Thorness Bay IOW

[BrianStAlbans]

We're off to the IOW on 23 july-6 august.Because of Cowes week the only site we could get was Park Resorts ,Thorness Bay. Has anyone been there? Comments please.

 

[Icemaker]

Hi BRIAN, we went to thorness bay last year and found it to be quite a good site for a commerciall one. we stayed on the pitches just below the hard standings and found them to be very well maintained and dry, although we where blessed with very good weather. if you like luxury toilet blocks you may be a little dissapointed to find that they are portable cabin type affairs on site, not the tiny things you see on motorways more like temporary buildings. we found that despite this the toilets and showers where very clean and always had plenty of hot water, but then again there was only six vans on site and they where all our family. the site is huge most of it being static holiday homes but again we did not have any of the usuall problems with kids on cheap holdays from the sun and found most people to be very pleasant. the site has a shop that is well stocked with everything you might need and the laundry is also quite reasonable. we found the entertainment in the club house to very good, but the girl who was the main compere had the most frightfull high pitched voice and drove us mad after about ten minuites, hope she is'nt there this year. our kids loved the pool and the allweather football pitches and we found they never got bored in the two weeks we stayed, allthough on one day they all did get very sore eyes from too much chlorine in the pool. the site was very appologetic and did everything they could to rectify the situation. We had such a good time that we re-booked for this year and will be arriving the day you leave (was'nt arranged that way honest). one of the best things about park resorts is the price, two weeks end of august - september 27 foot pitch with awning and electric for two adults two kids and two dogs 148.00 pounds, and to top it off the ferry is included, everything on site, club, pool, entertainment, is then free. very good value. one word of warning though, when you turn off the main road and head to thorness bay take it very easy, the road is very very poor and dips and drops all over the place. we smashed our jockey wheel on the floor as the cars suspension bottomed out on the dips and this resulted in a cracked a frame cover. its not the sites fault as the road is a public one owned by the councill. Have a great time visit all the island as its a wonderfull place and who knows we may cross pathes on our journeys, we will be the ones with a convoy of family behind us.

 

[Scarletsfan]

Hi BRIAN, we went to thorness bay last year and found it to be quite a good site for a commerciall one. we stayed on the pitches just below the hard standings and found them to be very well maintained and dry, although we where blessed with very good weather. if you like luxury toilet blocks you may be a little dissapointed to find that they are portable cabin type affairs on site, not the tiny things you see on motorways more like temporary buildings. we found that despite this the toilets and showers where very clean and always had plenty of hot water, but then again there was only six vans on site and they where all our family. the site is huge most of it being static holiday homes but again we did not have any of the usuall problems with kids on cheap holdays from the sun and found most people to be very pleasant. the site has a shop that is well stocked with everything you might need and the laundry is also quite reasonable. we found the entertainment in the club house to very good, but the girl who was the main compere had the most frightfull high pitched voice and drove us mad after about ten minuites, hope she is'nt there this year. our kids loved the pool and the allweather football pitches and we found they never got bored in the two weeks we stayed, allthough on one day they all did get very sore eyes from too much chlorine in the pool. the site was very appologetic and did everything they could to rectify the situation. We had such a good time that we re-booked for this year and will be arriving the day you leave (was'nt arranged that way honest). one of the best things about park resorts is the price, two weeks end of august - september 27 foot pitch with awning and electric for two adults two kids and two dogs 148.00 pounds, and to top it off the ferry is included, everything on site, club, pool, entertainment, is then free. very good value. one word of warning though, when you turn off the main road and head to thorness bay take it very easy, the road is very very poor and dips and drops all over the place. we smashed our jockey wheel on the floor as the cars suspension bottomed out on the dips and this resulted in a cracked a frame cover. its not the sites fault as the road is a public one owned by the councill. Have a great time visit all the island as its a wonderfull place and who knows we may cross pathes on our journeys, we will be the ones with a convoy of family behind us.

 

[Icemaker]

sorry you had such a bad time Brian, we where adviced not to visit any commerciall site in augaust due to the high numbers of "temporary campers" who seem to think it is theire right to inflict theire own brand of roudiness on others. Thorness bay is as you are aware very large and can as aresult get very busy and as such the nuisance camper is almost certanly going to be on site with you. on both occassions that i have been it has been right at the end of august and two weeks in to september so the site is very quiet in the touring section, indeed last year theire was only my family on site at this time so if the toilets where a mess it was our fault, (they where spotless) indeed the cleaner had a brew with us most mornings. We never met any warden last year but if i find his dog peeing on my awning the site will get the bill for cleaning as well as a very distastefull review in caravansites.co.uk so thorness beware. hope your experiance did not put you of the isle of white as it is a treasure to visit, if you do go again always ring whitelink to check your ferry times as they tend to put early arrivals on early ferries if they have room so it is a bit hit and miss, again much worse in august than the rest of the year.

 

[Damian]

Brian, sorry you had a bad time at Thorness. It is withiout doubt one of the very worst sites on the Island, and has been for many years. The pitches are abysmal, and the toilets are a disgrace for the price charged, but it is only to be expected from a site that is predominantly a static van site.

Having experienced the type of person who come to Cowes for Cowes Week, you may understand why we prefer to leave Cowes for the duration of the "festivities", as we are fed up trying to get past all the drunken idiots and completely thoughtless morons who only come here for the extended opening hours and parties, and think it ok to throw up wherever they happen to be and to make everyone elses life a misery in the bargain.Oh,,,and ask any of them about sailing and they would not have a single clue about any aspect of it.

There are plenty of good sites over here, and I hope you wil return for a proper holiday at a decent site.

Having read Icemakers comments about it being quiet there when he was there, it is not surprising, no one else would consider using the site, and writing a bad report will make no difference whatsoever, they have had loads of bad reports in the past and the site remains the same, a total disgrace.

 

[Icemaker]

Damian whilst i do agree with you that thorness leaves a lot to be desired i feel you are missing the main point that we use this site, a few years ago we stayed on waverley in cowes which was very well run and very clean however it was expensive for the time of year, the pool was closed the bar was closed ad we had to pay over 3 hundred pounds for 14 nights plus 70 pound for the ferry. whilst on the island last year we visited many sites including the orchards which is lovely but again it was over 3 hundred pounds for 14 nights plus ferry even the club site wanted 250 pounds plus ferry. in contrast thorness this year for a hard stand pitch with electric and the pool and club is open and all they want is 148 pounds and that includes a free ferry. take the 70 pound ferry cost off and it has cost us around 5.60 per night, what do people want for this kind of money, we spend all day visiting the island and most nights in the awnings so for us its just a very cheap place to park the van and with the entertainment open the kids are happy as larry and leave us alone.

 

[Damian]

Damian whilst i do agree with you that thorness leaves a lot to be desired i feel you are missing the main point that we use this site, a few years ago we stayed on waverley in cowes which was very well run and very clean however it was expensive for the time of year, the pool was closed the bar was closed ad we had to pay over 3 hundred pounds for 14 nights plus 70 pound for the ferry. whilst on the island last year we visited many sites including the orchards which is lovely but again it was over 3 hundred pounds for 14 nights plus ferry even the club site wanted 250 pounds plus ferry. in contrast thorness this year for a hard stand pitch with electric and the pool and club is open and all they want is 148 pounds and that includes a free ferry. take the 70 pound ferry cost off and it has cost us around 5.60 per night, what do people want for this kind of money, we spend all day visiting the island and most nights in the awnings so for us its just a very cheap place to park the van and with the entertainment open the kids are happy as larry and leave us alone.

Point taken John, and I see what makes it attractive for people to stay, but they could do a few small things to make it more acceptable, however they are static van orientated and do not seem to want to do anything to improve the touring site, which is sad as basically the location is good, access to the beach is good and a few improvements would make it a great site.