Barnard Castle Caravan Club site

[Oklahoma]

We've just got back from a few days at this brand new site and it really is lovely! On Sunday (the day it opened) we walked through the gate at the end of the site, along the lane (which is busy at times with no footpath) across the footbridge and into the town which took us about 12 minutes from the pedestrian gate. On Tuesday we walked along to the gate again to walk into town (there is also a gate at the other end of the site, not sure where that goes to) to find it boarded off with a note saying that it is closed due to a planning restriction and to use the main entrance in the middle of the site. We noticed that the other gate is closed off too. It seems to be madness as you now have to walk quite a bit further along the lane and use the entrance where the traffic is coming and going. The gates are not in anyone's way, just can't understand the pettiness of whoever has made the CC close them. I asked at reception and they said if we were unhappy about it would we please write to the club as it may help, which we will do.
Just want to say that the opening ran like clockwork and the wardens were extremely helpful and friendly. It's a great site and Barnard Castle (which is local to us) is a lovely town.

 

[Lord Braykewynde]

We are going there in September for 1 week. I hope the gate issue is resolved by then :O(

 

[Lord Braykewynde]

Looking at the site plan ... http://www.caravanclub.co.uk/media/6188032/teesdale%20barnard%20castle%20(plan).pdf
which would you say was the best pitch for those with dogs. I bet the dog walk is through one of the locked gates.

 

[GillandMike]

I had a look at the site plan on the CC website and couldn't see a reference to a dog walk anywhere, apart from going out of one of those now locked gates and onto what seems to be a busy lane according to the OP. Until that is resolved, I can't see us going or else we would have to keep driving off the site everytime the dogs needed a wee or something. These days they can't hang on for very long (this getting old is a pain isn't it. lol). Its a lovely area to visit and the Cow Green reservoir and High Force waterfall are well worth a visit

 

[Lord Braykewynde]

Unfortunately we booked the site before any details, like plan and details leaflet was available to download. Looking at the plan both gates lead out into Lartington Lane which is the B6177 which Oklahoma mentioned. It doesn't look as if it does have a dog walk which is of no use to us. It looks as if we will be cancelling now and are looking at other sites for the same week in the same area. Our next port of call after Teesdale is Low Moor and before Teesdale we are at Englethwaite Hall. Oh well, it will keep us occupied this afternoon.

 

[Dustydog]

Hi LB
I don't want to be the bearer of bad tidings but have you been to Low Moor before?
It's a lovely setting , unspoilt and only dogs like me there. No shower / toilet block but that's what makes it so good. And excellent dog walks.
So what's the downside?

Adder warning signs everywhere. I never saw an adder but knowing the inquisitive nature of our springers we walked them offsite. Call me paranoid but I met a couple a few years ago whose Springer was bitten but survived.
I stayed away from the bracken areas, a favourite adder habitat.That aside we had a great time.

 

[Lord Braykewynde]

Thanks for that DD but hopefully they wont be as active in the middle of September. If we do see any Her Ladyship only has to give them a scowl and they'll slither away leaving their skins behind.
At the moment it looks as if we'll be cancelling and going to a CL at Patterdale Hall if they have vacancies.

 

[Oklahoma]

Don't remember seeing a dog walk, though there was definitely a doggie bin by the left side gate (looking at the plan), although as I said, the gate was shut off. The lane is quite narrow but gets busy at times due to traffic coming and going from the town to the villages beyond the site. Quite a few people who work at the GSk factory in the town live in these villages (personal knowledge). In between work travelling times it's not so busy.
As I said earlier, it only took us about 12 minutes into town and so it would only be a few minutes walk along the lane to the footbridge over the river and there are walks along the river on both sides. It really is a lovely town and a great CC site so I wouldn't want to put anyone off visiting.

 

[Oklahoma]

I've just remembered a conversation I had with the warden not long after we arrived on site. I asked if there was a path to the river without walking down the road and she said that there was but someone had been along and it was extremely muddy and she would recommend walking down the lane to the footbridge. On walking down we looked to see where the path was but it wasn't obvious to us and then we completely forgot about it after that. It may be worth phoning the site to ask about this path.
You can see the lane on google streetview, it looks quiet at that time.

 

[Lord Braykewynde]

Thanks for that Oklahoma but I don't think we will risk it. I don't fancy walking the dogs in the lane you mentioned. I did look at it on Google Street View although when that was done the site wasn't built.

 

[MagsAlan]

Hi. Just a thought LB, if you would still like to go to Barnard Castle, have you thought about the C & CC site just a little way down the lane from the new CC site?

 

[LadyMo]

Hi LB,
There's also a nice site further along the same road at Cotherstone.We haven't stopped on it but went for a good look round a couple of years ago.A very nice tidy site with good toilet facilities.The web site is as follows:-
www.doepark.co.uk
Didn't check out dog walks 'cos we don't have a dog.....but they do mention them on their web site.

 

[Oklahoma]

I haven't stayed at the C&CC site which is a bit further along the lane but I know people who go there and they say it's a lovely site. The website says that there is a dog walk. Our priority is being able to walk into town, hence the reason for choosing the CC site. Hope you manage to find somewhere suitable LB!

 

[Royston]

Well I had plans for this site, looked it up on the cc site found it was fully booked for the period we had in mind, we are staying at CC site Hargill house not to far away, we will have a look at the new site when we go to visite High force, further up the road.
Last time we walked through the town of Barnard Castle it was full of timeshare salespeople stopping everybody with their sales talk.

 

[Lord Braykewynde]

Thanks all for your comments and ideas. We are sorted now although not actually Teesdale which we've cancelled. We've booked a week at Park Coppice CC at Coniston.

BTW, hi Lady Mo, nice to see you again. What a nice nic, I wonder who thought of that :O)

 

[GillandMike]

Has Park Coppice got a dog walk, Lord B. Had a look at the site plan and couldn't see one. Its a vast site isn't it.

 

[Lord Braykewynde]

Has Park Coppice got a dog walk, Lord B. Had a look at the site plan and couldn't see one. Its a vast site isn't it.

I got the following from one reviewer Gill ...

'Brilliant walks though the site (on lead) down to the lakeside and footpaths (for good off lead running and swimming)'.

On the CC website it states ...

'Dog walks on site/adjacent'.

One reviewer made a complaint that made me laugh ...
'Firstly the site itself- 250 odd pitches mainly set in gloomy, sunless clearings on the side of a hill '.

They obviously haven't heard of Google Maps plus the fact it states in the club handbook that the site is in 63 acres of National Trust woodland with pitches in glades. I'm sure some aren't happy unless they are moaning.

Amongst the reviews, which were 2009, was complaints about the outdated toilets. If this is so when we go then it will be a novelty because we haven't been to a CC site with outdated toilets before. Then again, it's rare we use them prefering our own facilties.

The main reason I picked this site is because I have a lot of Then and Now pics to take in the area :O)

... and guess what the photo of the site shows in the club handbook. Yes, caravans in trees ... heh! heh! heh!

 

[andy72]

Just returned froma 5 night stay at the C&CC site a little further along the road, ie 1/2 a mile max. On the way to our site we passed the CC site and im probably going to upset a few people but i didnt think much to it.

ITs right on the road side or a busy country A road, cars traveling at 50mph + on the way in and out of Barnard castle. The site is very open and you can see right across it from the road side. They have planted saplings around the boundary and in 10 years time i expect it will be a nice site, but at the moment very open and exposed. It certainly isnt in amongst woodland although you can. see woodland behind the site but there is a field between the site and woods. Possibly a dog walk to the woods?. Its also failry flat and not on a hill. The site does slope slightly but all picthes appear level.

It was also extremely busy with virtually all pitches taken, mostly bu Motorhomes, the majority seem to be hardstanding on light coloured gravel. There are two pedestrian access to the site through gates but these dump you on the A road and we passed dog walkers having to walk along the grass verges as we traveled in and out of Barnard castle each day.

I think its got the potential to be a good site, in a few years.