HOLLINS HALL FARM - HARROGATE [151]

Thursday 22nd October – Monday 26th October 2009

Approaching this site from any direction is effortless. The only help is that the entrance is just before or just after the 40 MPH sign, but it is well marked and shouldn’t present any problems. The pitching area is behind the farmhouse and is in a lawned field with a gravelled area at the entrance end. The field slopes slightly but does not present any problems for levelling and there are some distant views from all pitches.

Harrogate has many attractions and it is very popular with tourists. All services are available and there are several supermarkets in and around the town. A useful Co-op store with a pub and several takeaways are on the New Park housing estate between the A59 and A61.

A bus service between Harrogate and Pateley Bridge runs past the farm entrance and the stop is not far away. Buses run from Harrogate bus terminus to most local towns and cities.

Analogue signal was good.
Poor digital signal from my pitch on hardstanding. Barn in way.

£10.00 per night.

YEW TREE FARM - OTLEY [150]

Sunday 18th October – Thursday 22nd October 2009

I didn’t have any problems approaching this site. The climb out of Otley is a bit steep in places if you arrive from this direction. The gate to the CL is off the farm track but is far enough down to allow all outfits, irrespective of length to pull off the main road. The field is mainly grass and is sloping for most of the area. The pitches at the bottom are more level and have a little hardcore; these were popular with motor homes. Front wheel drive vehicles may find it difficult to reverse outfit uphill onto pitch when ground is wet.

The market town of Otley has all services including two supermarkets although there is a convenience store and takeaways in the suburb of Newall to the north of the River Wharfe. There are no local bus services that pass the site and the walk back from town is steep in places.

TV reception was a little hit and miss from the pitch I was using. This I believe was because the farmhouse was in the way of the signal. Digital UK say the new aerial in the adjacent field will be switched on in 2011 and transmit a digital signal to the area. I didn’t use my satellite dish because of the many mature trees surrounding the site. One motorhome with a rooftop dish had reserved a particular pitch because of a gap in the tree line which allowed a clear view of the satellite. They must have been before.

A convenient pub a few hundred yards down the road was under new management and hopefully will continue trading in the future. Meals are available and it has a good selection of hand pulled beers.

Analogue signal was poor from my pitch [3]
No digital signal from pitch.

£8.00 per night.

HALL CROFT - ILKLEY [149]

Wednesday 14th October – Sunday 18th October 2009 Saturday

The only problem I would envisage when approaching this site is that you will drive right past it. The best marker is that the entrance is just before the 40MPH sign when travelling east and just after the de-restriction when going the other way.

All the pitches are hard with an area to pitch an awning but there isn’t enough room to park your car, so this must be left in front of your caravan. The site is sloping but has good views over the River Wharf valley and surrounding hills. The friendly owners are available between 6 and 8 PM if you need any advice or local information. This site is very popular throughout the year, especially at weekends so it is advisable to book well in advance and you need to check if it is ok to stay after midday on the day of departure. Another annoying issue is that my daughter and her family tried to book a pitch but the site was fully booked. However someone didn’t turn up because one pitch was empty for most of my stay. This may have been cancelled for genuine reasons but CL owners are telling me that ‘no shows’ are becoming increasingly common.

Ilkley is very popular with tourists and parking is limited. The site is within walking distance of the town and there is a bus stop near to the site entrance. The rail line to Leeds terminates in the town and buses to Leeds, Keighley and Skipton pass the entrance. There are plenty of shops, pubs and restaurants in the town and there are two supermarkets.


Analogue signal available
No digital signal until 2011

£9.00 per night

BRIGHOLME FARM - SETTLE [148]

Saturday 10th October – Wednesday 14th October 2009

There are no problems approaching this site from any direction and the pitching area is half way down the farm road. All pitches are on gravel but are only wide enough for your unit so cars need to be parked on the grass. There are good views over the surrounding countryside and the town centre is within walking distance. The site was very busy even in October but did empty after the weekend. The location is ideal for anyone who doesn’t want to use their car or motorhome

Settle has every service that may be required, including a small supermarket, and buses to surrounding areas run from the town centre. The Leeds to Carlisle rail service passes through the town and runs to the north along the scenic Settle to Carlisle rail line. Trains to nearby Skipton can be caught from here.

Recycling was a bit of a mystery because none of the bins were marked. What can be recycled varies from region to region, and although the site owner may be aware of what the local authority will accept it is not always obvious to visitors from outside the area.

Analogue signal available
Digital signal available

£9.00 per night

GIFFORDS - CLAPHAM [147]

Tuesday 6th October – Saturday 10th October 2009

I didn’t have any problems approaching this site from the A65. The only thing I would mention is that if the site is busy it may be necessary for caravans to check first that there is sufficient room to manoeuvre onto your pitch. All the pitches are hard and some slope gently. They all have good views over the River Wenning valley towards Clapham Junction rail station. The site is well cared for and also has three static vans that provide self catering accommodation for visitors. All the services are on site with information leaflets available in the barn whilst the WC and toilet emptying point are behind the owner’s home.

Clapham station is a short walk away with trains running between Leeds and Morecambe. Outside the station is a very new expensive looking bus shelter but I could not find any evidence of a useful bus service. The Flying Horseshoe Hotel, opposite the station has been derelict for most of this century but workmen were erecting scaffolding, so that may change in the future.

Clapham village about 1 ½ miles away on the opposite side of the A65 has a village store and a pub. For anything else you need to travel to Settle about 7 miles away.

Analogue signal available
No digital signal until November 2009

£9.00 per night

WILSON WOOD FARM - INGLETON [146]

Friday 2nd October – Tuesday 6th October 2009

Care is needed on the final approach to this CL as the road is narrow if a large vehicle approaches from the opposite direction.

This is one of those sites that you know, as soon as you enter, that the owners take pride in its appearance. Mostly on level grass with a couple of hardstandings the pitching area is well maintained and all the services are grouped together near the entrance. Traffic on the road between Ingleton and High Bentham can be a little intrusive during the day but usually quietens during the night. Robert, the owner met me on arrival and explained everything including most of the local attractions. Guidance on anything he left out will probably be found in the onsite information hut.

The nearest bus service runs along the A65 about ¾ miles away. Ingleton has a convenience store and a few pubs and is very popular with tourists. Anyone requiring a supermarket would need to travel to Kirkby Lonsdale.

Unfortunately I didn’t get much opportunity to look around the local area as my next grandchild decided to put in a premature appearance, so I nipped home to find out more. As she is in a high dependency unit no one apart from Abigail’s parents could see her because of fears from Swine Flue infection so we are all making do with photos taken on mobile phones. I hope she likes caravanning, can’t wait to find out.

Analogue signal available
Limited digital signal

£7.50 per night

WHIN YEATS - KIRKBY LONSDALE [145]

Monday 28th September – Friday 2nd October 2009

Don’t try to approach this site any other way than the route shown in the directory. All the routes apart from the one from the A6070 are very narrow and would be extremely difficult for towing outfits.

The farm seems to be hanging on to the side of a very large hill and has great views. Most of the pitches are level and are all in a terraced field above the farm buildings. The owners are assisted in running the CL by Ron and his wife who live in their caravan near the farm building and are loosely termed as the site wardens. Apparently they were touring the UK similar to myself, but arrived here and didn’t leave, if you could see the views you would know why.

On arrival you are given an information leaflet that explains all the local facilities. The nearest public transport is on the A6070 in Clawthorpe about 1 ½ miles away. There are some facilities in Burton-in-Kendal which are explained in the leaflet but for anything else you need to travel to Kirkby Lonsdale. This is not far away down the narrow country lanes that are passable with care when solo.

This is one of those sites that everyone must visit at least once during their lifetime. The views are amongst the best from any CL I have visited during my travels, and you can see for miles when you are not in the clouds.

My stay covered one of those periods that will probably become regular for most of us during the next few years – I had to re-tune my digital TV system so we could benefit from all the improvements that are taking place to the service. Not a great problem for someone who does this every four days. So at the appointed hour I re-tuned and would you believe it. I was receiving fewer channels than before the switchover. ITV 3 & 4 had disappeared, Is that progress?

No analogue signal
Limited digital signal

£7.50 per night [awnings extra]

BRIDGE INN - HORNBY [144]

Thursday 24th September – Monday 28th September 2009

The approach to this site from any direction is effortless although it does appear unexpectedly after rounding a bend if coming from the east.

The pitching area is at the far end of the car park which is on the opposite side of the road to the pub. You have a choice of grass or hardstanding although I had been allotted a pitch prior to my arrival. The site is very popular especially at weekends with many regular visitors. There are good views from the site.

Buses running between Lancaster and Ingleton and Lancaster to Kirkby Lonsdale pass the pub at regular intervals and there is a rail service from nearby Wennington. Hornby has limited services; however the Post Office in the village of Wray is a useful outlet. The pub landlord will give you cash back on debit cards but it may be necessary to check if this is still the case. The pub has a good selection of cask ales and has a restaurant that serves good food at reasonable prices.

The new TV transmitter is visible from the site but is not transmitting digital signals until November 2009 so you will only get analogue TV at the moment.

Analogue signal good
Digital signal not available until November 2009

£10.00 per night

COTESTONES FARM - CARNFORTH [144]

Sunday 20th September – Thursday 24th September 2009

I approached this site from the north on the A6 and finished up travelling south through Warton. Most of this route is narrow or congested with parked cars so it is better to use the directions in the directory.

The pitching area is in a well mown grassed field. I did not find an area that could be used as a hardstanding except for the track through the field. I thought the nightly charge of £12 was a little high for the facilities that were available, but the site was full for most of my stay. The shower was an extra £1 but did not work whilst I was there. That must have pleased the spiders that seem to live in a lot of CL showers.

Carnforth has two medium sized supermarkets and all the other facilities that are normally found in a market town. The nearest bus is about half a mile away in Warton but there is a footpath/cycleway route to town that passes close to the entrance. The Carnforth Station Visitor Centre is well worth a visit and the Lancaster Canal runs through the town

Analogue signal good
Digital signal good [Transmitter aerial visible from site]

£12 per night

GRATE FARM - KENDAL [142]

Wednesday 16th September – Sunday 20th September 2009

The approach to this site is effortless, however it is a little complicated if you come from the direction of Windermere. You need to leave the A591 dual carriageway then follow the signs for Windermere. Just before you rejoin the road in the opposite direction, turn right signposted Shenstone.

The pitching area is in a sloping field at the side of the farm buildings. It has a central road track with pitching on either side. The left side is more level but was still steep enough to prevent me from getting my caravan level. The whole field was in desperate need of a grass cutter, the sheep in the adjacent field would look over the fence with envy. Further on was a second area which was used as a rally field. All the pitches have good views over the River Kent valley and surrounding hills. There is a bit of road noise from the main road but this did not spoil our stay.

A bus service passes through the road junction but the stops are so far away to be of any use. There are two large supermarkets with petrol stations on the outskirts of Kendal, with a third smaller one in the town centre. The Artisan restaurant beneath the Booths supermarket is very popular and is well worth a visit. The National Trust Sizergh [pronounced Size-er] Castle is close by and there is a good farm shop a short drive south on the A590.

No analogue signal
Limited digital signal available

£8.00 per night

PARK COPPICE C/C SITE - CONISTON [141]

Saturday 12th September – Wednesday 16th September 2009

I approached this site from the south on the A593, part of which is not on the Caravan Club recommended route. It is narrow in places but like many narrow roads it was ok providing you take it steady. There is a signpost 100yds before you arrive at the entrance irrespective of which direction you approach.

I overheard a warden telling someone that this is the largest site in the club network. It is big and even has separate entrance barriers that lead to the two pitching areas. It is very similar to Low Park Wood being set is a large wooded area. All the pitches are on hardstanding and although the site is steep in places the pitches are relatively level. Depending on where you pitch you may have a long walk to one of the three toilet blocks or even longer to reception and the onsite shop. Finding a spot that takes advantage of any sunshine is difficult because of the trees. A fish and chip van visits several nights per week. I don’t know if it was the same one that visits Low Park Wood and Meathop Fell so I gave it a miss just incase.

A bus running between Ulverston and Coniston passes the site entrance. It only runs approximately every two hours so check the times in the information room. There isn’t a bus stop at the entrance but I was told that the bus would stop if requested. Car parking in Coniston is in short supply especially if you leave it too late in the day. There are only convenience stores in Coniston as the village is basically a tourist centre. I didn’t see a free cash machine either. Most of the village is dedicated to cafes, pubs, restaurants and gift shops, oh and don’t forget the outdoor clothing outlets. Ulverston is probably the nearest shopping centre; however a connecting bus service runs to Ambleside from Coniston.

On the day of my departure I awoke to find that the electricity supply to the caravan was off. A quick investigation revealed that the trip on my bollard must have gone as everyone else seemed to be ok. This was worrying as the trips normally go when excessive current is drawn, and mine went during the night when very little was being used, so could I have a fault with the caravan electrical system. The Caravan Club practice of keeping trips locked thus stopping unqualified common or garden caravanners resetting them prevented me from doing anything without a long walk to reception. As I was leaving that morning I decided to inform the wardens on my departure. Before I left I was telling a neighbour of my problem and she said “the people who were on that pitch before you kept blowing the trip, the warden was always there resetting it”. This made me feel a lot better as that indicated that the fault was on the connection post and not in my caravan. As I left I told the warden that the electric had tripped and at no time did he say “we have a problem with that bollard”. He just implied that I must have tripped the switch and if it happened during the night I should get my caravan checked out ASAP as I must have a serious fault. What a load of rubbish, anyone who wasn’t experienced enough would have probably wasted money taking his advice. Finally all I can say is that the caravan hadn’t tripped a fuse before or since this had happened.

I managed to get a limited digital TV signal from this site using the caravan’s aerial.

No analogue TV signal in Cumbria
Limited Digital Signal

£9.40 per night [1 adult]

UPPER HAWTHWAITE FARM - BROUGHTON-IN-FURNESS [140]

Tuesday 8th September – Saturday 12th September 2009

Approaching this site from the south on the A593 presented no great problems. The road is narrow in places but providing care is taken it’s not difficult. The only thing I would say is avoid Broughton-in-Furness whilst towing. The streets are narrow and some corners could be difficult because of parked cars.

All the pitches are on hardstandings but they are narrow and the grass between gets very soft when wet. If you wanted to put up an awning there wouldn’t be room for your car anyway, it would have to be left in front of your outfit. The pitches are long enough to do this. The first pitch is larger and regular visitors told me they preferred that one if it was available. All the facilities apart from the dustbins are behind the farmhouse. These include a well kept clean toilet and free shower. A notice board near the pitches has a few leaflets about local attractions. There are some good views of the surrounding countryside from this site.

There is a general store in Broughton and the Post Office has a cash machine but you will be charged for using it. Also in the village are a few pubs and there is also one in Broughton Mills which is a little closer to the site but is at the bottom of a steep hill. Remember this if you decide to walk to it as the hill is not for the faint hearted with a full belly. Anyone requiring anything more substantial in the shopping department will have to travel to Ulverston or Barrow-in-Furness. The nearest bus is in Broughton and runs to Ulverston, didn’t find out where it went to in the other direction.

Many of the people who were onsite whilst I was there had visited this farm before and said it was very popular throughout the year. I had to use my trusty satellite dish again to get a TV signal. This is the fourth place out of four that I have visited in Cumbria where I could not get a terrestrial digital signal using the caravan equipment, roll on full switchover. You may get a terrestrial signal if you have an aerial on a VERY long pole that can see over the nearby raised land in front of the pitches.

No analogue signal
Had to use satellite dish

£10.00 per night

CROSSLANDS FARM - NEWBY BRIDGE [139]

Friday 4th September – Tuesday 8th September 2009

The approach to this site is not for the faint hearted. The roads are narrow with passing places and I found the only practical route is the one explained in the handbook. The owners did send me an e-mail with directions attached but when I needed it I was unable to get a signal on my mobile internet so that was a waste of time. Anyway, many people make the journey as the site is very popular especially with walkers and I feel it is worth the effort.

The pitching area is a few hundred yards from the farmhouse so it is advisable to call there before pitching. All the pitches are on hardstandings but they are a few grassed alternatives providing it hasn’t rained for a few days. During wet periods the grass is completely unusable. The hard pitches are very close together and if anyone had wanted to use an awning it would practically be touching your neighbour. Car parking is a problem during wet periods and all vehicles need to be parked in front of your outfit during these times. Additional cars cost extra but I don’t know were you have to park; perhaps they need to be left in the B & B car park at the farmhouse.

There are no shops, no supermarkets, no banks, no takeaways, no buses and no pubs within miles of this site. You can practically hear the silence, especially at night; the only noise is the occasional sheep bleat. All this means that if you need provisions it is necessary to travel by motor vehicle. The government drive to get us all on public transport means nothing around here [infact I think it means nothing outside London]. The nearest place of any size for shopping is probably Ulverston.

One of the two important things for experienced caravaners to look out for as they approach an unfamiliar site is the direction of the TV aerials on local buildings. This gives you a rough idea as to what direction to point your aerial for the best reception. Another way is to buy a walkers compass and visit www.digitaluk.co.uk/postcodechecker/
Tell the website you are in the aerial installation industry and enter the postcode and name of your site. This will give you the direction and distance to the advisable transmitter and whether the signal is horizontal or vertically polarised. If you find this too complicated go back to using the visual aerial spotting method. You cannot rely on the direction of other caravanner’s aerials as I have found that a lot are not even aware that they have a directional aerial. Getting back to this site the worrying thing here was that some local residents aerials were on masts about 10 ft high so my less than 12 inch extending rooftop mast on my status directional aerial seemed useless. This proved to be the case as my digital tuner kept telling me to check my cable connections and try again. So this was my first venture into a digital only area without the assistance of a TV hook-up and the results were a superb picture of a notice telling me I was doing it wrong. You would think that after re-tuning a telly every four days I would have got it right by now. My only option was to get out my rarely used satellite dish and try and find the elusive Astra 2 satellite. Its early days yet but I am beginning to find that caravan rooftop aerials will become useless in many places. The only way forward is to get a domestic aerial on a long [and I mean long] extendable pole or buy a satellite dish and a Freesat receiver. Caravan manufacturers take note.

I did eventually get reception using my satellite dish but had to put some guy ropes on it to prevent the wind blowing it across the field.

One other thing I think needs mentioning is that the owner sent me an email asking for a £20 deposit. This was done by telephone using a credit card and I told the male owner to keep the receipt until I arrived because I was travelling about. On arrival I met the owner’s wife who was busy and could not get to her booking diary. I told her I had paid a £20 deposit and I paid the balance by cash. A few hours later the owner approached my caravan and implied I was trying to rob him because I had only paid £10 deposit. He showed me the receipt as proof. I was unable to get an internet connection for the next few weeks so was unable to confirm he had asked for £20 but now I have I feel annoyed that he accused me of deception when the error was made at his end. One thing I can say in my defence is that if I intended to rob him it would have been for more than £10.

No analogue signal
Couldn’t get a digital signal from caravan aerial
Had to use satellite dish

£11.00 per night [a bit high considering small pitches and no additional facilities]