CAMpRA and the National Trust

I think your missing the point TW. Currently they are providing almost free one night accommodation, but only if you aren’t a member of the National Trust. 

I don’t think the NT understands the concept of a MH overnight park up, that’s all. Drive in, find a safe space, go to sleep. Breakfast and up and off next morning. No emptying or filling, no leaving litter, that’s done elsewhere on a Site. We have done exactly this for £2 per night, happy to do same for £10 per night in forestry car car parks up in Northumberland.

Cragside would be an ideal NT overnight park up. £5 to park overnight in huge car park, no access to rest of property. Get up, then “do” Cragside, either on a Membership card, or pay non Member rate.🤷‍♀️ Move on, Alnwick Castle Car Park, repeat. Find a Site or CL, do the chores next day, day on the beach, overnight rate in big car park at Bamburgh, look around Castle, on to another Site or CL. And so on...... We could do it illegally if we wanted, we know enough quiet out of the way places in Northumberland to enable us to tour for next to nothing. But we don’t, because we don’t want lumping with the tiny minority that don’t show enough care and consideration to the local environment and communities. Happy to pay something for just a safe bit of legalised space, and abide by the rules. But not happy to be exploited.

Am I? I don't think so. Euro's post and mine are more about attitude than NT specific. This NT discussion is just one example of the points we made.

Perhaps as ET and TW haven't used the wonderful aires system in Europe, where providers (local communities) and customers (MHs) share a win, win arrangement, they are missing the point...

the surge in van ownership, along with the constrained travel for those who usually go abroad, has meant an over demand for pitches/spaces, in fact impacting on those Club members in 'getting a pitch'...

with the ratio of Campervans/MHs getting ever higher, then perhaps it is time to focus attention a bit more on the needs of those rather than exclusively pushing sites...(a far more expensive form of provision).

a few more vans on (existing) lesser facs 'areas' at an appropriate fee, would relieve the bottleneck currently being experienced at regular sites everywhere.

some organisations are beginning to understand the differences and helping to build that extra provision...

Nope, not missing the point at all. I don’t care what superbly wonderful systems you enjoy overthere - this about the UK and, specifically, the NT.

I've stated my view and, unlike some, see no point in repeating myself ad infinitum.

TW said.

Am I? I don't think so. Euro's post and mine are more about attitude than NT specific. This NT discussion is just one example of the points we made.

Nope, not missing the point at all. I don’t care what superbly wonderful systems you enjoy overthere - this about the UK and, specifically, the NT.

You can’t have it both ways TW. Is it, or is it not about the NT. Whatever, one in escapable fact is that a non member couple  visiting Stourhead only pay £2 for a nights stay including EHU.

Whilst I agree that the NT shouldn't provide those facilities for a nominal fee they do in the case being discussed seem to have come up with a strange charging system. Whilst not a member of the NT I could understand members not being happy with the price charged for the reasons explained by Steve. Whilst staying just one night as a non member is not bad value but as soon as you stay two the price becomes excessive which would put me off. It would seem fairer to charge (as they used to) £20 a night and then non members would pay the entry fee but members would get in free. At £20 a night across their network of suitable properties they would soon recover the small investment needed to supply water, drainage and chemical disposal. Even EHU could be optional? Some might think that because the car parks are already there and with no facilities what so ever a modest fee might be more appropriate so when talking about cost per night we have to be sure what people are expecting, perhaps £10 a night with no facilities but £20 with? Also don't forget if, as in the case of Stourhead, it is a CL so can be used by both caravans and motorhomes. 

I suggested a while back in a thread about the shrinking number of CL's that the Club should engage with the likes of the NT and EH to suggest they set up CL's but it seems another organisation has taken the initiative which might be good for motorhomers might not be so good for caravanners? The demographic of campers is changing and so is their expectations on the provision of where they camp. Better it is organised than not.

David