Hillhead Club Campsite
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Our first visit to Hillhead with friends, initially planned to go to the Dartmouth Music festival which had unfortunately changed dates due to the Kings Coronation, which we only became aware 3 weeks prior. The site is big and has a mixture of grass and hardstanding pitches all in nicely landscaped avenues and cul-de-sacs. There are also tent pitches. The grounds looked well cared for, and the facilities were good too and clean. Not sure how many wardens and staff worked at Hillhead, but there were quite a few if you include the bar staff and kitchen team. All the staff we came across were helpful and cheery, and put on a really good get together in the the onsite club and bar which included a glass of bubbly and a tasty free BBQ, whilst we watched the Coronation on the big screen in the club. The site was quite quiet for a bank holiday, probably put off by the awful weather (rain and hill mist every day except one during our stay) and staying at home for the Kings Coronation. We did have a nice meal in the bar on our last night, and on many nights there was entertainment too. Not sure if the swimming pool was open, but it looked a fair size. We would come back again, like this time out of season, as I can imagine how busy this site must be like with 250+ pitches full. Bus Stop at gates for buses into Kingswear, Brixham and Paignton help keep the site connected and a great National Trust house and garden at Coleton Fishacre is a great place to visit.
Great stay and hopefully readdressing some of bad press.
We had a great stay here in early May(not school holidays)
The site is great with an abundant choice of pitches.
The facilities were well kept and very clean.
The on-site shop is great for stocking up on basics and offered adequate choice.
We used the club house on a couple of occasions-very nice bar area and a choice of seating either in or outside depending on the weather.
Good that there is a designated dog area too.
My partner and the dog highly recommend the belly pork-excellent!!
We couldn’t fault this site and would definitely return but as said our visit wasn’t during the school holidays which might have been a different experience?
Forth stay at Christmas rally
Hillhead is perfect for a winter stay, quiet clean and well placed for visits. The staff were great and helpful. We have always enjoyed our stays and hopefully will return is the summer for a change.
Nice stay, slightly spoilt by loud inconsiderate behaviour
This is one of our favourite sites. This time we decided to move pitch to get away from a very loud and unpleasant family, swearing loudly and continuously. After moving, it was fine.
There are regular buses to Paignton, Brixham and Dartmouth (Kingswear).
If you don’t have a car with you, be prepared to use the bus - the local roads are too narrow, steep and busy for safe cycling.
Like many CAMC sites, there’s no pub or restaurant within easy walking distance, but the on-site bar and restaurant are pretty good (although not open every day during our stay).
There’s a lovely walk to Brixham, taking in part of the coastal footpath - recommended.
Great location, clean, and peaceful
A great site! Clean and well maintained. Friendly and helpful staff. Bus stop right outside the site. Will definitely be returning.
Don’t pitch up near play area.
I feel I’ve wasted £800 plus going here this August. I made the mistake of pitching near to the play area, pitch 239. All day screeching and screaming from feral kids and noise up until 11 pm. If you know the site you will know the Tardis toilets behind the play area. A tiny block of 2 wcs that was used as HQ for the kids manhunt games. They were swinging or thumping on the doors or playing with the windows.
Funniest moment was when I saw one of them hiding in the Chemical emptying point. I laughed about it to the warden who then realised why footprints were seen in the bowl. Every morning the Tardis looked like filthy French municipal toilets.
One day I watched a lad playing basketball in the CE point. His mother sat opposite on her pitch with her bottle of beer, and saw him but said nothing. I normally would have told him to clear off but I didn’t want to tangle with the aggressive looking mother. It got worse, when he’d finished his basketball he walked over to his van and was given a packet of crisps which he tucked into. I’m convinced he had never washed his hands. Also just after that we went down to Bingo and just after that the same boy came in and was running his hand around his coke glass. Beggars belief.
Another bunch of thugs turned up. I’m sure others will have seen the antics of the loud Welsh family who pitched near the office. In the pool they just took over and were so loud it was like a war zone .
When in the play area this particular family were so loud for 2 hours at a time it was unbearable. Again I didn’t say anything cos the dads look like big army infantry guys with a challenge me if you dare attitude. The young girl lifeguards seemed unable to say anything and I don’t blame them. There seemed never any support for them from site staff.
Site is now looking a bit tired after years of being the go to flagship place. Examples are the green moulds on the bar conservatory area, the tiles in the pool looking worn, the shower blocks looking a bit jaded. Also, never think it’s a 11-11 bar and restaurant. This week the bar was only opening at 4pm and no food Mondays or Tuesdays. Lack of staff was the cry but MCC still managed to charge us full fees.
The entertainment and staff were good but I just wonder what they must think of the thugs and feral kids they have to accommodate every August?
In all, my complete frustration at general lack of respect for anything from a lot of children and parents who are bringing up a rabble.
Fair play to the wardens turning early comers away before 1am. Everybody was warned. Over the years we have watched chancers turning up early grabbing the best pitches. Well done.
Good but not great
First time at Hillhead. Easy to find, welcoming staff. Amazing views. Appreciated the privacy. Really noisy people next to us. They were joined by even louder people who arrived at the site 8.30am.
Toilet blocks filthy. And that was soon after cleaning! Hilly but nothing our blocks couldn’t sort.
It was our first time away in school hols but all the kids were all well behaved.
Bar was really loud and expensive so didn’t use it. Overall not as great but still good. Would return.
Disappointed
Too cramped with pitches close to each other. Don’t dare get there even a few minutes before 1pm (we arrived 6 mins early and turned away). Toilets are cleaned well but people mess it up quick but I don’t think they are checked again. 2 flushes inoperable in gents, hand dryer difficulty keeping it on, the road leading to the site is narrow so beware if you have a large vehicle. Bar was nice and staff really good, food was nice. Pool looked nice but didn’t use it. Won’t go back sorry.
Great stay at a lovely site
Arrived after 1pm to a lovely friendly welcome but found driving around the site in our motorhome looking for an empty blue pitch a little frustrating & difficult to manoeuvre in many areas.
The site & grounds were clean & very well kept.
The showers were always powerful, hot and clean.
The toilet block was immaculate after the once a day cleaning but considering it was peak weeks I think more regular inspections were necessary.
The bus stop at the gate was convenient for towns, beaches and Dartmouth
The walks posted in the info room were helpful and pleasant as walking or cycling following sat nav was too dangerous on the narrow fast winding lanes.
Overall the site and staff was lovely. A great stay
Not quite as I expected......
We chose this site for the pool and the coast for our Granddaughter even though the West Country is not a favourite of ours to visit, considering we could be in Antwerp before we got to Hillhead. We were lateish in the day due to a blow out on a tyre, even after checking pressures, tread, van not overloaded but the staff were perfect, we booked in and found we could have an onsite tyre fitter sort us out. then....it all went down hill. We were told you have a choice of pitch 60 or pitch 60 which is a white peg with awning pitch. Well I have a 6.4m motorhome and getting on to that banked, tight pitch was terrible and other have said they also have trouble getting onto pitches. The staff did say "you can move in the morning after others have left"....well to be honest who really wants that. So our neighbours at our visit had van, awning, windbreak, other spare space the other side of their unit where all we had parked on the pitch marker was to be able to put out around 1/3 of out wind out awning.
Wandering around the site I saw many huge pitches with small campervans on them yet small pitches with bigger van's than mine on it. I can see that there really needs to be more control of pitches and unit size including the 2 pegs rule as I have seen many vanners moving pegs this year. The site in the main was okay, the pool wasn't as my granddaughter expected and she used it only once during our 6 days here. Toilet blocks had air dryers not working, no soap either but in defence of staff the soap was being pumped out by unattended children, sinks even left to fill also. Personally, I won't go here again and probably never go further west than the excellent Cheddar site but the rest of the network are much nicer to visit.
I hope the pitches can be levelled better, banks reduced in size, some sized to blue rather than white plus double pegged to stop "creep" of sizing
Big 5 star for the staff a 1 star for the site I'm afraid