Great Base for Off-Site Activities
Like many others we really struggled to get a white peg pitch at this site for any period that straddled a weekend. Encouraged by the sympathetic wardens, we kept ringing the site and we were lucky enough to benefit from a cancellation which allowed us a 10-day stay, in our caravan, in mid-June. Being a popular, site you are likely to have little choice between pitches. All are hard-standing, usually with a narrow strip of grass between neighbours and the site is pretty much surrounded by trees, providing shade whether you want it or not. The facilities block is new and in good condition, providing the standard Club fare, including showers with continuous running hot water (fantastic) and the obligatory attack of the cold, wet curtain (yuk!). The drying room was an absolute Godsend and the family/games room a welcome extra. As ever, the site and all facilities were maintained to a very high standard by the friendly wardens. The location is ideal for walking (and similar pursuits) with numerous trails emanating from Castleton which are well-documented on the internet. We were glad we printed a selection of routes, of varying ‘difficulty’ (we are back to 'easy' to 'moderate'), before leaving home because we were surprised that the on-site information room offered little in this respect. On our ‘break’ days, we enjoyed visits to various NT properties, including the excellent Quarry Bank Mill and Styal Estate (expensive for non-members); the town of Buxton; and the nearby village of Eyam (interesting history relating to the plague with fascinating low-cost museum). Castleton CMCS has a lot to offer as a base for off-site activities and our only disappointment was that the pitches were not really conducive to outdoor relaxation. Operating at or near capacity, sitting out, bbq, etc, had to take place on stone chippings within a few feet of neighbours and the site road, despite the alleged increase in pitch spacing. We summarised it as a ‘functional’ site, ideally located for, and designed to support, off-site activities. Its popularity reflects how well it delivers in this respect but there are probably ‘prettier’ sites in the Peak District. We would return (if we could get in) for a shorter, wholly activity-focussed stay.
