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Firstly, It's a little unfair of me to judge this site, as it was our very first experience of camping, so we have nothing to compare it to. Suffice to say, we loved it, and not only will we be camping again, we will definitely return to Bank House Farm.
We nipped in while passing, the week before our visit, just to have a nosey, and the owner, Wayne, could not have been more accommodating. He gave us 'a guided tour', and answered all our questions, which were plentiful of course, being complete novices.
Due to the weather, the main camping field was closed, in order for it not to get bogged up, so we were in 'the second field'. Basically, a reasonably flat field with a stand pipe, and a walk of about 80m or so over the road to the amenities block. Bear in mind, this is a quaint village with one pub, one shop. This is not what you could term a 'main road!', so the stroll is rather pleasant. This suited us fine, as we were not wanting EHU, and were told that we could spread out as much as we wanted, (no marked pitches) in order to try out all our nice new shiny gear (we ended up taking up almost 14m x 6m, including guys and windbreaks, but not including car, and all for the standard rate of £15. 50 per night.
Pitched on the edge of a babbling river, sheltered by trees, and surrounded by approx 2 x dozen other units, all nicely spread out, mainly tents and trailer tents, some a lot bigger than ours.
The atmosphere was perfect. 2 or 3 small groups of kids running round doing what kids do, but behaving themselves, having fun in and by the river, the odd game of cricket/rounders well away from others' tents. There's no playground/amusements etc, which was why this place was at the top of our list.
We fell asleep to the sound of the river, which was a good 3m from our 'bedroom'. No other noise could be heard. In fact, apart from some fellow campers having a Saturday night fire-side-guitar-playing-sing-song, which sounded quite good to be fair, (and finished before 11pm) we heard no music all weekend. Which is all good in my book!
Back over the road, on the main site, the amenities amounted to a covered area, with a couple of washing up sinks, tourist leaflets/notice board, what seemed like a library of books and games for use by the campers, and of course the showers & toilets. As far as the gents goes, it was all fine. Dated maybe, but very clean. I saw no queues, but then I went early evening. Two loos, two urinals, two sinks & mirrors, and two showers.
Hot water at every tap and shower, all free I may add, and a more than adequate flow rate. Probably the only negative was that whilst the shower room had, in theory, room for you to step out of the shower and get dressed etc, (plenty of hooks, by the way), there was no protection between shower cubicle, and shower room, therefore, the floor got wet (there was a raised mat to stand on). Further investigation led me to a decent mop and bucket by the door, so I took the liberty of borrowing it! Having mentioned the wet floor problem in chatting, Wayne is fully aware, but its a big and expensive job to put it right, so as long as we are all prepared to mop up after ourselves, the rest will look after itself!
I can live with that!
The place was welcoming, clean, and served it's purpose!
Literally opposite there is what looks like a typical country pub, which not only does food, but also campers breakfast, if ordered the night before. Unfortunately we didn't sample it this time, but will give it a go when we return!
The village shop is at the other end of the field (So maybe 100m or so from the main site). Again, we didn't use it, but I did see someone heading back with the Sunday papers. Again, I promise to try it out next time!
Just a two minute stroll takes you to the start of the Manifold valley. Something to do with hikers apparently, so although I haven't a clue what it is, I guess some of you will be pleased it's there. I believe there is a tea room involved too, so it certainly sounds nice!
In summary, we are a couple of city dwellers, rapidly creeping up on our fifties, who fancied going camping. We didn't want to go too far (40 mins for us), we wanted basic amenities, away from the playgrounds, swimming pools, and family entertainment, with the option of a country pub, some greenery, some peace and quiet, plenty of room to spread out and experiment with our gear, sanitary ablutions block, and a friendly, welcoming host.
This was our first trip away as caravan owners and we visited over the Jubilee long-weekend. Despite the popularity of the dates and the location (which ensured the site was full) everything was quiet and peaceful (both by day and particularly so at night!) - in fact everything we'd hoped for from the website description. We were on what we'd consider to be one of the best and most accessible pitches - by the river alongside the main access track, originally booked for our tent but, as it turned out, ideal for our van.
Having the fully self-contained option and wanting to test all our on-board facilities we didn't opt for a hook-up pitch or use the site's toilets/showers, but access to water and waste disposal with our Aquaroll and Wastemaster was pretty straight-forward; providing one accepts that it's a bit of a trundle either up or down a fairly steep grassy slope and three shallow(ish) stone steps. But then again, the fact that the site is on several levels, in our opinion, makes it feel less crowded even when full!
The following comments aren't issues, more hopefully helpful hints?
1) It's easy to miss the entrance as you approach from the Hartinton direction. If you're towing and you do, carry on through the village for about half-a-mile and there's a public car park on the left where turning proved to be pretty straight-forward even for a beginner!
2) Exiting the site with a caravan involves a certain amount of patience and care - the owners have applied for permission to mount a mirror opposite the gate to help with visibility but apparently the process of getting one installed has to go though a lengthy planning application. Turning left out of the site towards Hartinton doesn't allow the option of a passenger being out of the car to wave you forward - you're straight onto a short, quite steep, hill with nowhere to stop to let them back in.
3) Our 20-ish foot, single-axle, Stirling Eccles Topaz seemed an ideal size for the site - anything larger would have required more experience than we have at present. And finally:
4) Nothing to do with access, the waste disposal point is a little bit public. If you're not keen on emptying your toilet waste tank in full view it's probably best to do so when the area round reception and the shower/toilet facilities is at it's quietest.
We can't speak highly enough of the owners, the site or of the local village shop! Another simple, superbly located, doggy-friendly, unpretentious farm site in a great location - definitely towards the very top of our favourites list!
Went to Bank House with our new monty and loved it. Weather was shocking over the jubilee weekend but the campsite more than made up for it.
Bank House is a fantastic location, with good size pitches (our monty plus extension, windbreak and car fit no problem) although some looked slightly sloping. Ask for a riverside pitch, we had no8 and it was a wonderful spot for watching the sun go down (when it stopped raining!). Wayne is more than helpful, and had loads of advice for rainy day activities.
There's only 2 showers, but they are free and hot, and I never saw them very busy, even though the site was full to bursting. Manifold inn is cosy and welcoming, and the village shop is handy (though it doesn't take cards - have some cash!)
We were very disappointed with this site. The reviews here were quite good so we were expecting something better than what we found.
Here is a list of bad points (good points are below too!)
Facilities: My biggest problem was that we were in a field across the road from the facilities. I don't mind a short walk but this involved 100 yards along a road with no footpath and no street lighting! Not very safe, especially in the dark.
To make matters worse, the facilities are in very poor condition and the worst of any campsite I have been to. The ladies were gratified and tired, there was no toilet paper and they weren't particularly clean. The toilets in the shower block actually have a sign above them asking you to flush three times! The showers themselves require a code to be entered to get into the building, this is provided on a tiny slip of paper and I've never had to do this at any other sites. It just gave us something else to keep hold of and was kind of annoying. There were only two female showers, which were not clean and my daughter complained hers was cold.
So overall, the shower and toilet blocks are in serious need of upgrade (and need cleaning more often) and a second block should be placed in the other field.
Pitches: As mentioned, we were in the second field, which was quiet, however the main field was crowded with very little room between pitches - I am glad we were not there, hardly any room to walk round your tent. Although there was a sign saying no noise after 10. 30pm, we could hear some inconsiderate 'neighbours' until gone 1am. Not the campsite owners fault but perhaps explaining the rules at check in would help.
Dogs: The cost for dogs is advertised on the website. However when we turned up we were told there is an extra fee for larger dogs (we have a golden retriever). This seemed illogical - the dogs don't use the facilities and what difference does their size make and, more importantly, this wasn't clear on the website price list. However we were 'let off' - I think because it was clear we weren't impressed.
Despite all this I do have a few positive things to say:
The guy running the site was very friendly, and the location is lovely, with a river running though the site and lots of nice places nearby.
I wouldn't camp here again unless I knew the facilities had been updated, and would not recommend to families due to the road issue.
I've stayed at many campsites with immaculate facilities but this is definitely at the bottom end of the scale.
Myself the wife and our Dacshund took advantage of the great weather and stayed at Bank House for 2 nights mid week and had a fantastic time.
As you will no doubt see if you peruse the earlier reviews it's a cracking site in a very picturesque part of the Peak District, but on top of that the lengths the owner Wayne goes to look after the site and his guests take service to a new level in our experience.
We unfortunately had car clutch problems on the way so were recovered by Green Flag who kindly dropped us off outside the site before taking my stricken car up the road to a local garage. Wayne was on hand to help us the 100 or so yards to our pitch, an electric hookup (one of 4) opposite the small river. He immediately offered to drop me back off at the garage to collect my car (which he duly did the night before we were due to leave) - very much appreciated.
Onto the site, immaculately laid out freshly mown pitches run down alongside the beautiful river, and there is a small undulating field that commands wonderful views over across the Manifold Valley. A dog walking field is also provided, that also has the same views.
Up near the reception area are Pot Washing Facilities, a fridge, washing machine, books to borrow, local information leaflets and the toilets/showers. The toilets and showers were very clean - and cleaned throughout the day, and didn't get too busy, although on weekends I guess the showers could get a bit busy, especially if the sites other field across the road was full.
Without the car we couldn't tour about, but we did have a stroll down a few miles of the Manifold Track - a flat path ideal for cyclists, runners and walkers, and managed a pint and lunch in the Manifold Inn opposite the site entrance - standard fare of baguettes - nice and filling and not too expensive.
Despite our car problems we had a wonderful time and the extra care and attention of the owner added to the experience. It's a wonderful area and the site is a great base for touring the area with Buxton and Ashbourne nearby. The village of Hartington 1. 5 miles up the road was nice although I only got a quick look picking up my car!
Overall, Highly recommended for it's location, facilities and customer service.
We camped at Bank house Farm for four nights over Easter with friends. We had a nice time despite the chilly and sometimes rainy weather.
The toilets and showers were very clean. There were two sinks to wash up and a communal area with a few chairs, drier and fridge-freezer and information leaflets about the area.
The Manifold Inn was just over the road, which we visited on our first night. The food was lovely and it wasn't cheap but not expensive either, about average prices, except the deserts which seemed a bit pricey. The river ran alongside the site and it was nice just to have a walk beside it. We regularly had visits from two ducks on the field. It was so nice to see people of all ages, young and older on the site just enjoying themselves and having a good time.
The village shop was a short walk off the campsite and was well stocked.
We visited Buxton and Ashbourne towns, along with Hartington a small village two miles away which was really lovely.
The scenery all around was something else! Snow was still on the hilltops from the bad weather a few days before.
Wayne, the owner was very friendly and helpful and was usually around or he left a contact number if he wasn't.
The only negative but hopefully constructive thing is some sort of pathway is needed just at the top of the grass before you get to the toilet area. Due to the rain the grass got very wet, muddy and sometimes slippy. Maybe just a bit of gravel or something would help on the grass just before you step onto the concrete area.
Had a great time and looking forward to returning in hopefully warmer weather!
Just to let people know that the site is not open until 31st March, despite what it says here and on their website (at time of writing this). We arrived on spec this weekend to find it closed up, a pity as we really wanted to stay, having stayed here before. We stayed a few miles up the road at Longnor Wood instead. The ratings given here are for our previous stay. We would definitely come again, now that we know when they start the season. The surrounding area is absolutely superb, and this site has a great location being sheltered and opposite a nice pub.
We were still getting used to our camper van when we first visited this site.
Wayne, the owner was really helpful to us and we very quickly got settled. The showers are very clean and well kept. Dishwashing facilities with hot water are great.
The site is nestled in a lovely location next to a stream and just across the road from the ManIfold Inn which is a really nice pub which serves excellent meals.
Village shop for groceries and other necessities is about 5 minutes walk.
Looking forward to revisiting this site a few more times in 2012.
We have just returned from a pleasant stay at Bank House Farm. After booking in and paying for our pitch, we went up to the field at the top of the site. There are no facilities on that field, a fact we were aware of beforehand so we had filled our water carrier up at reception. The field itself is gently sloping but we found a nice spot which was fairly level. The site owner had told us to pitch anywhere we liked, being mindful as it was a Bank Holiday weekend, there would be lots more people arriving.
On the second night we had to ask our neighbours (a large group) to keep the noise down - it was 1am - which they did.
The showers (there were two in the ladies' block) were free and there was plenty of hot water. The toilets, although dated, were always clean and the toilet paper and hand soap always in supply.
We had dinner at the Manifold Inn, after a long day's walk around the Manifold Valley. The food was disappointing though not horrible, portion sizes were too small and overall we thought it was overpriced.
All in all, the site was lovely and we would return, but not eat at the Manifold Inn!
Really love this site. It is in a perfect location with a shallow, child friendly river running beside it.
Have stayed here a couple of times in the past when the loo and shower blocks were terrible, but now with new owners these are of an acceptable standard with room for improvement, which I believe is on the cards.
If you enjoy walking or cycling in stunning countryside and are looking for a simple site without the distraction of modern life, then this is the one for you.
We shall certainly be returning.
One little niggle is, why charge £3. 00 per dog, per day. This I think is unnecessary and deters a large customer base, as does the Maifold Inn with its very limited acceptance of dogs. Lets face it, there are many walkers who enjoy the company of their four legged friends.
Visited the site 4 times in the past. Visited in June with my daughter & found a new owner called Wayne had taken over. We visited again & brought my disabled special needs son on his 1st camping trip. Wayne had improved the site since June, replacing the stile to the WC & Shower Block with easy to climb steps. The sites very well maintained & toilets & showers are cleaned very frequently. There are a few electrical hook up points should you require them. You can also use the freezer on site to freeze your ice packs.
Wayne is friendly & helpful and can often be seen wandering about the site grooming it or chatting to people. My 9 and 10 year old liked him and he had taken the time to remember our names. The Site is quiet & great for kids. The site is on the banks of a small river, but it is shallow and not fast flowing. Lying in bed at night all I could here was the sound of the river running over the stones in the river bed, no noise from the Pub and the nearby road is quiet too.
Nice Pub over the road with a good menu and real ale
There is a small village shop which sells everything.
Also worth Cycling Manifold Trail which is 2 mins away or the Tissington Trail is 2. 5 miles away. If that isn't enough another mile and your on the High Peak Trail.
Visit Wetton Mill, 2 miles away or walk up to Thors cave.
There is the Hamps and Manifold Geo Trail
We'll return again and I suspect will find Wayne has made more improvements by then. There is still lots more we want to do in this quiet part of the Peak District
Have just returned from a two night weekend stay. As they were quiet busy we had to stay on the field opposite so a bit of a treck to the facilities, however we had just as good a pitch by the stream there. On one end of the field was a small shop and the other end was the manifold inn. (recommended pub was definitely the STAFFORDSHIRE KNOT in between hulme end and hartington this is a must lovely local pub and the food was excellent value for money). The location of the site was set beautiful scenery and excelent for hikers and cyclest. Only one down fall the shower facilities could of been better. There was only two and are very small my partner is 6ft 2 inch and medium build and found it very difficult though plenty of hot water.
Just returned from a 2 night stay with my husband and teenage children. We had a thoroughly enjoyable stay at the site. We pitched our tent immediately on the left along the river which was very therapeutic in the evening when getting off to sleep.
There is a policy of no noise after 10:30pm which works impeccably well but I'm not too sure if it's meant to be all tucked in bed by that time. But don't let this put you off from staying here as the owners are so obliging and very helpful.
With regards the Manifold Inn, I was disappointed with the homecooked food. I ordered slow braised lamb shank in mint gravy. It was radiatingly hot and tasteless (microwaved). The vegetables came separately and they were still cooking in their serving dish.
Back to camping though. Yes there are limited toilet/shower facilities but it didn't hinder our stay. A fantastic site and location to explore the Manifold Valley.
My husband and I have just come back from three nights at this beautiful site. As others have said, the owner, Wayne, is really lovely. We were in one of the pitches on the immediate left, along the river.
They're very nice, level pitches, right on the bank of the river. We were there early in the week and so there weren't many other tents there. I gather it can get pretty crowded on weekends, and sometimes they even put people in a field across the road.
An earlier review almost put us off this site, as it said the Manifold Inn, the pub directly across from the site, is only a restaurant with no bar area. This is not true. There is a bar, with about ten stools.
The food is pretty good, but the food at the Devonshire Arms less than two miles away in the lovely village of Hartington was spectacular. Hulme end also has a small shop that carries all necessities.
I found the toilets and showers to be adequate and clean. I agree with an earlier reviewer who remarked that some sort of barrier between the shower and the dressing area would be helpful - a lot of water goes out into the dressing area. There was a mop in the ladies, but my husband said none in the mens.
This would not be a good site for anybody with any sort of mobility issues, as you have to climb a steepish hill to get to the loos, and then climb over a sort of stile set into the wall.
The electrical hookups appear to be quite limited, so we only saw one campervan there on one of the nights. It was all tents, and everybody was well-mannered and quiet. Children would enjoy wading in the river, but there's nothing else for them to do, there. It would be nerve-racking to be there with a toddler, due to the proximity to the river.
We would very much like to go again, someday, as we enjoyed it very much. I didn't notice it being too expensive, but I can't say it was all that cheap, either, at £13 a night for two adults.
This site is in a lovely spot and easily accessible, which was much better than other experiences when trying to navigate narrow roads in the Alstonefield and Whetton areas. It is very handy for the Manifold trail and great to have a pub opposite, although on this occasion we didn't have time to try this out!
We found the new owner, Wayne, to be very helpful. In fact, he couldn't have been nicer and was on almost permanent call, should anyone need him. We had a lovely spot by the river and he was very flexible with how we pitched.
The showers and toilets were lovely and clean and we had no problem with queuing, although the site was fairly quiet overall. I could see that access would be a bit limited though, for anyone with mobility issues or in wet and slippery conditions, as there was a climb up to reach them.
I am pretty sure we will be back here, as the site is so well placed. My only reservation, if staying several nights, would be the cost. Perhaps we are a bit out of touch with prices in the midst of walking country (as our eldest son was paying £5 per night per person on a pretty rough site nearby for his D of E expedition, which equated to £15 for a tent of 3 young people!).
For 2 x adults and 3 children this site should have been £24 a night. Wayne very kindly gave us a discount, due to late arrival. However, we are used to paying £24 per night for up to 6 persons, inc electric, hardstanding and all facilities with Camping & Caravan Club. Granted we pay an annual membership to get that rate, but £24 without electric could seem a bit pricey. We certainly would not complain for this trip though, as Wayne kindly allowed us to stay over into the following afternoon and many sites would have charged extra for that - so overall, a lovely owner and a site which has great promise (considering they have only been there 5 months) and we will certainly give them another visit.
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Common Questions
Is Bank House Farm child friendly? YES, it accepts children & has a playground View all facilities
Where is the nearest shop to Bank House Farm? 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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Tent Pitches 
Caravan Pitches 
Motorhome Pitches 
Small Campervans 
No Glamping Units 
No Statics for Hire 
No Statics for Sale 
No Seasonal Pitches 
Electric Hookups 
Hardstanding Pitches 
Fully Serviced Pitches 
Families Welcome 
Not Members Only 
No Rallies 
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 
Recycling Facilities 
No Kitchen Facilities 
Freezer / Fridge 
Motorhome Point 
Wifi Access 
Shop On Site 
Bar <1 mile 
Restaurant or Cafe or Takeaway <1 mile 
Kids Playground 
No TV Room 
No Games Room 
No Evening Ents 
Fishing On Site 
Wild Swimming On Site 
Indoor Pool <5 miles 
Outdoor Pool <5 miles 
Horse Riding <5 miles 
Cycle Hire <1 mile 
No Golf 
No Tennis 
No Beach 
Watersports <5 miles 
No Boat Launch 
No Sea Views 
Not Working Farm 
Campfires Allowed 
Riverside Pitches 
Public Transport On Site
Offroad Dog Walk On Site or Direct Access 
Electric Car Charging Point
Firstly, It's a little unfair of me to judge this site, as it was our very first experience of camping, so we have nothing to compare it to. Suffice to say, we loved it, and not only will we be camping again, we will definitely return to Bank House Farm. 
