Bury St Edmunds

[TonyJones]

Anyone else planning to go to the Bury St Edmunds Christmas market this weekend? We're going tomorrow night.
Free overnight parking at Ram Meadow car park, you only pay 8am-6pm.
There are even five large Motorhome Only spaces!
We won't need one of those though, Roxie fits in a car space.

 

[Kate Taylor]

Have a great time at the Christmas market, Tony!

Thanks for the motorhome parking tip. Anyone else going to do Christmas markets? There's a fantastic round-up of markets in the UK and Europe in our January issue.

 

[TonyJones]

Had a lovely meal at the "One Bull" pub/restaurant, now back in our nice warm van ready for a day browsing the market tomorrow.

 

[davek38]

only just saw this. we live 15 miles away and go every year. would have tried to meet up if i had known. we went sunday this year with the grandkids. some great food stalls

 

[Ukjon]

Ram Meadow still good to use for an overnight stop or two?

Looking for somewhere in Bury St Edmunds for a Fri & Sat night so can explore the town and chill out

Some forums are suggesting that Tesco are motorhome friendly, particularly if you load your 'van' with food and you can then park up for the night as long as your sensible and not near the store entrance. Are there height barriers at the Tesco superstore at Bury? Anyone parked there over night??

Thanks

 

[gjh]

Yes, the facility at Ram Meadow is open.

As regards Tesco, some forums/motorhomers will suggest anything if they think they can justify staying where they want to (as opposed to where they are allowed to). Tesco have never had a policy of sanctioning overnight camping in their car parks and neither have any other UK supermarkets. Some people may have got away with it and some managers may have allowed it on their own responsibility but that is all. Supermarkets have no more right to allow camping than any other land owner without a caravan site certificate.

 

[Ukjon]

Thanks for the reply

Regards

 

[TonyJones]

Nice thing about Ram Meadow is that it's not just the five designated MH spaces you can use. The same rules apply throughout that part of the car park, so as long as you can find a place where your size doesn't cause an obstruction you're fine, even if those marked bays are in use (as they were when we went to the Christmas Market last year - mostly with Continental smallholders!)

 

[al68]

Is it camping or parking?

 

[Ukjon]

Thanks Tony

Regards

 

[Ukjon]

It was for overnight camping - sleeping in the 'van' overnight.

Thanks

 

[TonyJones]

The UK doesn't recognise that distinction the way most Continental countries do. But in this case there are no restrictions against sleeping or cooking in the van, as there are in many UK car parks.

 

[gjh]

It's more accurate to say that the UK doesn't have the same definitions of parking and camping that other countries have. The UK certainly does distinguish between them - which is why the legal order governing Ram Meadow is written as it is.
Coincidentally we were out with (motorhoming) friends the other day who are over from France and also spend part of each winter in their van in Spain. From what they say, other countries are having (in some places) to introduce similar restrictions on camping. They are suffering the same sort of abuse/over use that the UK suffered decades ago and which led to our current legislation.