, a great, relaxed, friendly site and yes we will be back.
I have read the previous reviews and agree with those who sing the praises of the people who manage this site. We arrived in Northumberland without booking and the guy who answered the phone was so friendly and welcoming compared to some we had spoken to. We paid for 3 nights (so cheap) and liked it so much opted to stay another night despite the wind and the rain. The food in the cafe was fab and so cheap - a super big breakfast with everything hot and freshly prepared for £3.00. The staff who work in the cafe are so friendly and cheerful despite being run of their feet! My 9 year old thought the swings in the huge trees were fantastic. I had a shower one morning at about 8.30, the temp was ok. I washed up one night at about 7.30, the temp of the water was lovely. So where's the problem. We will certainly revisit as the site is so close to Bamburgh / Seahouses and 30 mins from Alnwick Gardens and Castle.
I used to camp here years ago when my son was very young, and I always felt safe, being a single parent was nerve racking camping by myself but I found this site, and had some really great holidays there. I went a couple of weeks ago and still would'nt fault the place, the manager is really friendly and the toilets and showers were clean, The static caravan which serves food was good for price and the food was loverly, its just a shame we went the only weekend that it rained, but we still had fun.
BRILLIANT. My family live locally so I already know what a great area it is. The owner is very friendly, he caters for everyone. Our night was a work's night out over two seperate visits. So we were a large group of party animals, but we respected the rules which we were informed of, ie silence after a certain hour.
The animals were great, site well looked after, by both residents and the owner. Several people have commented on showers and toilets-what a LOAD OF RUBBISH! You go camping, to sleep in a tent/caravan, not to stay in a 5* hotel with all the extras!
The river was gorgeous too, I could comment for hours. But the only fault with our trip was that we did not spend enough time there.
We planned to stop somewhere in Bamburgh area and even though it was getting late at night the first few sites we stopped at were less than welcoming. Did not have a nice feel.
However, drove into Budle Bay and immediately felt this was the one. It was "interesting", not so bland and open as the others we'd visited locally.
Registered and paid a paltry sum for our one night stay and was issued with regulation toilet roll! Novel idea! Soft stuff too!
Pitched on the left of site, away from static and tourer caravans. It was quite empty so we had masses of choice for a pitch.
We loved the place. The animals - birds, ducks, rabbits, rheas, and to top it all 2 rescued fox cubs (now foxes) which are penned and are just like pet dogs, they get walked and treated very well. Like others we were a little concerned to start with but talk to the manager of the site and he'll tell you the story, they were rescued from certain death and hand-reared.
Just want to state for those people who complained about facilities, I always check them out first and if not happy with them then drive away. Having said that when we were there all was clean, tidy and even though the weekend was wet not too muddy at all.
There is a shop/cafe for snacks and meals and dam good food it was too! Next time we visit we will hardly bother to bring food/drinks for weekend, just use the cafe there. It's so cheap, great food, excellent value for money. Where else can you get a stonking cooked breakfast for £2.50? Even do Sunday lunches.
We ended up staying a second night because we liked it there so much. I think this is why so many caravans are there all season, you can tell, they have fences, planters, even slabbed areas.they like it because it's different, not expensive and potentially fun for all ages.
If I have one niggle, it's the late night revellers who certainly kept going later than I'd have expected. Having said that it did not worry us, as we were up till the early hours having our own small wine party!
I am more than slightly bemused at the comments / reviews on this site! I, along with many other family members over the last 10 years, have spent many happy times at the Budle Bay campsite. If you want a flexible camping or Caravan holiday in beautiful Bamburgh, happy in the knowledge that your children are in a safe environment in which they can play and enjoy themselves - then Budle Bay is the place to be.
I have read the comments regarding pre-booking and lost deposits, however I personally know that the site has a second camp site and I can only assume that the booking forms mentioned in one of the postings were directed at the other site, as I have only ever experienced 100% value for money and trustworthiness from the staff.
I understand that everyone is different and that people have different expectations of what a campsite should offer, however this camp site has both quiet and family orientated area's, therefore suitable to all.
The animals within the site are mostly animals that have been rescued and provided for, much to the enjoyment of children visiting the site.
Yes the showers can be erratic, however this is camping and if you are wanting indoor type accommodation and facilities, then perhaps a hotel holiday is more suitable.
The site does have many regular campers / residents, both old and young, which I personally believe is a testament to the sites great service, friendly safe environment and good value for money.
We arrived late on a Friday afternoon and were show to our pitch by the very friendly manager who told us we could set up however we pleased. We soon discovered that the the toilets were not very clean and had no toilet paper in them, the showers were unisex and again, not at all clean, and the on-site club house consisted of 2 rooms; one contained a collection of fruit machines and several teenagers drinking and smoking, the other was a very small cafe selling standard fried fare, pies etc. Returning from a day out on Saturday, we were shocked to find we could barely get to our caravan as a 'tent city' had sprung up around it. There was no way we could get our caravan off the site now, even if we wanted to. The toilets now got dirtier and what hot water there was had all gone by 9am. It wasn't all bad - the manager actually kept the site clean, everyone was very friendly and there was no rowdiness. On Monday, most folk left so the hot water was restored but the toilets didn't get any cleaner and by now, the chemical disposal point was blocked too
Overall, a strange site evoking mixed reactions. Some people must love it, judging by the large numbers of static vans around, and it is also cheap
Been a couple of times last year. I can see why people do not like it here, but we like it. Will probably go back this year. Showers were too hot, and with no temperature control Hopefully this will be fixed this year. Tents were pretty close together but if you can find a good spot you will be fine. It is a bit more relaxed than other campsites {you can have a drink and a laugh} as long as you keep the noise down after I think it's 10:30p.m. Plenty of things for the kids to do, little play area, and a swing on a tree. The people you meet on this site are nice and friendly, you may occasionally get the loud groups but we never noticed any.
I came across this campsite by chance about may 2005. I have 3 children which given the choice of where to go camping on weekends always want to go there. Yes the site is basic but it reflects the price, if people want the ritz when camping they should pay ritz prices. The food in the cafe is homemade better quality than most restaurants and half the price eg sunday lunch with homemade yorkshire puddings for less than £4. Main seasons specials every night like lamb shanks, steak all home cooked. I now that my children are safe whist there and follow the rules of the site.
What an odd place. There is a camping field, cafe and shower block on one side and a caravan park on the other. The caravans look derelict, but are actually lived in. A few people said they lived there all the time. It was very convenient for the Farne Islands, but that's the only positive thing I can say. The showers and toilets were vile, barely any hot water, filthy, no toilet paper. Weekend evening was scary, drunken teens running wild. It rained a lot when we were there and it was nearly impossible to get to the toilets as the path was so muddy. There were foxes in a cage, being taunted by hens, and one of our party suffered lots of racist comments from the 'residents'
On my arrival at Budle bay campsite I was greeted by a friendly gentleman who made my husband and I feel very welcome. We were allowed to pitch our tent anywhere which pleased the kids as they wanted to stay down by the quaint little stream. The children were pleased to see a large variety of animals they could admire and learn about.
It was very busy but it was only to be expected on a bank holiday weekend and showed the campsites popularity. We were also pleased to discover that it was very much a family orientated campsite, we made lots of new friends with the cheerful residents. All the children on the campsite seemed to get on well and my children were welcome to play with them. All day we were well catered for by the cafe. On a night time we enjoyed a game of bingo at the cafe, the atmosphere was great and overall we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves!
The previous reviews of this campsite do not at all ring true to my experience of this site. I will most definatley return with my family and hopefully more frequently! we loved it and would recomend it to anyone!
Strangest site I've stayed on. We phoned and booked after seeing it in C+CC big sites book and also rejecting Beadnell bay as it was so close to the road.
On arrival it was a bit like a deserted travellers site with a lot of large tourers all set up with awnings, large orange gas cylinders outside as well as bikes etc just left there. Site looked quite full but in fact there where only about 4 groups of people actually staying there.
There are also loads of rabbits running around, not just the wild brown ones but various coloured domestic types, as well as pheasants and chickens in a small caged area.
Showers were dark and spidery (and unisex) but where hot, no toilet paper in the loo we had to go back to the van for some.
Unfortunately we ended up at this campsite despite the poor reviews as it was the only place we could get in over the bank holiday weekend. First off when I phoned I was told you couldn't book, then another member of my group was sent booking forms. So we sent the forms off and the cheques were cashed but we never received any confirmation. When we showed up the guy on reception tried to pretend he hadn't any bookings for us - this wasn't isolated as he tried it with all our group members (we eventually got our money back as some people paid the deposit again).
There is no control about were you camp so tents are packed in and they don't check what you have actually paid for so you could use the electric hookups if you wanted or bring a bigger tent! There are rabbits running all over the campsite, plus doves, some chickens in cages, foxes in cages and a parrot stuck in a caravan.
The showers are scalding in the morning as the water appears to only be heated overnight. By the evening they are freezing. The toilets were often blocked. Washing up sinks are outside - not fun in the rain. The toilet block and water points stank - don't camp near them. When we were there the bbq on one of the permanent pitches for caravans blew up - very scary considering how close the tents are. The site is also very noisy - kids running about until gone midnight, large groups chatting etc.
I've just got back from camping on the site for a long weekend and we were appalled to find having gone out for the day that people had camped very close round three sides of us while there was plenty of space else where. Also the water is only heated twice a day and there are no temperature controls on the shower meaning you BURN if you shower just after heating and FREEZE if too late, another result of the water problems was hot water to was up after evening meals.
Grass having been cut is left all over the site making it very hard to keep tents grass free and packing up very difficult.
The showers get cleaned with a power hose twice a day, and the only reason they get very dirty is because the young children go in the showers covered in mud from the river, it must be very hard for them to keep on top of all the mess. The foxes are in a very large cage, and if you were to ask you would realise that if they weren't there then they would have died when they were very young as the manager got them, because they were abandoned when they were 2 weeks old.
I stay at this camp site a lot and I really enjoy it. The camp site manager is a lovely person, and takes good care of his customers. I would recommend anyone to go to this camp site, and a lot of people think this as well.
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Common Questions
Is Budle Bay Campsite child friendly? YES, it accepts children & has a playground View all facilities
Where is the nearest shop to Budle Bay Campsite? 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
All reviews and comments are the personal opinion of the review author only , and as such do not represent the view of the UK Camp Site.co.uk.
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 
No Statics 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 
Motorbikers Welcome 
Toilet Facilities 
Hot Showers 
Washing Up 
No Bathroom 
No Baby Changing 
Laundry On Site 
Drinking Water 
Disabled Friendly 
Chemical Disposal 
No Battery Charging 
Gas Exchange 
Recycling Facilities 
Kitchen Facilities 
Freezer / Fridge 
Motorhome Point 
No Wifi Access 
Shop On Site 
Bar <5 miles 
Restaurant or Cafe or Takeaway <5 miles 
Kids Playground 
No TV Room 
No Games Room 
No Evening Ents 
Fishing <1 mile 
Wild Swimming <1 mile 
No Indoor Pool 
No Outdoor Pool 
Horse Riding <5 miles 
Cycle Hire <5 miles 
Golf <5 miles 
No Tennis 
Beach <1 mile 
Watersports <5 miles 
Boat Launch / Mooring <5 miles 
No Sea Views 
Not Working Farm 
No Campfires Allowed 
Riverside Pitches 
Public Transport On Site
Offroad Dog Walk On Site or Direct Access 
We eventually found this site after traveling the coastal route from Alnwick to Bamburgh, trying in vain to get on a site late on a Saturday evening on an August bank holiday weekend. What a relief it was when the guy manning the reception welcomed us and advised us to wander round the site and pitch where we could. The cost was £9 for two adults with a car and a small tent. Our two old went free as kids under five are free. 
