MAXSTOKE HALL FARM - BIRMINGHAM [83]

Friday 18th July – Tuesday 22nd July 2008

When you arrive at this site it is difficult to imagine you’re only 9 miles from the centre of England’s second largest city. The pitching area is a sloping grassed field but it levels off towards one end where the electric hook ups and individual water taps are situated. The whole site is bordered by trees and farm buildings where the toilet and free shower are situated.

The nearest town is Coleshill which has all the usual facilities including a couple of small supermarkets and there is a convenient park and ride at Coleshill railway station with gives access to Birmingham city centre. The site is also only a couple of miles from the NEC. There is plenty to do in and around Birmingham and Coventry is within 10 miles. There doesn’t appear to be a local bus service within walking distance from this site but there are miles of country lanes for cycling.

Analogue TV good
Digital signal available

£10.00 per night

PARK FARM - ILKESTON [82]

Monday 14th July – Friday 18th July 2008


At this site it is difficult to imagine that you are less than 2 miles from junction 25 of the M1. The views over Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire are superb and not what I expected. The helpful owner was on hand to assist with advice on the best place to pitch on this part sloping field.

On the drive down my trusty tow car had developed a minor fault and Dennis the site owner pointed me in the direction of a garage in nearby Sandiacre. The staff at R & K Sandiacre Garage were very helpful and quickly found the problem and made a temporary repair. Whilst doing this it was noticed that the fan belt was in poor condition and needed replacing. Not bad for a car that was serviced by a Nissan dealer just over 1000 miles earlier.

Because of my car problems I only managed to get to Kedleston Hall on the outskirts of nearby Derby, however there is plenty to do in the local area. I haven’t heard much recently about The American Adventure Theme Park, however if it still exists it is not far away.

A regular visitor that was on site told me that there are several good walks from this site however I did not find a bus service or any shops within walking distance.

Analogue TV good
Digital Signal Available

£10.00 Per night pitch fees

BACK HOME

Sunday 6th July – Monday 14th July 2008

Left Rosedale Abbey Caravan Club Site on Sunday morning and arrived home just after midday. The main reason for the break is to attend my little sisters’ birthday party in Leeds on Friday 11th July. However it is nice to be back home to see my family and to visit friends and old work mates. A lot of the week has been spent booking the next part of The Mooch and so far I’ve organised up until mid October. It can be time consuming especially when contacting C/L’s, because on occasions it is necessary to leave massages on answer machines and await a reply. This holds up the whole process because of the uncertainty of getting a pitch hence wondering if subsequent destinations need to be changed. Anyhow it’s all booked and I am looking forward to getting back to my travels on Monday.

THE HOWARD - ROSEDALE ABBEY [81]

Wednesday 2nd July – Sunday 6th July 2008

The drive from the A170 to the site is narrow in places with a few hills and sharp bends but did not present any problems. When you get here you’ll realise it was all worth while. This gem of a site lies close to the centre of this popular tourist spot and one of the many benefits is that you don’t have to fight for a parking spot if you decide to stay local, the village gets busy at weekends. A few things are not available at this site and include no toilet block, no mobile phone signal, no radio signal, no digital TV signal, and no supermarket locally. However there are shops, pubs, public telephones and restaurants within walking distance and I managed to get good reception on four TV stations [no channel 5]. Some people could not get a signal at all, so I think it depends on which pitch you are on. There is a bus service to Pickering but it only runs on Sundays and Bank Holidays March to October and daily from late July to the end of August. You can get more information on the Moorsbus website www.moors.uk.net/moorsbus
The list of things to do is endless especially if you like walking or cycling and there are loads of attractions within driving distance.

Analogue TV good [on pitch 59]
No digital signal

£6.48 - 1 Adult {mid week discount for part of stay]

THE HAWTHORNES - PICKERING [80]

Saturday 28th June – Wednesday 2nd July 2008

The 9 mile drive from Brawby Grange lasted less than 30 minutes and took me past the entrance to Flamingo Land. It seemed to be popular judging by the number of cars on the approach road.

The Hawthornes is just off the A170 in Middleton less than 2 miles to the west of Pickering and the C/L is behind the owners home which doubles as a bed and breakfast business. When I arrive at a new C/L I immediately get a feel for the effort that the owners are putting into the operation. Let’s face it you will not become a millionaire from running a C/L so anything that is above average is a credit to the owners. This one did not disappoint, the grass was well mown and a service point had re-cycling and waste water disposal. There is a slope on this site and my 26ft caravan just levelled out before the rear end touched the ground but blocks are available and did not give me any problems. One advantage is that it raises your van to give fine views over the surrounding countryside. A W.C. doubles as an information centre and buses to Pickering and beyond run on the A170 at hourly intervals. I didn’t manage to find the village pub open at times that suited me but that is common away from town centres, however the menu looked good... You can hear the road noise from the main road that boarders the southern end of the field but this becomes indiscernible during the night. The owners have a kitchen garden in the bottom part of the field and use produce from this plus locally sourced products in their guest house business. They will even cook you a reasonably priced breakfast if you require. Homemade preserves are available. Derrick Griffiths wrote about the owners in the letters section of the May 2008 edition of The Caravan Club Magazine. More info about guest house at http://www.the-hawthornes.com/

Pickering is within walking distance from the C/L or I recommend using the bus, parking in the centre town is in short supply at busy times and can be expensive. Plenty of shops selling every need and there is a small supermarket run by the Co-op. Market day is on Monday. The North Yorkshire Moors Railway runs from Pickering through Heartbeat country and now on to Whitby a must for one day of your stay. Don’t fail to visit Beck Isle Museum in Pickering which shows how the surrounding area was shaped through the 19th and 20th centuries.

Analogue TV good
Digital signal available

£9.00 – 1 adult

BRAWBY GRANGE C/L – MALTON [79]

TUESDAY 24th JUNE – SATURDAY 28th JUNE 2008.
As you approach this site the roads get narrower and narrower although they did not present a problem to my outfit that must be around 35 ft long. Oncoming traffic can be seen and there are plenty of places to pass.

The property appears to be a farmhouse that the owners are modernising and the c/l is in a large well mown orchard behind the house. There is an additional area off the main field that could be used for rallies if required. The ground is basically level although it is slightly undulating; however it is large enough to find a level area. It was popular during my stay and I would advise pre-booking to avoid disappointment. Apart from the usual facilities of fresh water and chemical disposal there is a WC and a dedicated disposal point for grey water. It is obvious the owners take great pride in their c/l and even provide a washing line and pegs for anyone that requires them. The lawn mower must have cost a fortune and even cleans up after itself. Helps prevent walking those grass cuttings into your van. I did not notice a bus service in the immediate area, but there is a pub in Great Barugh about a mile away.

Further information can be found at http://www.brawbygrange.com/ or by telephoning 01653 668245

Malton is the main town in the area and is typical of the market towns found in North Yorkshire with all types of shops and a few supermarkets. There is also a bus and rail station in the town centre.

During my stay I chose to visit Nunnington Hall and Eden Camp but there is plenty to do in the immediate area with Flamingo Land and The North Yorkshire Moors Railway not far away.

£7.50 - 1 Adult

Anologue TV good

Digital TV available

BEECHWOOD GRANGE – YORK [78]

FRIDAY 20th JUNE – TUESDAY 24th JUNE 2008.
I’ve always thought of this site as “The Other Caravan Club Site in York” and now I realize how wrong I have been. During my many years caravanning I have tried on several occasions, without success, to get a pitch at Rowntree Park. If you look on the club website you will find that it is fully booked at weekends for the rest of the year. I sometimes wonder if this is because of the ease of booking online, and being able to cancel at the last minute without penalty. Perhaps the club should devise a system that members are penalised for regular last minute cancellations. This should give more genuine members a fighting chance of booking.

Anyway because I was unable to get into Rowntree Park I’d booked Beechwood Grange and was pleased I had. I’d only travelled from a C/L listed in Market Weighton and arrived around Midday. Reception was the usual ease associated with Caravan Club Sites even though I’d booked for one adult, and on this occasion my wife and son would be joining me for part of my stay. I’ve always thought that not being able to declare extra persons for part of your stay when booking online would cause a problem, but in reality have found that wardens don’t have trouble with this.

According to the website the site was fully booked for the weekend, but there were plenty of pitches available when I arrived. I pitched on a level hardstanding and set up, which usually takes a little longer because I am on my own. I’m not bad at reversing, [my son who is a HGV driver thinks I’m rubbish] so don’t usually hold up any traffic and was soon on my way to reception to get my barrier key. Having been told that only one car was permitted on each pitch I left my car in the small car park so my visitors would be able to park on our pitch. The site was starting to fill up and seemed to be popular with families with younger children. This site has plenty of facilities for children of all ages with play equipment and a field dedicated to ball games etc.

To take full advantage of the attractions on offer in and around York you need to spend at least a fortnight in the area. Monks Cross Park and Ride is just down the road for attractions in town, with shopping close by. Other places out of town are easily reached by car. We chose to visit Castle Howard on Saturday which is well worth the travel, and was good value using the clubs two for one offer. I am a member of the National Trust so on Monday I visited Beningbrough Hall. Which has an audio guide available if you require?

So if you want to visit York don’t be put off by not being able to get in Rowntree Park. This site is not good for visitors that want to travel out of town, the traffic can be horrendous. Use Beechwood Grange you won’t be disappointed.

Charges on club sites vary and can easily be calculated from information currently available. However I intend to show the nightly charge so it gives me a comparison. The information after the charge indicates the number of people staying for the whole visit with guests staying for part of the time shown in brackets.

£15.60 1 adult [2 extra adults for 2 nights]

Analogue TV good
Digital signal available