1st time caravanner/tower looking for an easy site

[Lynn_374550085]

Hi,

I'm brand new to caravanning and towing, and for my first trip I want somewhere with easy access (no tight gate posts) and good roads. I live in Newark Nottinghamshire and have joined the caravan club, I hope to go for my 1st weekend away on 13th/14th March. I've searched the main club sites in the east mids and peak district area and they are all full on those dates, I'd planned to take my first trip to Clumber Park, as I knew the roads well, it was 40 mins drive, of course as its fully booked for every weekend in March, I now need somewhere else, can anyone recommend a site that is good for a beginner road wise in the east mids, lincolnshire or derbyshire?

Lynn

 

[albert3]

Hello Lynn

Some sites to suggest, Blackwall plantation at carsington,Losehill at Castleton, all CC Lickpenny just outside matlock,Rivendale at Newhaven,Callow top at ashbourne, Packhorse farm matlock Lognor wood at Lognor all commercial sites that I have found good in the past.

Hope this helps

Alb

 

[Steve L]

Hi Lynn.

Unfortunately I can't offer knowledge on parks close to your location.

But I would like to say that you have done the right thing by joining a club to start your adventures. No matter where you go you will find happy helpers in the caravanning community. S don't be worried about asking for assistance.

Don't worry about trying to be perfect first time, I've been caravanning for 30 years and even I still get in a pickle, but I know I can rely upon total strangers who have travelled from 100 miles radius to the site we're on to lend a hand.

Have fun and enjoy.

Steve & Louisa

 

[Lord Braykewynde]

This site is open all the year Lynn ...

http://www.sherwoodforestholidaypark.co.uk/
Coming from Newark on the A616 to Ollerton and then the A6075 through Edwinstowe you then turn left at what's called the Windmill, B6035 I think. The road goes to Clipstone. It is a small double roundabout and I'm sure the usual brown road signs with a caravan on are shown. The site is only half mile down that road, bumpy due to mining subsidence, and you turn right down a long drive to the site.

It's a long way from the road so it's very quiet.

Last time I went the shower block, although clean, needs updating. I'm not sure of the price this time of year but it can be expensive in summer time.

At the one end of the site there are lots of permanent caravans but if you ask for the Riverside 18 pitch, it's massive and not so many vans.

I put a review with pics here from when we went in 2007 and 2009 ....

http://www.carryoncamping.org/viewtopic.php?t=233

 

[raccoon]

Hi Lynn, and welcome to caravaning. Just a thought for you. Even though the CC sites are fully booked, it is always worth while to give them a ring to ask if they have had any cancellations because these dont show up on the booking system on line. Thats what we do when all else fails.

Hope you get in somewhere and enjoy it all.

 

[James_374477846]

Hi Lynn

We live in Nottingham and we started caravanning 2 years ago. We joined the Caravan Club first but like you found many of their sites booked up (particularly at weekends) so we then joined the Camping and Caravan Club and found their sites much easier to get in. We are still in both clubs but use the C&CC much more. They have an award winning site at Teversal which is near Sutton in Ashfield which is very good and is open to non members. The site is flat and easy to pitch etc phone number is 01623 551838.

 

[Parksy]

I can't help much with sites in the area that you are looking for Lynn but when you do decide which site to try you can always look at a satellite view of the surrounding roads etc from Google earth or Multimap.

Zoom in and you will see if there are any awkward corners etc.

A tip for entering narrower gaps is that if your extension mirrors go through ok the gap is wide enough.

Take a wide swing to line your unit up and pass through whilst watching through your offside (drivers side) mirror.

Pass through the gateway as straight as possible and the offside will take care of itself. don't make any large steering inputs until you are safely through to avoid any problems with the rear overhang.

Why not hitch up and practice towing around local familiar roads to build your confidence and get used to the way that the unit behaves on the road?

It's only natural to be a bit nervous at first.

 

[max1979]

our caravan is sited permanantly at Golden Valley in ripley. http://preview.hosts.co.uk/~goldenvalleycaravanpark.co.uk/

roads arent too bad very popular site so does get booked up highlt reccommend the site

 

[Lynn_374550085]

thanks everyone, some great suggestions, I'll get looking at these on the internet and see whats for 2 weeks time

Lynn

 

[Jo-AnneFairway5402010]

Welcome, i would ring clumber everyday because loads of people cancel even the day before.

jo

 

[Woody3]

One very important thing with the CC - which we found out the hard way last year. If you try to book on a site on the web and it shows as full, ring the site and check. The CC has enormous trouble with people booking several sites for Fri-Sun and then going to the site with the best weather, cancelling the others quite late. To overcome this (I believe) the web site shows full when there is still plenty of unbooked space.

Two sites to look at: the new CC site at Poolsbrook not far from J29a of the M1 which gets good reviews, and there is a site - maybe a CL - at Sutton Scarsdale Hall which is also not far from 29a. Both are good for a visit to Bolsover Castle and to Chesterfield which, amongst other things, has one of the biggest open markets in the country (Friday) and from where you can easily get into rural Derbyshire. If you want to go a bit further and the 'other way' there is a pleasant commercial site at Bainland Park near Woodhall Spa in South Lincs (has an indoor swimming pool.)

 

[Pat_374304630]

Hi,

You could try Billing Aquadrome in Northampton. Straight down the A46 to M1, off at junction 15 onto the A45 towards Northampton. Billing Aquadrome is signposted off the A45. Very easy access.

 

[trevor11sqdn]

A site close to you and affiliated to the CC is Milestone, just off the A1 north of Newark. We use this site often, there is usually pitches available at weekends, but you do have to ring them as they are not on the CC booking system.

A nice site, plenty of room and surprisingly quiet to say its beside the A1. I think this is because there are high banks between the site and the road.

 

[Philspadders]

A site close to you and affiliated to the CC is Milestone, just off the A1 north of Newark. We use this site often, there is usually pitches available at weekends, but you do have to ring them as they are not on the CC booking system.

A nice site, plenty of room and surprisingly quiet to say its beside the A1. I think this is because there are high banks between the site and the road.

Milestone is nice and take a fishing rod as well. Noise from the A1 can be a tad tiresome.

Try Orchard Park in Tuxford or Sherwood Forest near Edwinstow.

Nice sites, very easy to get to and will not be fully booked.

I am getting totally fed up with the CC as it seems you have to book months in advance or hope for a cancellation. Alternatively look up a CL. They usually have hook up, some now have showers ( a bit basic) and toilet. They are very quiet, very pleasant, cheap and you can usually get into one at short notice.