Liked: Site was nice, well kept, tidy and clean. Proximity to lake and walks was ideal. Some picturesque local villages with friendly businesses within walking distance was also a bonus. Site was pretty quiet and not cramped or too busy like almost every site on a bank holiday. Great abundance of wildlife if you like birds or fishing, and we saw rabbits happily grazing near our pitch without being bothered at our presence.
Disliked: The mosquito population was relentless. I left my van door open for half an hour while cooking and I’m not exaggerating when I say I had over 100 of them stuck in my pop roof by the time I was done. The only respite was to start a fire, but then it turned out this was one of those sites with a monopoly on fire pits and wood, so you weren’t allowed to bring your own. The fire guy comes round only once around 6-8pm and charges an extra £15 for something we could happily have done responsibly ourselves for nothing. It felt a bit too much after we had already spent £120 for a couple of vans and an awning to pitch up on just one spot for a couple of days. I have to give the owner a pass on this visit as she said her and her husband were not feeling well, and it was a busy weekend, but she seemed very anxious about upon meeting, if she’s not an anxious person then I’d have to assume it was because I was young and with two friends. I could feel that she was judging us as the types who might try to cause trouble for her or not be considerate campers. She did leave us alone though, and we didn’t see her come round to check on us or ‘enforce’ as she put it, the site rules.
Russell B.220 days ago
Liked: What’s not to like about a campsite that is surrounded by stunning views, has an abundance of wildlife and has plenty of walking routes, some at the end of a field? The main entrance features the toilet and shower facilities along with the kitchen and dining area. The showers are hot, and the kitchen area is well laid out and beautiful in presentation. It’s clear that a lot of love and energy has gone into and goes into keeping this lovely for all guests. The non electric pitches are in two fields close to Cole Mere (great for a stroll) and have a selection of pitches with hedges and trees that wrap around the entire plot. The fields are peaceful and the pitches are varied, some are sheltered, some exposed, others sloped but all have a view and a sunset that can be enjoyed. The owners have always been very friendly and welcoming whenever we have stayed and have lots of knowledge on things to do and places to go.
Disliked: Other Guests - it’s great to see this place getting busier and being enjoyed by so many. BUT, ask yourself this, Do you generally not clean up after yourselves? Do you need to listen to the radio all day? Do you sometimes ‘borrow’ things that are not yours? If you’ve answered yes to any of these questions, this site is not for you!
James F.281 days ago
Liked: - The location. It's proximity to the mere is fantastic, which I presume was the reason why this is popular with dog owners. - The owners were friendly and we got a warm welcome, and they made sure we were enjoying our stay, solving queries quickly - I had a very powerful shower which I even had to turn down, which was amazing for a camp site! - The hot tub at night was really nice, I liked that it was a wood fired one. It cost £45 but I can imagine with the cost of cleaning, maintaining, water and fuel, this is pretty reasonable. - Some friends who wanted to come on a different day were offered a pitch next to us, which was great. - We didn't use it, but there is a kitchen area with cups etc which you can borrow, also a fridge and microwave. We had all of our gear with us, but this is a great touch.
Disliked: - Going home was the main dislike!! - Perhaps a map of the pitches, or to be taken directly to the pitch. We arrived about 20:30 and were a bit knackered after work so we ended up slightly confused when pointed to a pitch. We did ring and ask and they helped us which was great!
Daniel S.281 days ago
Liked: Great location, lovely grounds and access to electric hook-up and water. Fantastic walks just metres away and other attractions a short drive away.
The communal space was amazing with access to kettle, microwave and toaster and plenty of room. The tables were great purpose built and made of solid wood and the sofas were very comfortable and inviting.
Would definitely visit again.
Disliked: There could be more points to wash up, this wasn't a major issue for us, but could see people queuing up in high season. I would have liked hooks for coats/bags in the toilets and more wash basins. Plus, showers seemed to flood regularly. Tip: use the unisex middle toilet/shower, it's ace.
Katherine W.312 days ago
Liked: This truly is a beautiful site, laid out in the grounds and surrounding fields of an attractive white timbered farmhouse. The pitches are large and spacious, flat and level. The facilities are spotless with plenty of hot water, it makes such a nice change not to have the water cut off after 30 seconds (as on most sites!) Or to be plunged into darkness when the light sensors activate. The addition of a covered lounge area with comfy sofas was also a lovely touch. All this and with direct access to a public footpath directly into heavenly dog walking country around the Mere itself. The owners were both friendly and helpful, even cutting back some of undergrowth so we could actually see the gate posts were to get off the camping field.
Disliked: The narrow access on and off the camping field. We had also booked and paid £33 per night for an electric grass touring pitch with water hook up. Upon arrival we discovered that someone was already on our pitch and so we ended up on what was clearly a tent pitch with no water hook up! No refund was offered for the additional amount we paid.
Cailean G.312 days ago
Liked: Dave and Ingrid were super friendly and helpful. The campsite and facilities were spotless. We were pitched next to our relatives on a suitably sized pitch for our large tipi tent. We had a great stay, plenty of things to do nearby and also wonderful for a relaxing stay. My partner is a keen astronomer and said this is a perfect spot for spotting night sky activity. Would highly recommend to anyone looking for a quiet, clean, relaxed campsite! Thanks for having us and being great hosts.
Disliked: Nothing, was all perfect, cannot fault!
Tracey H.1 year ago
Liked: We absolutely love this gem of a place. Such a friendly, helpful owner who takes pride in what he does. This is the second time staying at this wonderful site and we will most definitely be back again. Everything is to hand and we park overlooking the beautiful pond. There is a general calmness to this site that does not go unnoticed. The shower facilities and toilet, although we used our own for convenience, were spotless. The recreation room is fantastic, especially if you want to meet others. Don't know about WiFi as we use our own. Definitely dog friendly. If you want peace and relaxation this is for you.
Austin S.1 year ago
Liked: Fantastic stay here. Lovely site, very clean Unique with incredible wooden lodge, inside has 2 fridges, sink, microwave, toaster & TV Large outdoor hot tub, great wildlife Night sky is crystal clear Lucky to have met up with 2 other couples, had great social event in the lodge The general area is lovely, lots to see & do Ellesmere is a quaint village, some lovely pubs, cafes & restaurants The owner, Dave really welcoming host Definitely will return a couple of times during different seasons this year
Disliked: No Wi-Fi Very difficult to find No road signs After dark no lights
Disliked: The mosquito population was relentless. I left my van door open for half an hour while cooking and I’m not exaggerating when I say I had over 100 of them stuck in my pop roof by the time I was done. The only respite was to start a fire, but then it turned out this was one of those sites with a monopoly on fire pits and wood, so you weren’t allowed to bring your own. The fire guy comes round only once around 6-8pm and charges an extra £15 for something we could happily have done responsibly ourselves for nothing. It felt a bit too much after we had already spent £120 for a couple of vans and an awning to pitch up on just one spot for a couple of days. I have to give the owner a pass on this visit as she said her and her husband were not feeling well, and it was a busy weekend, but she seemed very anxious about upon meeting, if she’s not an anxious person then I’d have to assume it was because I was young and with two friends. I could feel that she was judging us as the types who might try to cause trouble for her or not be considerate campers. She did leave us alone though, and we didn’t see her come round to check on us or ‘enforce’ as she put it, the site rules.
Disliked: Other Guests - it’s great to see this place getting busier and being enjoyed by so many. BUT, ask yourself this, Do you generally not clean up after yourselves? Do you need to listen to the radio all day? Do you sometimes ‘borrow’ things that are not yours? If you’ve answered yes to any of these questions, this site is not for you!
- The owners were friendly and we got a warm welcome, and they made sure we were enjoying our stay, solving queries quickly
- I had a very powerful shower which I even had to turn down, which was amazing for a camp site!
- The hot tub at night was really nice, I liked that it was a wood fired one. It cost £45 but I can imagine with the cost of cleaning, maintaining, water and fuel, this is pretty reasonable.
- Some friends who wanted to come on a different day were offered a pitch next to us, which was great.
- We didn't use it, but there is a kitchen area with cups etc which you can borrow, also a fridge and microwave. We had all of our gear with us, but this is a great touch.
Disliked: - Going home was the main dislike!!
- Perhaps a map of the pitches, or to be taken directly to the pitch. We arrived about 20:30 and were a bit knackered after work so we ended up slightly confused when pointed to a pitch. We did ring and ask and they helped us which was great!
The communal space was amazing with access to kettle, microwave and toaster and plenty of room. The tables were great purpose built and made of solid wood and the sofas were very comfortable and inviting.
Would definitely visit again.
Disliked: There could be more points to wash up, this wasn't a major issue for us, but could see people queuing up in high season. I would have liked hooks for coats/bags in the toilets and more wash basins. Plus, showers seemed to flood regularly. Tip: use the unisex middle toilet/shower, it's ace.
The addition of a covered lounge area with comfy sofas was also a lovely touch.
All this and with direct access to a public footpath directly into heavenly dog walking country around the Mere itself.
The owners were both friendly and helpful, even cutting back some of undergrowth so we could actually see the gate posts were to get off the camping field.
Disliked: The narrow access on and off the camping field.
We had also booked and paid £33 per night for an electric grass touring pitch with water hook up. Upon arrival we discovered that someone was already on our pitch and so we ended up on what was clearly a tent pitch with no water hook up! No refund was offered for the additional amount we paid.
Disliked: Nothing, was all perfect, cannot fault!
This is the second time staying at this wonderful site and we will most definitely be back again.
Everything is to hand and we park overlooking the beautiful pond.
There is a general calmness to this site that does not go unnoticed.
The shower facilities and toilet, although we used our own for convenience, were spotless. The recreation room is fantastic, especially if you want to meet others.
Don't know about WiFi as we use our own. Definitely dog friendly.
If you want peace and relaxation this is for you.
Unique with incredible wooden lodge, inside has 2 fridges, sink, microwave, toaster & TV
Large outdoor hot tub, great wildlife
Night sky is crystal clear
Lucky to have met up with 2 other couples, had great social event in the lodge
The general area is lovely, lots to see & do
Ellesmere is a quaint village, some lovely pubs, cafes & restaurants
The owner, Dave really welcoming host
Definitely will return a couple of times during different seasons this year
Disliked: No Wi-Fi
Very difficult to find
No road signs
After dark no lights