How is it number 1?

[oxcheetah]

I decided to try out Practical Caravan's Number 1 Caravan Park - Bath Chew Valley. If the rest of the content of practical caravan shows similar judgement then I am cancelling my subscription today!

The site is quiet (which we want) and has all the facilities you would expect however it is certainly not as good as you might be led to believe it is.

The hard standing pitches are so tight that you cannot walk around your caravan and awning without going onto the grass (which was like a bog) and the pitches are extremely close together - the closest I have known.

The worst thing though is the attitude of those working at the site - you are made to feel like they are doing you a favour by letting you stay there rather than treating you like a valued customer. In fact, on one occasion over the weekend, I felt somewhat intimidated by the way I was spoken to.

Needless to say, I will not be going back.

Leon.

 

[AnthonyNornIreland]

Perhaps they were like a bog cause it has rained, snowed, etc, oh yes, and its winter.
Being " a gutter hole"sometimes is par for the course with caravaning, is it not

And as for the attitude of some, the only time I have seen bad attitude from park staff is where bad attitude is dished out to them not that I am saying this was your case, just an observation.

 

[Lord Braykewynde]

We too have been to this site and I cannot understand how it's voted as the UKs best park

Like the OP said, the pitches are close and small hence the reason you cannot park your car by your van and have to leave it in the car park. It did/does advertise as having free Wi-Fi but when I enquired about it the chap said he will give me the password to access it but don't expect too much because most people cannot log in. Neither could I

The dog walk was very small which went around the outside of a quarter acre of unmown grass planted with saplings. For this they won some kind of nature award and are classed as a 'green' site.
When we went the site wasn't affiliated to the CC so whether things have changed since then I don't know but we found that the site was very expensive for what it was and I'd been to very many which were far better.
At no time did we find the person I believed to be owner, or his sons, rude.

 

[Wayne_5133334]

Guess this is the same post as on Swift Talk, inded many comments on the lack of reasons how this was number 1 site - NEVER

 

[Parksy]

The Practical Caravan top 100 parks are chosen by the readers of the magazine and members of Caravan Sitefinder who log in to our sister website to vote for their favourite caravan park.

http://www.practicalcaravan.com/news/top-100-sites-2011-voting-open
The link to Caravan Sitefinder is in the red text at the bottom of the forum page, to vote or leave a review of a site you need to log in or register with Caravan Sitefinder.
Perhaps most of the people who voted enjoyed visiting Chew Valley and those who prefer other parks didn't vote?

 

[Philspadders]

unless the owners voted for themselves .. lots and lots and lots. It has been known.

 

[oxcheetah]

I am not stupid Anthony, I am well aware of the reasons why the grassed areas were like a bog. The point I was making is that the pitches are so titchy you cannot even access your amenities (water inlet, elec inlet etc) without having to pad through the mud.

This is most certainly not what you would expect from the supposedly number 1 park.

I am glad that you did not go on to infer that I had a bad attitude as I have been in the service industry for well over 25 years so I know what it is like to be treated badly by a 'customer'.