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The site is well maintained and the facilities overall are clean and well kept. The staff are very friendly and nothing seems too much trouble. The shop is well stocked and reasonably priced.
It is well placed being at the side of the river Ure. There are two toilet blocks both kept clean and tidy. The nearest pubs are a 20 minute walk away and Lightwater Valley is a 10 minute drive away. We will definitely book again next year
I think we have just found our annual camping holiday site!
Although when booking this for two nights we thought was a little pricey I soon realised why. The site was clean and the owners friendly.
We stayed on the island with electric hook up and close to the shower / toilet block. Even though this site had a lot of rules I think its more for courtesy of the other campers and surrounding wildlife than anything else and the rules the owners did have didn't bother us
I don't think its the type of camping holiday if you want to go in a group of adults for a boozy weekend as there was a lot of families.
The shop was reasonably priced and the owners were often seen doing a lap around the park. I don't know if there is a takeaway on site / close by however we did see several people coming back from reception with pizza boxes - would be good to know for next time we go?
We didn't even feel the need to leave the site everything was on there to keep us busy for the weekend, luckily the weather was nice so we spent our day by the river - swimming, floating on the dinghy, riding the white water course on the dinghy, LOL. Jumping in the river, and fishing.
This is the third time we have visited this site. Each tome the staff have been very friendly.
We went with a group of friends all with children, everyone thoroughly enjoyed themselves. The pitches are very spacious so our very long tourer wasn't a problem, although tight for tourers over the narrow bridge.
It's gated access with a code which makes the site very secure and great for the children, who spent hours in the river.
The showers and toilets are very clean could do with a few extras and maybe a little updating, however, if you don't mind a walk the showers up near the entrance usually aren't as busy.
It's close to Thirsk and lightwater valley theme park too. Well worth a visit!
Great site, we went to use the river for a kayak assessment on the white water, even though the river was low we managed!
The site is very clean and tidy and the facilities are clean and warm with fantastic free showers. We stayed for two nights as we could not book less. While we were there it was not busy but at peak season I think the facilities would be stretched.
Good security with a barrier to the Island sites although your code does stop working at 12 on your departure day so if you are a bit late you have to pay a late fee.
I would definitely return, next time with the family to paddle on the flat river and enjoy the site
Wonderful site with excellent facilities. We stayed on the “Island field” and were told we could camp anywhere as long as we stayed 3m from anyone else and away from the hook up pitches. Ground was lovely and flat with plenty of space. Didn’t feel crowded at all. We camped right next to the river. There were the odd midges but haven’t found a bite yet!
Toilets were in the “Pyramid” along with 4 wash up stations. All were kept clean and tidy with the odd bit of grass to be expected. There were 3 showers in each of the toilets, all with plenty of free hot water, we never had to queue.
The reception had a well stocked shop and the owner / managers were keen to share their local knowledge with us. Stopped by the bug hotel and butterfly gardens (on site) before we left, although it was a little early in the season to see anything really. It’ll be fabulous for any kids later in summer. Not really much of a playground, just a small slide, but lots of space for games to be played and the river is fenced off so there’ll be no accidental fall ins.
We made good use of the free freezer facility in the laundry room for our ice packs and there’s an information room full of leaflets for attractions within the local area. The park is perfect for Lightwater Valley, only a 5 minute drive down the road.
We ate in West Tanfield at the Bull Inn. There’s a public footpath that follows the river and comes out on the main road by the river bridge. Walk over the bridge and the pub is on your left. Gorgeous food and pub, without being poncy. We definitely recommend you book though, especially at weekends. Glad we had as we arrived and they were fully booked for the night. There’s also a large beer garden / terrace that runs right down to the river for those wanting to enjoy the evening sunshine.
This one’s definitely on our “return to” list, peaceful and perfect for a relaxing weekend away.
Clean, orderly, well laid out and even though we stayed on a bank holiday weekend, it didn't feel crowded. We stayed in a tent with EHU. I much preferred the camping field with EHU to the look of the caravan touring area.
Although the site goes on about a 5metre maximum, the pitches were well spaced apart and we had loads of room for two average sized family tents.
We were fairly close to the toilet and amenities block which was really clean, and warm (with a heater on a timer - lovely touch as it was a really cold weekend.) Although there were only 3 showers for ladies, I only ever had to wait a minute or so, so I suppose they were adequate. Just a small point there are no hairdryers, but there is a plug socket with a mirror for your own, or I used the hot air hand dryer as did several others - so not really a problem, unless you are determined to have an immaculate coiffure !
The river was fenced off so no worries about kids falling in, and the beached area towards the very bottom 'overspill' field would be great in summer.
The only negative and not a big one because kids find something to do to amuse themselves was as some other people have mentioned was that if there were a children's adventure playground it would be icing on the cake.
One last point, the Black Sheep tour is great - 10 mins to Masham. We ate Indian on the Sunday night ( the Spice lounge), which didn't look much from the outside (situated inside a pub), but the food was absolutely fabulous - one of the best curries we have had for ages and they accommodated 7 of us at short notice. So appearances can be deceptive. Give it a try. We will definitely go again.
We spent four nights here and really enjoyed it. Very friendly welcome on arrival and were shown to our pitch with EHU. Plenty of room for our Norfolk Lake + extension, car & trailer.
Toilets were modern, heated and always clean. Free showers which were always hot. Washing up area was fine although a bit spidery for me! Good little shop with all the basics, long opening hours Fri and Sat, very friendly service. Good laundry room: £2 a wash, £1 for 25 mins drying (buy tokens from shop). Freezer for ice blocks.
We walked to the Black Bull in West Tanfield with 5 small children early one evening, would definitely recommend it. Path is by the river then a very short bit on main road over a bridge with no pavement. We managed to do it with a pushchair and a bike but it is quite narrow. Food was really excellent, we ate in the beer garden overlooking the river - fantastic setting, service excellent.
The campsite itself is in a lovely setting next to the river. The fast flowing bits are securely fenced off though and we had no worries letting our children explore a bit. On one section of the river there's a sandy beach and the kids loved this. Would be great in summer.
River noise is audible all night but it didn't bother me. Kids playground is tiny and would only interest under 3's. But our kids spent hours cycling up and down the paths and playing on the beach so we didn't mind too much.
Overall a fantastic campsite. Clean, quiet, very friendly and beautiful setting with lots of space for children to play. Will definitely be returning.
Definitely the best campsite I have ever been to! Would recommend to anyone. Have previously been to Sleningford Watermill before where there was a different manager and had a great time.
However, our recent visit in April 2010 was fantastic. The campsite is set in a beautiful area; the lake makes the campsite unique. We camped right next to the river as we were allowed to pitch our tent anywhere! It was so peaceful waking upto the sound of the flowing river each morning.
Staff were very friendly. Not much to do around the area apart from Lightwater Valley as we found, however, we kept ourselves amused on the campsite. Toilet block was fine, but wasn't expecting anything fantastic. Great campsite for all ages. Definitely recommend to anyone. Definitely going again very soon!
We arrived late (8pm) and were welcomed. We were sited on the Millhouse field in amongst many seasonals. We had to use the main facilities block which we found cold. The heating is operated on a timer and managed by small pull cord heaters mounted to the wall. I have 2 young children and found it too cold to use so made use of the unisex/disabled ONE. This was more like a shower you would have at home although we did not find it busy, there could be a queue in peak seasons. The water was warm and plentiful and the reception/shop has a large variety of stock.
It is approx 4 miles to Lightwater Valley and Ripon Town 2 more further on. (Be careful when departing heading towards the A1 as thanks to the ongoing roadworks the access is closed and a diversion is in place)
The pitches were flat and scattered with a minimum 3m distance ruling. The washing up area is basic but with the toilets/showers some distance away. I enjoyed the site but feel it needs the toilet block updating and proper heating adding. The Island fields may be the ones others refer to with regards to the clean/modern loo block
An excellent site run by friendly, helpful and experienced owners. The setting was beautiful with plenty of wildlife to keep you entertained. Being out of season, we were able to pitch where we chose. It was very quiet with only a few other like-minded campers during the week. At weekends though, the kayakers descended upon the site in droves, so beware! This is a popular site, and rightly so.
The facilities were basic, but clean and functional. The shop was well stocked and offered hot food to order. Not much to keep children occupied, but as a child-free couple that suited us! The site is ideally located for the attractions of the Yorkshire Dales. Would happily return.
What a beautiful place! Feels like the middle of nowhere with the river on one side and plenty of wildlife including hedgehogs who loved our dogs dried food so much we found a visitor inside the tent at midnight! Rabbits, butterflies, woodpidgeons, swallows and so much more to entertain the children.
Plenty of space per unit and the facilities were ideal. Whenever I visited the ladies toilet / showerblock, there were always showers and toilets available. Same with the washing up areas. The shop was handy and well stocked and the staff in there very helpful indeed. The owners are lovely, welcoming and very friendly too.
We chose to be away from the main busier area and did have a bit of a walk to the toilets but this was just fine by us!
Playground area could do with adding to as there isn't much there. It didn't tempt our 4 year old.
We will definitely be back to Sleningford Watermill in the very near future.
We stayed at this campsite in August 2009, We took our daughter of twelve and her friend. As soon as we drove onto the site there was a very friendly feeling, what was nice was to be personally taken to your pitch. The pitch we had was great and there was plenty of room, so you never felt over crowded. To say there was only 3 showers not once did we have to wait for a shower and there is plenty of hot water and its free.
The site we found to be well looked after and the grass well cut, all bins emptied and recycling bins provided.
The location was great as you could get to york and we did do whitby, even if a little drive. Lightwater valley is a must with children and we had a full day out there.
All in all the site is a great base, clean, hot water and friendly owners.
This was our first camp trip for 5 years (used to camp as a couple in Frame tent, now we have kids). We took a small dome tent and our 4yo and 2yo, we met up with friends who had a caravan and all the gear
The online booking was a bit of a faff (had rung loads of times and couldn't get through, but you have to book via web - and at that time web didn't say that) I suspect they were moving to computer booking system and it wasn't working quite as smoothly from our side
After that frustration was quite willing to dislike the place but it was great - helped by fab weather and lots of other families there who were nice too
Pricewises I guess it is quite good given what you have access to (but I do have a personal dislike of a price menu where each little item adds to the cost - still seems the norm on many sites)
There is plenty of space and a lovely gentle feel to the site with meandering road / paths. The motorhome / caravan only electric pitches are around reception (and in a quiet field behind reception). On 'The island' tent or caravan electric pitches tend to follow to a ditch away from the river, while the non electric get the rest of the area. It isn't a field as such but areas of mown grass among fallow / meadow grass, trees and the like.
It has won environmental awards and you can see why. There are plenty of buttlerflies and wee beasties as well as nettles, thistles even deadly nightshade in the naturalised bits - our kids were fine but if you are a worrier about such things you might want to keep an eye on smaller ones
A few dogs were on site but everything seemed nice and clean, we were happy to let the kids run around without shoes
Sleningford is almost unique because of the river setting. Our kids spent hours on the beach and sploshing in the water - it is very safe for a tethered dinghy or similar. And the white water is safe if you know what you are doing. But running the river down from West Tanfield is probably a no no, people have died on the weir (well up stream of the camp site). Talk to the very helpful chap in the canoe shop on site
If you pitch close to the river you will hear it, around the toilet block end near to reception might keep a light sleeper awake but there is plenty of quieter space too
The Island toilet block would be nicer with a refresh (gents urinal wasn't so clever while we were there) but it is all very serviceable.
The on site flat may also be useful for some, we have grand parents who are beyond camping now but could (availability permitting) still come on a camping trip with the rest of us
Local villages offer a few good pub choices (West Tanfield pub beer garden is fab) and Ripon has some good shops, including two good camping shops if you forgot something
We need to return a few more times to get to know the area better I think.
Just returned from a long weekend (first time campers) and we couldn't be happier. Campsite is brilliant, well set out, plenty of room between pitches(at least 3mts) staff very pleasant and helpful. Electric points are quite a way from the pitch and ours wouldn't reach but that wasn't a problem as the owners leant us one. Plenty of room for the kids to play ball games and the river was great fun for all. You can take your own Kayak or dinghy or hire Kayaks and equipment on site.
One thing we would have liked was another toilet/shower block closer to our pitch, we had quite a walk and the pathway wasn't lit at night - but the toilets / showers were clean, had loo roll and the water was hot. The kids (aged 10) would have liked a playground too especially if we were staying longer.
Close to Ripon town centre and virtually on the doorstep of Lightwater Valley (book tickets online, much cheaper). Local pub - The Bull Inn at West Tanfield was lovely for an evening meal, food was fantastic and staff really nice.
Fantastic site. For my Wife and kids (6 & 4) it was their first time camping and it was a great experience for them. The site was busy but didn't feel it, or sound it! Plenty of space between pitches.
Showers, toilets and the whole site were extremely tidy and there was always hot water available whenever we needed it.
Kids loved playing in the river and it amused them for hours. Shop was well stocked and very reasonably priced.
Its a shame we had to leave, already looking at booking for early next year.
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Common Questions
Is Sleningford Watermill Caravan And Camping Park child friendly? YES, it accepts children View all facilities
Where is the nearest shop to Sleningford Watermill Caravan And Camping Park? There is a shop on site View all facilities
Is Sleningford Watermill Caravan And Camping Park dog friendly? YES View all facilities
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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 
No Statics 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 
Recycling Facilities 
No Kitchen Facilities 
Freezer / Fridge 
No Motorhome Point 
No Wifi Access 
Shop On Site 
Bar <1 mile 
Restaurant or Cafe or Takeaway <1 mile 
No Playground 
No TV Room 
No Games Room 
No Evening Ents 
No Fishing 
Wild Swimming On Site 
Indoor Pool <5 miles 
No Outdoor Pool 
No Horse Riding 
Cycle Hire <5 miles 
Golf <5 miles 
Tennis <1 mile 
No Beach 
Watersports On Site 
No Boat Launch 
No Sea Views 
Not Working Farm 
No Campfires Allowed 
Riverside Pitches 
Public Transport <1 mile
Offroad Dog Walk On Site or Direct Access 
The site is well maintained and the facilities overall are clean and well kept. The staff are very friendly and nothing seems too much trouble. The shop is well stocked and reasonably priced.
