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Stayed here with 2 other families - we wanted a very child friendly site as we had 5 children with us, and this site didn't disappoint! Very easy to access from the A66.
We received a very warm welcome from the lady in the shop, who contacted Peter (the warden) to tell him we were on our way up to the site.
We were shown to our pitches which were spacious and level. There is a choice of EHU or non-EHU pitches.
Peter showed us where to find the toilets/showers, fresh water tap, chemical disposal point, refuse bins and dish washing sinks.
The toilets and showers are housed in portacabins approached by a wide gravelled area - not ideal maybe, but all were clean and perfectly adequate for our needs.
The children disappeared to play with the go karts, space hoppers and pedal tractors and trailers whilst we set up. There is also a sand pit with diggers and a games cabin which has giant connect 4, jenga, table football and a TV.
There is another play area near the cafe/shop which has a climbing frame with monkey bars and 2 large trampolines with safety nets.
All the things I have just mentioned are FREE for the children to use - Fantastic!
The site was fairly quiet whilst we were there so there was plenty of space for the children to run around and there were a set of goals at the top of the site for a quick game of footie, which the boys enjoyed.
The cafe/shop was reasonably priced and had a good range of food.
There are part baked croissants and bread available but as were in a tent we didn't have an oven.
The lady in the shop heard our conversation and our disappointment but said that wasn't a problem - all we had to do was tell her what we wanted and she would pop it in the cafe oven for us! That's what a call customer service.
There are some lovely walks from the site and the children enjoyed stroking the friendly donkeys/ponies (sanitising gel is located at several points near the animal paddocks - a useful touch)
2 lovely market towns, Barnard Castle and Richmond, are both within easy driving distance of the site.
'The Morritt' (a beautiful country house hotel) is within a mile walk of the site and serves the most delicious meals and a good pint.
Unfortunately, the weather was horrendous during our stay, with heavy rain and very strong winds. Peter regularly came past to check that we were all OK.
Both of my friend's tents sustained damage (snapped poles) so we decided to cut our stay short and we all came home a day early.
We all agreed that the site was lovely and we will definitely return.
We went over the bank holiday weekend. The camp-site was fabulous we had really bad weather and our tent even ripped but even that didn't affect our stay being spot on. The children we had in our party ust loved playing on the go karts and tractors and space hopper. (just a shame that some parents let their children throw them in the lake) The warden always had a smile on his face and regularly came to check if we were enjoying our holiday. Showers were clean and even though they in portacabins were better than some I have used on some other campsites. Loved the shop and all the trampolines which were again free to use. Fabulous campsite will go back next year and recommend to everyone.
The first time we visited we mentioned that it would be great if the shop stocked everyday essentials that people might have run out of or forgot, we were really pleased to see that this is now the case, it is refreshing to know that when a site warden asks your opinion he actually listens to you.
This is, as I said in my previous review, a brilliant campsite, the only thing that can make it better would be purpose built toilet/shower blocks.
Will definitely revisit this site next year if these materialise.
Just got back from a 3 night stay here. We had good weather only rained during the night. The camp site itself is situated just of A66 coming towards bowes. The site is nice quite peaceful looking. My kids loved the free go-karts. Never saw any space hoppers.
The games room is not very good it needs a clean out with more than just a football machine?
Also wasn't keen on where the shower blocks were the gravel outside of the cabins should be tarmacked it would really improve the area there. Could not fault the cabins they were lovely and clean. Also wish the drinking water was not near the disposal waste pipes
We arrived and Peter the owner showed us into the field and gave us a choice of anywhere around the perimeter fence or by the lake under the trees, we decided to be by the lake. He helped us and then off he went to get on with his stuff then returned an hour or so later to check if everything was ok, very very friendly indeed and also extra helpful.
The site itself wasn't full to capacity, we counted around 30 or so tents and vans.
The kids went off and explored and found the free go-karts to be great fun and also they instantly made a bunch of friends.
The toilet-blocks are portable cabin style which is all you need to be honest and they are very well maintained and were spotless on our visit.
Two pot washing sinks of the basic kind which we never had to queue for anyway.
The site is on quite a large field at the back of the well stocked farm shop and cafe. We never ate at the cafe so can't comment on that but the small shop has milk, eggs etc.
Overall plenty for the little ones and great value for money.
We will return here without any shadow of a doubt in the near future.
Booked for the weekend first time caravaning with own van, went with daughter, son in law & grandkids 12/10, wished we could have stayed longer.
Staff couldn't do enough to help, they showed us to our pitch helped us unhitch then left us to it but were there if we needed anything.
The site is good, very clean & tidy, kids loved it plenty of space to run around & things to play on,
lovely walks where there are Llamas & pony to see. Shop well stocked. Although porta cabins the toilet/showers are clean which is all that is needed & we were told they are temporary as plans in place for new facilities.
Definitely enjoyed the weekend & will be going back.
Our family spent 2 nights at this great site just outside of Barnard Castle. With 2 Children and 3 Dogs we chose this site as it had glowing reviews for its facilities for children and a dedicated dog walk. What can I say, it didn't let us down.
The pitches were of ample size for our large family tent and a number of pitches offer EHU for tents as well as Caravans etc. In the centre of the site is a small lake surrounded by tree's which help to offer some shelter from any wind. There is 2 very good parks for the children along with trampolines, Games, Space Hoppers, Go Karts and Goal Posts around the site. All of which are free for the children to use when they want to.
There is a very good cafe on site (All be it rather expensive) and a Warden that is extremely friendly who comes round daily to see if everything is ok.
We only have the one negative point and that is the shower/toilet block are still only portacabins. They are kept very clean though but if purpose built blocks were built it would certainly round this site off perfectly.
All in all I couldn't recommend the site enough and we'll definitely be returning in the near future.
We have just come back from a 2 night stay here and really enjoyed it. We booked last minute, this was no problem for them, we went as a group of 8 adults, all couples in 3 tents, this was no trouble here.
We arrived and checked in at the farm house where we were greeted by the warden who was very friendly and helpful, he took us over to our pitch and explained the do's and don't's of the site as well as showing us around the facilities.
One of the big no's was open fires or using the BBQ as an open fire, you could use a BBQ to cook on though. Because of the time of year we went this was not a big deal but if your camping any later in the year you will need to pack extra layers to stay warm.
The site itself is very well maintained and clean, the pitches are all very level and the ground beneath was not full of stones so no bent tent pegs which was a bonus, we were told that the campsite has to be quite by 11:30pm which I thought was very reasonable, we were all in bed by 10:30!
Because we were a group of adults with no kids the warden asked if we would like to be away from families so we would not be disturbed or so we would not disturb them another nice touch. We pitched up away from the families but not so far away that we were secluded.
There is a very large area of grass that is set aside for playing games and no tents are allowed to pitch on it, with goal posts. Loads to do for kids too, we all have kids and would take them with us next time.
The toilets are clean and well looked after but quite small and in a converted portacabin, I never used the showers when I was there so cant comment on them but from what I could see they looked ok and clean.
The farm house is very nice too with a cafe and gift shop, although a little pricey. Now for the negatives, the major problem for me was the noise from the A66, some in our group thought it was relaxing but for me it was too loud and didn't seem to ease at all through the night and I was up several times on the first night, however I used some disposable ear plugs on the second night which helped a lot.
Next was the distance to the toilets from the tent pitches, I got up a couple times through the night and had to walked quite a distance to the toilets in pitch darkness too, but the caravan pitches were all very close to the toilets, in my opinion, because most caravans have their own toilets they should be furthest away from the block, there was a chemical waste disposal unit on the side of the toilet block maybe this is why the caravans are kept close
Other than this I cant fault the site, all in all we all had a really great time and all the staff were great and the site was clean and well maintained,
We would definitely go back again both with and without the kids. The site was very handy for barnard castle too only a 5 minute drive up the road, so anything you need from a super market was there on your doorstep too.
We have just spent 2 nights at the site with our children. This was a great site for the children with lots to keep them occupied including a games room, trampolines, go karts and space hoppers there were also donkeys and other animals for them to visit. The showers and toilets although in portacabins were some of the cleanest I have come across on a camp site. There is also a lovely farm shop and cafe which sells a great range of food and drinks. The warden is very friendly and takes really good care of the site which was well maintained. There is a large pond in the middle of the site so any very young children need watching. We will definitely visit again.
We visited this site 1 year ago as our 1st outing with a touring unit. The changes in 1 year are amazing and peter the warden (and billy) have worked wonders. A great friendly welcome from peter who showed us to our pitch helped us set up then he was off.
Although temporary shower and toilet block they where always clean and tidy. There is plans for either a redevelopment or brand new ablutions to come in the near future. My daughter loved playing with all the free equipment available on site (spacehoppers + go-carts + ride on tractors and more ).
We would not hesitate in recommending any of our friends to visit this site, and we will be returning sooner rather than later.
This was my first ever camping experience and I actually enjoyed it! I always thought that camping wasn't for me but this campsite was lovely and friendly and peaceful.
Lots for children to do (play areas; outdoor play equipment; a games rooms - I was impressed that there was so much for kids) and my 6 year old made friends as soon as we arrived. He also said that he loved it and that camping was better than the recent 4 night caravan site holiday we'd been on!
The site is just off the A66 and very easy to find, and the site itself is set back from the main road. We only stayed for one night and it appeared as though it was mainly families using the site and it was very quiet by about 10pm.
We had plenty of room for our tent and car and were asked where we wanted to pitch when we arrived. The toilets, etc were very clean even though they are in a portacabin and the pot wash area is separate to the toilet block.
I would definitely return to this site and stay for more than one night so that I had a chance to get out and visit some of the local attractions such as Barnard Castle and High Force.
The only negative about the site is the pond in the middle of the site which is not surrounded by barriers - this poses a hazard to small children.
A beautiful site, well looked after, the grass was better maintained than my lawn at home. The warden was particularly helpful and friendly, always checking everything was ok. There was plenty for the younger children to do with trampolines, toys around the pond and huge space hoppers. A well thought out site, Shower blocks probably need a more solid structure rather than portacabins and then this would be a fantastic site. The shop and cafe on site were fab and access into Barnard Castle or Richmond, two lovely old towns was easy and enjoyable. Will definitely return, hopefully again this year as this site was my favourite so far.
We loved Thorpe Farm. It is in a lovely spot that is easy to reach from the motorway. Although the site is not flat, the pitches are mainly level and the grass is very well maintained.
There is a lake in the middle of the tent field which isn't fenced off so you might need to take that into consideration if you have very small children.
The way the pitches are sited around the lake made it feel very tranquil even though we were there over August bank holiday. We found the pitches to be a good size and well marked out. As there are only a few EHU pitches you will have to book early if you want one for a bank holiday.
There is loads for the children to do outside, trampolines, play areas, sand pit, ride on toys, swingball etc and a small 'hut' which houses a tv and various indoor games, lego, jenga, dominos etc.
The shower block and toilets are adequate and were clean. The site warden is lovely and helpful, very much a bonus to the site! The licenced restaurant/tea room was very nice if a little expensive.
We didn't have an problems with noise even though there was a few groups when we were there. I think this is due to the aforementioned site warden living on site.
There is a little bit of road noise but I found it far enough away to be soothing rather than irritating.
There is plenty to do in the area, High Force, Barnard Castle to name a couple but there is no pub within walking distance. We will certainly be returning.
We visited the first week of the school holidays - 1 tent, 4 adults and 3 children aged 4, 6 and 8. As we were taken to our pitch by the warden the kids started shouting and whooping at the go-karts and space hoppers lying around the site. All three kids loved every minute of our holiday here and didn't want to go home!
Pitch sizes are great - we have a very large tent and 2 cars. At one point we could not see another tent in 3 directions from the tent! We were taken to a pitch near the play area and asked if it was ok - there was plenty of room to be somewhere else but we were more than happy to be next to the play area and near to the cabin.
Kids got up each morning dressed as fast as they could and ran straight out and up the slide. Or onto the nearest go-cart. Or to the swing ball set, the giant connect-four, badminton, space hoppers - all free to use by all ages :D
The cabin was very useful - tv (not that we watched at all), colouring books and crayons, puzzles, reading books, jenga, info leaflets and a toilet.
Toilet blocks/cabins were spotlessly clean and the showers were lovely and hot.
Farm shop (with another play area and trampolines) had lovely pies, pasties and sausage rolls, cheeses and icecreams and all sorts of other treats. We didn't eat there but the coffee was lovely.
Had a lovely little walk to see the donkeys, sheep and llamas. Kids had a little explore in the woods.
The warden took great care of the site and was around all day every day to chat, for info, mowing the grass and cleaning facilities. Lovely man.
Barnard Castle and Richmond are very easy driving distance. Lovely walks, castles, abbies, rivers and waterfalls all in easy distance from site. The only hassle was getting the kids away from the site for a day out!
We will definitely be going back next year and have told many friends and family all about the site. Kids wanted to know why we couldn't just stay!
Booked a 5 night stay here with my 3 year old daughter, but had to go home one night earlier due to her being sick everywhere thro the previous night. That aside had a lovely time there. Fantastic setting, quite a large site, which sloped down in the centre to a small lake, with a variety of ducks. There was a climbing frame with slides, a sand pit with 2 sit on 'diggers', and various tractors, go karts, and a few space hoppers, scattered around for the kids to play with. There was a kids 'hut' with a tv, giant dominoes and connect 4, lego, books, and a toilet and wash basin. Over by the entrance to the site was reception, small shop/bistro, and a play area including 2 large trampolines with safety net. Also near there, indoors, was a table tennis table, and pool table. All free.
Seemed a site where families/groups met. There had been about 15 a side rounders on 2 days. The showers and toilets were cleaned regularly, and plenty of hot water. Only downside was at just 2 pot wash sinks for the size of the place, there were queues in a morning.
Got some lovely photos at sunset as the sun went down behind the tents in our field.
The site manager was always on hand to cater for everyones needs. At £17 pn I was very pleased with the site. Will definitely return
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Common Questions
Is Thorpe Farm Centre child friendly? YES, it accepts children & has a playground View all facilities
Where is the nearest shop to Thorpe Farm Centre? 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 
No Glamping Units 
No Statics for Hire 
Holiday Homes for Sale 
Seasonal Pitches 
Electric Hookups 
Hardstanding Pitches 
No 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 
Baby Changing Facilities 
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 
No Wifi Access 
Shop On Site 
Bar <1 mile 
Restaurant or Cafe or Takeaway On Site 
Kids Playground 
TV Room 
No Games Room 
No Evening Ents 
Fishing <5 miles 
No Wild Swimming 
Indoor Pool <5 miles 
No Outdoor Pool 
Horse Riding <1 mile 
No Cycle Hire 
Golf <5 miles 
No Tennis 
No Beach 
No Watersports 
No Boat Launch 
No Sea Views 
Working Farm 
Campfires Allowed 
Lakeside Pitches 
Public Transport <1 mile
Offroad Dog Walk On Site or Direct Access 
Stayed here with 2 other families - we wanted a very child friendly site as we had 5 children with us, and this site didn't disappoint! Very easy to access from the A66. 
