Southlands IOW

I think Southlands is a two couple run site ,which would only have one couple on duty to carry out the work for possibly 4days of the week ,which will throw up problems with arrivals,

We booked the site and crossing from Portsmouth through the Club and it was very reasonable although we had to juggle pitch types to get the 4 days we wanted. Went to a CL first then turned up at Southlands. Didn’t like the location of the serviced pitches but there was plenty of space despite the site being apparently full when we were trying to book. All rather strange.

Be aware that if you turn up for an earlier return ferry at Fishbourne and there is no space you will be turned away with nowhere to park and wait.

I am still searching for the perfect site in the IOW with easy, level, access to public transport,

Have you checked out the Orchards David, bus stop outside the entrance. It used to be a Club site.

ppeedee

Peedee

We did stay there many years ago with the boys when it was an affiliated site. I would prefer somewhere over the other side of the Island. We really liked Waverley Park in East Cowes but its just such a drag uphill to the site if you are walking, although you can probably walk through the estate opposite to the Newport road? Last year we hired a car but found that expensive for the use we got out of it.

David

This one o'clock arrival and not letting anyone in before has become the normal this year. It is causing all sorts of problems and frankly is doing the club no favours. We were told by one set of wardens that the club said it was what members said they wanted, we have been member for nearly 45years and have never been asked what we wanted. It has made us decide that far from being a club designed for touring caravaners it is just out to make money. We never asked for seasonal pitches or cabins on site, neither did we ask to be turned away if arriving ten or fifteen minutes early. We are seriously considering our membership as we think the club has lost the plot. 

The CCC have the same arrival times and cabins on sites also seasonal pitches are normally.only on sites with low pitch take up throughout the seasons,to try to make the site a viable proposition to keep open

13.00 arrival time should mean just that, 13.00 arrival time.  Southlands should be an exception because of where it is and the fact that you need to catch a ferry to get to it.  There is nothing more annoying that getting to a site at 13.00 or just after to find everyone else who got there before 13.00 has been allowed in..

The only problems a 13.00 arrival time causes is for the people who get there before the time!  I don't have a problem with it and, if you do there is a simple answer - don't get there before the stated arrival time!

As previously stated, the wardens had the arrivals down to a tee.

Southland is situated on a narrow road which is also a bus route so queues naturally cause a problem. We have paid £161 for an 11am crossing on a Saturday with a return on a Wednesday at 9.30am with Red Funnel. This means we will need to travel the long way round via Ryde to use up the time until after 1pm costing more for fuel. The booking was made many months ago so I phoned the site to find out what the situation is and was told that a 1pm arrival is mandatory now.

The CAMC is advising people to park up in a coach park in Newport....where they obviously haven't been, as it is the worst lay out for traffic and if you don't know your way around in a car, never mind towing, it's a nightmare.

We have been going to Southland for 11 years but will seriously re-think for next summer.

I somehow doubt that anyone has been asked directly whether they want 1.00pm arrivals, like you I certainly haven't. It seems to me that the Club does a lot of "silent" listening to what members say. So imagine a situation where people complain in reviews or on social media about people arriving early and the imagined impact that has on someone arriving later not having the choice of pitches. So when people complain about such things they need to be careful what they wish for. If I were a cynical person () sometimes these changes in policy also suit the Club in its management of sites. So you can imagine a situation where the Club want a certain arrival time but find it easier to justify to members by pointing out that many members complain about people arriving early. All clever stuff!

I tend to agree with mbee1 about Southlands as I think it has special circumstances that most sites don't have. I very much doubt people turn up at that site on spec so the site have a clear idea of how many people are arriving on any one day. There are difficulties of finding suitable parking places in which to wait, especially for caravanners. I keep a regular eye on what is posted on Club Members Facebook pages and the situation at Southlands is causing a great deal of upset to say the least. Lets hope the Club is doing some silent listening!

David

We've stayed there with our small motorhome so no problems finding a car park en route. For caravanners this is too much to ask. Ferries can only take a limited amount of vans on each trip (and there is a big demand for other sites too) so it can't be expected that vans can all arrive straight from the ferry at a set time. I think it's one of those sites where flexibility is needed, rather like the Scottish Island sites which adapt to customer needs.