High Onn, is it closing

I agree that the club seems to run with a notion that no one needs to know until it’s a done-deal ! The re-branding to CAMC springs to mind! 🤷‍♀️ Again, a mushroom existence (or arrogance) that paying members are not informed 🙄

It may also be a problem of finding people willing to live out there in that location and staff it in the traditional Club way as resident wardens. 

I have only been to High Onn once - 7 years ago. The review I wrote at the time is positively glowing. Because of its remoteness, I would not stay there long, being in a motorhome, but it is better than many remote sites because the cycling is very good with mainly flat ground on quiet, narrow lanes (and on cycle route 55 following an old LNWR railway) and lots of points of interest including the Shropshire Canal, the airfield and its fascinating history and many interesting villages and other hidden gems.

The thing I really disliked was the very narrow lanes in getting to reach it. I described this as "nerve-jangling" in my review.

A combination of remoteness and the narrow lanes put me off returning quite honestly, but I regret that now because I feel I have contributed to the closure of a lovely, peaceful site - assuming closure is what is going to happen.

Hi GJ

You mention the narrow lanes. Do you know if they are worse than the narrow lanes on the way to Borrowdale or Coniston?

Hi vbfg

I am sorry, I really could not say as I have not been to either of those two sites. I am not a lover of the Lakes, but I have been to the region in my car, once only, and I remember being very nervous of some roads, especially on hill sides where I felt that oncoming vehicles could easily push me off the side! But, in truth I really don't know. I suppose I ought to admit that I get nervous easily when driving on narrow lanes. It has always been something of an Achilles heel for me - especially in my van. 

You'll see in DK's post above that someone he knows actually abandoned going to High Onn, because of the lanes, so that tells a bit of a story I think.  

In my review of High Onn I said this about the lanes:

The “official” route to the site is challenging with a very few muddy, improvised passing places. Contrary to other reviewers who saw this as “no problem”, it made me nervous. I met a concrete mixer lorry; its driver kindly reversed some distance to let me through. Two tuggers meeting head on would be an issue ......... For a two or three night stay this site is close to perfect with, for me, just the nerve-jangling approach the only real negative.

As I recall, the lanes are narrow but not too twisty. I think we did it in our coachbuilt MH but can't really be sure now which van it was. The lanes were quiet though and we never met any oncoming traffic. I've visited CLs with far worse access. 

I think a lot of folks worry about approach lanes, and it puts them off such lovely places. Marazion is another case in point, yet we have seen some enormous outfits on there. I think it’s possibly another reason why a lot of folks don’t do CLs either. Such places are a bit easier with a motorhome or camper of course, but we got our caravan into some tricky locations, back when we used to tow. 

Yes, some are confident about narrow lanes and are bullish about it; I get that and I also get that those kind of drivers will get their outfit through almost no matter what.

I have admitted (above) that narrow lanes make me nervous so, if I start with that mid-set, I am much more likely to be put off when I encounter them and especially when I get into difficulty, like meeting the cement mixer lorry on my way to High Onn. The driver of that lorry was very kind and helped me out. He had to reverse some distance. If it had been a more aggressive driver, I might have given up like DK's neighbour (though he was navigating a pretty big rig).  

If I infer from your post that I shouldn't worry, it won't help me sadly.  

Also I would not want my comment about the narrow lanes to take over this thread. High Onn is a lovely site and the club have no control over the lanes. I shall be sorry to see it go and, I repeat, I regret not having felt able to revisit. I doubt the narrow lanes are much of a factor in its demise - if demise it is to be.   

Thank you GJ, TW and TDA for the replies regarding the narrow lanes. High Onn has always been on my bucket list for a visit as I have been in that area on a number of occasions on a narrowboat, so I had better get my skates on if I want to make a visit, in view of the recent sad news about its closure.  Personally, I have always been far more nervous when driving along the narrow, motorway lanes, where they are converting to "smart" motorways, alongside a huge lorry, than I am on a narrow road as at least with the latter, you can see a vehicle coming toward you and can slow down.

Yes it is run by volunteers,  also assistance from Maragowan site.