Caravan sites opening and safety measures feedback

We have just returned from a 17 day 'tour' of the SW, our maiden voyage so to speak, stayed at Haycraft, Steamer Quay, Looe, Merrose Farm (Curgurrell Farm Shop a must for seafood), Trewethett Farm & Willingcott.

Measures in place differed from one to the other but folk were abiding by the new rules...... well they'd be new to most but not us.... & accepting that this is how it is.....

ALL toilet blocks were open with limited numbers allowed. We used our facilities for the most part, showering late at night when quiet.

Used dishwashing facilities occassionally if we'd had a fry up or bbq, these were limited to 1 family.

Hope this helps!

We were neighbours then.  On pitch 20 behind you and to the left opposite the service area.  There was a dinky little teardrop caravan parked next to us Monday night - very cute.

I saw the tear drop leave .... very cute but not for us ... not enough room 

We spent 3 nights at Buxton Last week.  The email I received stated arrivals from 12 noon. Before we set out, I check on the CAMC site app and it said arrivals from 12. (The app is till reporting arrivals from 12:00). So we arrived at around 12:15 to see a queue of vans in front of us and started to build up behind us. We got out (as did most others) and walked to the office only to see "Arrivals 1pm" chalked on the board. None of us that arrived were aware of this so obviously a communications problem here. The problem here was that lots of people were needlessly congregating around the site office, increasing the chance of spreading Covid? The same thing happened every day that we were there.

The only other issue was regarding the distribution of the "wristbands". These were issued by a warden without any PPE (mask, gloves etc) walking along the line of waiting vans handing the bands through the windows , clearly breaching the 2m rule and potentially spreading infection to everyone on the site.

We didn't use the toilets or showers, preferring to use our own but apart from the issues above, everything else felt very well organized and we felt very safe. Other members walking around site seemed to respect social distances.

According to the email I got from the Club this is the link to follow https://www.caravanclub.co.uk/uk-holidays/reopening-our-campsites/latest-information/ It is all a bit confusing because it was suggested on here that all sites were operating a 13.00 arrival time which clearly not the case. However for Buxton it does say 13.00 arrival.

David

The App which the poster consulted does still say 12:00. They really do need to get things together.

Just got back from 4 nights at Members only Henley Four Oaks Club site, Thurs – Mon. This very pleasant and green site was full at around 75 vans. The wardens were very, friendly, helpful and engaging keeping the site and the sole toilet block clean and sanitised during this current Coronavirus pandemic. This was very reassuring and we felt safe throughout our stay.

For those interested in how the site toilet block worked I'll first describe the building so you get an understanding. One door in to each section. In the gents there are 4 toilet cubicles with only 2 being used to keep a 2m distance. This meant that only 2 showers and 2 privacy cubicles were open as well as 1 urinal. The ladies had 5 or 6 toilet cubicles so this allowed for 3 to be in use and hence 3 showers and privacy cubicles.

The correct number of rubber wrist bands were in a small pot outside the door filled with Milton fluid & you collected the band when entering and replaced when leaving. So only 2 in the gents and 3 in the ladies, although I am certain on occasions some additional members entered to use the toilets in both blocks when they were available as those inside with the wrist bands were in the shower. There were clear instructions and hand sanitizing gel outside as well as distance spacing markers on the ground. Although we didn't use the laundry or pot washing area there was only 1 person/van allowed inside each at any one time. They were cleaned twice a day at 1030 and I think 1630.

I felt that it was used by many more members than I had anticipated, but I only ever queued twice for about 10 minutes on 2 occasions at 0730 time each day. My wife's experience was similar. I did see larger queues of around 6 deep a little later on in the morning but these went down quickly with the majority going to the toilet. One member I met returned and showered in his caravan after finding a large queue on morning. I also found  two young brothers in there one morning, using the two bands, but one was just waiting for the other to finish rather than coming outside despite me being there queuing.

Given the restrictions, beyond the Warden’s control, it seemed to work pretty well. There are no serviced pitches here so that may have added to the numbers using the facilities but all aspects of the facilities were being used by some members and larger families washing the pots etc. Some members were using it just like they normally would such as going across to brush their teeth etc.

At the end of the day everyone is different and all have the right to use the facilities as they wished to. Overall we were very pleased for our first outing after the lockdown being eased and we never heard any grumbling. 

Hope this assists those that wanted to know exactly what was happening. I know I was keen to find out, hence my visiting the forum for the first time on this topic in about 2 years. The forum is important for such things so long as they don't get kidnapped

Just to add to the feedback about opening times.

We arrived at Ashridge Farm a week ago, arriving at dead on 1200 as this is what the site page states on the website. There were 2 outfits in front of us. There then ensued a traffic nightmare as others outfits tried to either leave the site or return to storage. One motorhome who didnt want to wait for the queue to move forward drove down the side of the outfits waiting to be booked in. Ended up in total gridlock.

The relief wardens did their best to book people in as quickly as possible.

The full time wardens returned a few days later and put out a sign saying that arrival time was 1300.

Yesterday (Sunday) as we sat and watched, outfits began arriving at just past 1200. The queue stretched out of the entrance gate and into the approach road. The office was closed at this time.

The wardens arrived about 1250 and started to book people in. As the queue moved forward we counted 13 outfits coming in. The queue must have stretched back along the approach road onto the main road into Ashwell village. Total chaos.

Cheers

V70Ranger

This page has been updated since last week when Buxton and the Wirral (which we are due to visit next week) were not showing the 1pm arrival, so at least that error has now been corrected. Both sites still show 12:00 arrival on the CAMC site app (Android version). I did mention this to the warden when we checked in when I apologized and explained why we were all early but they didn't seem very interested.

We are off to Club site soon and have just had our booking reminder email. That says arrivals from 13.00 but the link I put up thread (sent to my by the Club) still suggests I can arrive by midday!!! Clearly different parts of the Club using different hymn sheets!!!!!

David