haggerston castle

[matthew_9376]

Hi we have just started caravanning again and we have 3 youngish girls and we have been looking at taking them to haggerston castle, Yeah i know its an haven site but they all love that kind of stuff and i think if your kids really enjoy themselfs then thats wot makes a really good holiday. Wot i wanna know is has anyone been there and wot do yer think about the site cos on the haven website it says there is loads to do and it looks pretty good but haven can be decieving cant it. Thanks

 

[Angus1]

Never stopped there but did have a look in.

Pitches are regimented and cramped, toilet block was grotty and stank.

Lots to do on site, theres a pub, chippy,Burger King sort of thing, lots of amusements and slot machines....

It seems popular, but no amount of money would get me there under any circumstances.

I`d sell the van first.

 

[Robtel]

Matthew,

Not been for a few years now but used to go at least once or twice a year when grandkids were younger. There used to be a lot of family centred entertainment and the kids really enjoyed it. Stopped going because the kids were getting older and not into Bradley Bear etc, also we felt standards on the site were steadily deteriorating.

The touring pitches are level, most (if not all) have hardstanding concrete basis. Electric hook ups to all, water and waste to some. Not all pitches can accomodate an awning. Two toilet blocks, which the last time we were there were not cleaned well or very often. Tourers are at the edge of the static sites but there can still be some noise late at night/early morning when some of the static occupants make their way home from the clubrooms.

There is a lot of activities on site. From memory there is pony rides ranging from gentle hand led walks around the site to trekking out in the surrounding countryside, green bowls, tennis courts, outdoor and indoor pool, boating, and golf. The entertainment complex has three bar areas, one of these is adult only. The other two are large clubs with nightly entertainment in high season. These used to be quite well organised but again on our last few visits found it to be deteriorating into a bit of a rabble with kids running around totally unsupervised while parents got on with their drinking. We also thought the standards of cleanliness throughout the park and the clubhouse in particular were rapidly deteriorating.

A pity because we used to enjoy going there for a break and like that area of the country. It is a few years since we have last been there so perhaps it has picked up again, hopefully somone who has been recently can give you more up to date info.

Robert

 

[Donnie Ban]

We were there last year for 2 weeks in July on a super pitch and as we booked well in advance we got a bargain we could not refuse. As there was only the two of us we only used it mostly as a base, going away most mornings and coming back at night.

We could not fault it and if I was in that area again I would consider using it. I suppose we were are not the kind of customers they are looking for, as we did spend that much on site except in the shop and chinese restuarant. There was a lot of children about which gives it that holiday feeling, but quite at night. Well that is our impression it

Donald & Martha

 

[matthew_9376]

hi and thanks for all the help and info, It may be worth booking it for a week and see how things go and just making the most of it if things are bad but hopefully things will have got slightly better again. As were from hull it is a bit of a trek down there so thankyou for all your help.

 

[Chaps]

We went at October half term for our first outing in our new caravan having been there in a static in Summer 2005. We chose to return as the site is immediately off the A1 so we knew exactly where we were going on our inaugural trip. There were only 7 caravans/motorhomes on the site as our half term was a week later than most of the country so the fact that the pitches were so tightly packed together didn't matter as much but we both commented that we wouldn't like to be there peak season.

We agree with Rob-T that the touring site is rather neglected. In the whole time we were there the touring office was never staffed, on arrival there was a notice on the door stating which pitches new guests should locate their units on. We were on a super pitch which was opposite the toilet block and decided not to put up our awning as the pitch wasn't really suitable for it. It had a speed bump directly in front of it and a lamp post to one side which made it really hard for us newbies to reverse onto the pitch. Considering that there were almost 200 empty spaces, it seemed to be a bit of a silly place to put us. As the touring office was closed, we would have had a long walk to the main reception to ask if we could go elsewhere so we just made do. The toilet block is very basic and 'tired' but the water was hot - no chance for it to run off with so few guests! The park itself is typically Haven. Lots to do but also lots of unsupervised kids at busy times - sorry might sound snobby but lots of parents intent on getting drunk and not watching their kids. The golf course on site is very nice and the all-you-can-eat chinese restaurant is well worth a visit - or 2!

The area around Berwick is lovely - Holy Island, Bamburgh Castle, Seahouses and Alnwick Castle are all well worth a visit. Edinburgh is only about an hour's drive away and the zoo there is great but it's built on a very steep hill so be prepared for a hike! Just up the road from Haggerston Castle is Eyemouth which is just over the Scottish border and you can nearly almost see wild seals swimming in the harbour there - a real thrill for kids. We love the area and are going back at Easter but we're staying on the C&CC Site at Dunstan Hill near Alnwick this time. We tried to get on the Caravan Club site but it was fully booked.

All in all, if you know what to expect from Haven it's an excellent base but if you're used to nice facilities and don't want to 'rough it' give Haggerston Castle a miss.