Campsites closing at the end of the 2024 season

I’ve already said I’ve used it twice in the last 2 years.  I just hope a commercial outfit can take it over and keep it running. BTW there is no need to shout

I posted a link to this thread on one of the Facebook Groups, over 200 comments so far!

David

I think the writing was on the wall for these non facility sites when the club removed the USP of fixed Price for all of them. Once the bean counters started to charge per person and locality then they became more expensive than local CLs/CSs.

I shall miss them though. They were all quite unique in their own way and I well remember having difficulty in booking the site at Much Wenlock.

Not sure that redevelopment costs would have come into the equation as alluded to by DK as most of these sites were low maintenance compared to full fat sites. That was the beauty of them.

I wonder how long they'll persist with those that are left?

I also wonder when/if the club will close down "proper" sites that are underperforming. I was greatly surprised to find the Chester site less than 1/3rd full in July when I stopped for 1 night the other week. If it hadn't of been for Scottish school hols it would have been even less.

I’m always sorry to learn the club periodically closes sites. 

Ive not visited the sites mentioned apart from Nunnykirk and we spent a most enjoyable ten days there at the back end of 2021 at the start of September of that year. I realise there are lots of people wanting a toilet block and that’s not there at Nunnykirk so it was no hardship for us to use our own facilities.

But reducing numbers at the sites mentioned forcing closure? Can’t say I’m surprised that Nunnykirk is closing because when we stayed there, our caravan and one other were the only ones. In fact, for the last four days of our stay, we were the only ones on site! 

Sorry to see it go but that site, like all the others has overheads that can only be recouped if sufficient numbers of people use it. All in all, it’s a lovely site in a gorgeous setting so it’s sad it will soon be no more - unless TCCC take it on?

I spent a couple of nights at Chapel Lane midweek in September a few years ago. Big site and four wardens in residence - looking after 8 caravans on site. Even my limited business experience could see there was a potential financial black hole because of staffing costs.

The Club has a residential staffing model that I have never seen in any of the ten other countries I have toured with a caravan. Everywhere else employs day time,  part time staff as and only when they are needed.

so I am not surprised the current managers at head office are now grappling with costs. 

These sites account for less than 1% of all club pitches and I suspect there are CLs near to them?  

It  appears, looking in the Site Directory, and from memory, that there are in fact few CLs close to most of those Club sites. As LLM  says it is their differences from the standard car park format of many of the larger full facility sites that make them much more pleasant to stay on in my opinion. We will greatly miss having the ability of using those sites, all of which we have used in the past. Some are regularly saying that the club membership is all inclusive, which it obviously isn't in this case. What they mean is that it only applies to those with deep pockets.

I was at Gwern-y-Bwlch in May this year and the cost was under £15/night.  The cheapest CL in close proximity was £23/night, so for me it was a no brainer to use the club site 

This is a very much off the wall idea and I'm not sure how it could be worked but rather than closing these small sites, could the club not instigate a system similar to what the YHA used to do many years ago? And that was as part of your stay you had to carry out a menial task. This could be helping to empty the rubbish bins keep the grounds tidy etc . It would just be for , say, an hour on one day of a stay and would be completely voluntary, no compulsion.

I know that there will be screams of HEALTH AND SAFETY and INSURANCE but in that respect I think the world has gone slightly mad. Where there is a will there is a way. Local councils wouldn't, at one time, allow "the public" to help keep parks etc tidy by litter picking. Now many of them not only applaud the public's involvement but also supply the necessary equipment. I, for one, would be quite happy to give an hour of my time, especially if I was on the site for a few days if it meant that these non-carpark sites could remain open.

Of these I have only stayed at Gwern y Bwlch which I think was something really special with hardstanding and hookup. Whenever we go to Wales we can go go this way for the peace of the location. We only need hardstanding and hookup with our motorhome.  I think the Club has made some errors with pricing as even for us as a couple private adult only sites and CLs are now preferable. We will maintain our membership for access to CLs and some Clubsitezout of season. Bristol and Crystal Palace losing without replacements are also a great loss

Well that's your view of course not a fact but it is certainly the case NTF that the club are all inclusive, and your use of deep pockets appears to imply club sites are some sort of luxury item that only a few can afford but let me inject some reality here.

A few sites with pools, bars, or close to a city will naturally have higher costs but a for standard site (I've looked at ten sites I've used) with a HS and for a couple comes in about £33-£39 in July and August while off peak from September onwards it's £30 - £35. I always think of Ferry meadows as a 'standard' site and that tops at £33 in peak at the moment. One of my favorite sites Garlieston where we stayed last August is £33 peak but drops to £24 (which some CLs go to I believe) off peak. So really deep pockets - really in my view no.

And of course what people mean is they'd rather spend the money somewhere else and not that they really can't afford club sites or need deep pockets. As I've posted if someone has an outfit already with all the extra money needed for insurance, MOTs, fuel... well you know the rest.

They may well indeed be more pleasant to stay on for you but the facts are very few find that and hence the reason given for closure. If they popular and paid their way they wouldn't be.

Some people join the club to use CLs - win these closures won't bother them?

Others join to use club sites, I can't get my head around if they then find they then need deep pockets, (actually why didn't they check before joining?) why do they stay members of the club? The re-rejoining rate is the highest ever and after all there are are cheaper and better sites out there? Membership of the club is not something that people have to do. But once joined anyone can access the services and club sites inclusively.