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My wife & I stayed here for two nights midweek at £8. 50 each per night without EHU. It was an additional £2. 50 pn if you wanted electric, so we did without. Frankly hugely overpriced. As we are about 3. 5 tons we had to park our motorhome at the back of the pub car park, which is reasonably level.
The camping field looks ok but is only grass without any hard standing, and was empty apart from a couple of caravans which looked long term and unoccupied and a small caravan which appeared to be for a guy that was using it as a base to commute to work. So basically the site wasn't busy as there were only 3 of us using it, my wife & I and the commuter.
There was no water tap that I could see in the campsite, so if you needed water you had to use a tap at the back of the pub. No motorhome service point, no chemical toilet disposal or washing up facilities.
There is just one male and one female toilet in the rear of the pub building and just one shower. In the 3 days we were there none of these facilities were cleaned at all, so god knows what this is like in summer when the campsite is occupied. I understand that the pub is under new recent ownership (late 2015?) and things take a while to sort out, but judging by the dust and dirt in the gents loo I don't think it's been cleaned properly in months.
This is a very very poor standard. There is hot water, but no plugs in the gents loo basin or the shower room, so if you want to shave then take your own plug. Thankfully we had our own facilities in our bus. So for £34 we didn't get much for our money other than a parking space for two nights. Maybe the landlord should consider the Pub Stopover scheme for motor homes, where you stay for free provided you buy a meal.
Frankly we have had much better facilities incl EHU for £10 a night elsewhere.
Due to the lack of care and cleanliness in the toilets we we put off eating in the Duke William - although some food reviews were good. The place does look very scruffy inside.
On the plus side, it was nice and quiet at night, and is in a good location being only about ten minutes walk into Matlock via a downhill path, and park, and only about 5 minutes to the footpath leading up to High Tor.
Overall I'd rate this overall at 2/10. This needs to improve greatly in terms of cost and facilities if we were ever likely to use again, which is most unlikely
The site is in a good position for walking to Matlock & Matlock Bath.
However, the site leaves a lot to be desired. As you enter & leave the site, the driveway is so uneven & built up on one side that the back end of the caravan touches the ground, causing damage to the caravan. We spoke to other people who had also damaged their caravans.
There is 1 ladies, 1 gents & 1 shower cubicle for the whole site. During our stay there were approx. 25-30 units, most of which were tents, therefore the toilet facilities were really insufficient and dirty. There is no proper facility for chemical toilets to be emptied & none for waste water.
It is a shame but we will never use this site again.
Stayed a couple of nights over the Bank Holiday, when it rained rather heavily on the Sunday night. Had a lovely Sunday roast at the pub carvery which was excellent value for money, a little disappointed with the meal the previous evening.
Hard standing pitch (the car park) for caravans and campers, choice of EHC, lovely helpful people, great surroundings, bit of a dilapidated kids playfround.
Should also be said these people welcome your dogs warmly.
We have just returned from a 2 night stay at the Duke William. Upon arrival we were greeted in the pub by a chirpy chap who showed us around the facilities and told us all about the exciting entertainment that was taking place in the pub over the weekend.
The campsite itself was situated at the rear of the pub. There were a mixture of tents and camper vans, and the site was quite full. We picked a relatively flat area of ground to pitch our tent, but we did notice that the ground was slightly sloping further along the field.
There were separate male and female toilets with a wash basin in each and a couple of comfortable chairs in the ladies just in case you felt that you needed a sit down whilst getting ready! There was only 1 shower which was old looking but worked fine. Due to the busyness of the campsite, more facilities would have been useful because there was a bit of standing around waiting for the facilities to be free.
The location of the campsite is good if you want to access shops and restaurants in Matlock. We highly recommend Maazi for a good curry.
On the first night there was a karaoke competition taking place in the pub, so it was quite noisy until about 11pm. Unfortunately the noise in the campsite didn't stop because we were next to some very loud campers who continued to shout and run about right into the early hours of the morning. This is possibly because of the site's pub location and it was clear that they must have had a few drinks. The pub entertainment on the second night consisted of an old chap singing and playing a banjo. This was relatively quiet though and finished quite early. The campsite was a lot quieter on this night apart from the distant noise of cars in the town and a few dogs on the campsite barking. If you are looking for a peaceful tranquil camping trip this is probably not the best place, however if you need somewhere to camp for a night that is close to Matlock then this is an ok option.
Excellent basic site. The Duke William allowed us to host our spring motorbike rally here and we had an excellent weekend. A relatively small field on a slight slope. The site was quite full and most of the campers were very friendly. It's just a shame that one or two insisted on partying until the early hours with loud thumping music, leaving their rubbish, food and empty beer cans strewn about til late the next morning. I'm sure this isn't the norm as when I camped here a couple of years ago it was fine. Facilities are basic but relatively clean, one male and one female toilet plus a shower room with a toilet, all open 24 hours. Pub toilets also available during opening hours. One water tap, no electric hookup. A small children's play area but most of the kids played in the centre of the camping field. The pub does excellent home cooked food and there is usually live entertainment on a Saturday night. They serve a good selection of ciders, ales and lagers, as well as mild! The surrounding area is excellent for walkers, sightseers and bikers, it is a short walk to Matlock centre, take the steep lane next to the church for a shortcut. Plenty of places in Matlock for food & drink.
We had a nice weekend here. Pub friendly and nice food. There was a honda 90 + biker club on the site for a club meet who were nice and sociable. The pub has basic shower and toilet which was heated and more than adequate. Nice walk to the 'bath'. Friendly locals.
Don't turn into the pub left off the road. Go up the hill and turn round otherwise you'll ground out like I did!
We have visited this site on 3 occasions(4 nights, 3 nights & 3 nights), once in a tent & once in a campervan.
The site is a large field attached to a pub, with no set pitches, so you just choose your spot & set up. No electric hook up. There is ladies & gents loos & one separate shower also with a loo, which was clean.
There's also a small playground suitable for very young children. The pub serves lovely bar meals & there is entertainment at weekends. It did get very noisy later at night on a couple of occasions as people leave the pub after a few drinks, but on the whole it wasn't too bad and we were there at the busiest times.
The church clock chimes every 15 minutes through the night, which can become a bit annoying, but you do start to get used to it! For what we paid it was great value for money, and it is a lovely spot on the outskirts of Matlock with some nice views of the hills & countryside. Matlock is about 10 mins walk and Matlock Bath about 20 mins walk away.
Overall, a great budget site in a lovely location, where we will no doubt visit again.
We camped on a Saturday night. What a great place! Basic facilities, but proper camping in a terrific location. Right behind the pub (and a very good one). What more do you want!?
I have long and very good memories of Matlock and Matlock Bath, having spent most Sundays there with motorbike and like-minded mates. Matlock Bath is a northern Mecca to the biking fraternity, since the 1950's I believe (Sherburn-In-Elmet, and Devils Bridge being two others). All are welcome though, and I don't remember any incidents of attacking old ladies (or other boring and untrue stereotypes).
The campsite is in a fantastic location, with a quick and easy stroll down to the park and Matlock. Take the connecting alleyway; its much quicker. Some good pubs in Matlock, including a Wetherspoons, and a fantastic location for scenery. Matlock Bath is a 20 minute walk away.
Mel and his crew run a very good 'ship' in the Duke William, which has decent ale and I believe does very good food. Child friendly too, to the well behaved. We had a good chat with Mel and co. On Saturday night, and found him to be a great bloke. A Nottingham Forest fan of many years, he met the Great Man Mr Clough, and has the photos to prove it. Now just why did that bloke never become England manager?
Hugely and highly recommended. Loads nearby. Very scenic. £5 pppn is about right and VFM. Returning will be when, not if.
This is what I call a proper campsite. No electric hook-ups, 1 tap at rear of pub to fetch water from & no playground on site for the kids, pitch where you like. The OH & myself took the two girls (4 & 2) for a two night stay, Fri & Sat nights. Had a brilliant time.
The site was quite empty when we arrived Fri noon but quickly filled as the day progressed. The kids from all families played in the middle of the field, everyone was warm & friendly. The pub is nice though we didn't eat there.
We spent most of Fri in Matlock (5 min walk) & Sat in Matlock Bath (20 min walk), train rus from Matlock to Bath every hour & costs 70p EW. Next time we go we plan to spend more time on site as the kids made some proper friends.
Adults £5, Kids £2 per night. Take some good pegs & a hammer as the ground is quite stony about 2' down.
A notice on the site entrance asks you not to pitch till you've booked in but if you arrive before pub opens you can call them then pitch straight away.
Matlock & Matlock Bath are beautiful places (seaside without sea). Expect to pay around £3. 20 per pint & chips aren't cheap either.
We were greated by mel a very friendly person he made us very welcome we put our tent up there was a group already there with children I must say the children was very good, we went for a steak meal the meal was great could not fault it& the choice of puddings yummy, we had a carvery on the sunday that was yummy hot could not fault it a choice of 4 meats fresh veg, friday night& sat night was great& friendly, the only thing I forgot to take was my flipflops for the shower room with the weather the way it's been the floor was a bit muddy but hey I got the mop gave it a clean and all was well, the only thing I'd have a moan about is the slip matt I'd say get a dozen from £ shop and give them a change more. Other then that a great propper camping site by propper I mean no eletric which makes it propper camping to me. Yes we are deffo going again.
Stayed in a tent on the campsite here for one night. Overall had a great night with only a few minor niggles.
The People: Just fabulous! Could not have been more warmly welcomed and looked after; Mel and the staff were fantastic, and the locals were just as chatty and friendly. Turned up on the night of the outdoor skittles league match - was great to watch.
The Food: Good hearty stuff, what I'd call 'proper pub grub'. Not the high end quality stuff you find today in todays gastro pubs, but that's not what it is. It's a local pub that serves unpretentious, not-too-bothered-about-presentation decent platefuls of decent grub.
The Pub: Like I said, a proper locals pub but without any of the clique-ness that can sometimes bring. Decor slightly dated, but good selection of ales, good sized dining area, separate TV / darts lounge and cracking service.
The Campsite: Flattish field behind the pub, just 4 other tents and one caravan when I stayed. Decent views across the valley and the church. Facilities ok - juts 2 toilets and one shower, but it's not a huge site so doesn't need huge toilet/shower block. Shower had plenty of hot water and was just about on the right side of ok from a cleanliness perspective. Only niggles were the church bells that pealed throughout the night - got used to it pretty quick though.
Not 5* caravan club type quality camping and facilities, but you're not going to get the Ritz for £5. Overall, I'd say 2/3* facilities with a 5* pub and welcome from the people. I had a great time and would definitely go back and stay there again.
Just got back from a scorching weekend at this site. A great time was had by all.
We didn't book it until last minute and we where about the last to get on the field but we still managed to get two caravans side by side.
The view is amazing of the Riber Castle. Everybody was really friendly including all the other campers and the entertainer on Saturday night was very good.
Toilets and showers where very clean but I think the water point needs to be moved as it is situated in the kids playground and there is no waste disposal but a minor point for a week end break.
We thought very good value for money and will definitely be returning. Just a note though the entrance is a little tricky and we had to go past and turn round in the school car park (not gated out of hours) but they did warn us of that when booking.
Parked in the carpark as area was very wet. Glad we did so as awoke next morning to snow and doubt we would have got off the very steep meadow if we had parked there.
Didn't use the toilet facilities as we had our own.
The landlord & customers in the pub were very friendly, we were going to eat there but it got very busy with a darts match so gave it a miss and cooked for ourselves.
Easy walk into town.
Be aware the turn into the parking area is quite a sharp turn and up a bit of a slope, we scraped the bottom of chassis going in!
I was apprehensive about this site having no electric and being mostly tents but how wrong can you be!
When we arrived on Friday morning there was just one tent and a couple of seasonal vans, off we went for the day and on returning the site was filled with many tents with people everywhere, who were obviously in groups, my worst fear. I thought.
In reality.
Yes there were people talking together at night but not at all rowdy, and we were able to lay in, in the morning as it was quiet.
There is one shower which looked clean enough but we have our own. There are one loo for each ladys and gents with wash basin and (comfy chairs?).
Just across the road along a footpath will take you one way to Matlock (15 mins) or the other way, Matlock Bath, took us about an hour because we kept stopping and looking at all the views. Lovely walk over the top and then through the woods.
The pub in the evening is great, while we were there we had a lovely meal, danced the night away with Dennis (Mr entertainment) and the landlord who certainly has the x factor!
There is the obvious problem mentioned in the other reviews referring to the approach to the site, and I can confirm you do have to turn around even when going out. Our friends went out downhill and caught their corner steady on the way.
The bells from the church clock do appear a bit random and are quite loud but you get used to it.
To sum it up I think the Duke william is perhaps more suited to adults, don't go if you want caravan club standards but if you want a free and easy weekend and not bothered about 'frills' then you won't be disappointed.
We said at first we wouldn't return due to there being no electric but having stayed there, we would sacrifice that for the fun we had in the pub.
I want to return to try the Carvery on Sunday.
I only wish it was my local!
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Common Questions
Is The Duke William child friendly? YES, it accepts children View all facilities
Where is the nearest shop to The Duke William? There is a shop within 1 mile 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 
No Statics for Sale 
No Seasonal Pitches 
Electric Hookups 
No Hardstandings 
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 
No Washing Up Area 
No Bathroom 
Baby Changing Facilities 
No Laundry 
Drinking Water 
Disabled Friendly 
No Chemical Disposal 
No Battery Charging 
No Gas Exchange 
No Recycling Facilities 
No Kitchen Facilities 
No Freezer / Fridge 
No Motorhome Point 
No Wifi Access 
Shop <1 mile 
Bar On Site 
Restaurant or Cafe or Takeaway On Site 
No Playground 
No TV Room 
No Games Room 
No Evening Ents 
Fishing <10 miles 
No Wild Swimming 
Indoor Pool <5 miles 
Outdoor Pool <5 miles 
No Horse Riding 
No Cycle Hire 
Golf <5 miles 
Tennis <1 mile 
No Beach 
No Watersports 
No Boat Launch 
No Sea Views 
Not Working Farm 
No Campfires Allowed 
No Waterside Pitches 
Public Transport <1 mile
Offroad Dog Walk On Site or Direct Access 
My wife & I stayed here for two nights midweek at £8. 50 each per night without EHU. It was an additional £2. 50 pn if you wanted electric, so we did without. Frankly hugely overpriced. As we are about 3. 5 tons we had to park our motorhome at the back of the pub car park, which is reasonably level. 
