Old Hartley Club Campsite
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We visit this site regularly so are very familiar. It is a great location with fantastic views from almost every pitch. If you are not familiar read up about site before visiting. Entrance is from direction of Deleval Arms Pub on a roundabout at Old Hartley. There is quite a steep slope throughout. Pitches are gravel patches surrounded by grass they are quite small but adequate. Best to park up and have a quick look at available pitches. You will need chocks for most of them. Site is quite exposed to wind being so close to Sea. On our last visit unusually due to the amount of rain the grass areas for access to and from pitches were badly churned up and care was needed when driving over the grass especially if going up the way. You can walk to Whitley Bay via coastal Path. Bus route is great as stated with buses every 15 mins going to Whitley Bay and Newcastle running till late at night. Great chip shop and cafe at Seaton Sluice along with 3 Pubs. Metro connections available from Whitley Bay town centre. Very popular so need to book in advance. Cycle paths great as well in both directions. St Marys Island Lighthouse is accessible at low tide so check times before proceeding. Spanish city in Whitley Bay great venue recently renovated.
Old hartley
Very pleasant and helpful wardens,very clean facilities,nice and quiet,good views,really good site,we will definitely go back again, thanks Brian and Tracey
Old Hartley
Another pleasant visit, nice pitch overlooking the sea but the usual slog up to the facilities, however didn't mind too much, it's such a good location! Pleased to see the broken tiles in the showers have been repaired. We had a nice Vietnamese meal at Omni in Whitley Bay, it was very busy early in the evening, luckily we'd booked a table. Also had a trip round Tynemouth, can remember when it was just fishing and shipping, now full of new homes and restaurants, very popular with everyone. Lots do all along this coast.
mature couple
Wonderful views. Very good public transport. Difficult to get off pitch with caravan after rain - slope and wet grass. Wardens very helpful.
Recommended by friends, will definitely return
Stayed here late August Bank Holiday Monday for two nights. Cracking views, glorious weather & a lovely warm welcome from the wardens.
Was a bit apprehensive, after reading some negative reviews regarding the "Hill", so was pleasantly surprised to find a gentle slope & a lot of relatively flat pitches. Ok, so the gravelled pitches are small & most are accessed over grass but certainly not the worst we've encountered.
True, the showers are dated & in need of some tic BUT the wardens ensured they were spotless, as was the pot wash facility.
The coastal path runs along the bottom edge of the site, great for dog walking.
Overall it's a lovely little site & it's likely to become our "go to short stay" location.
Lovely site but with problems
We have just returned from Old Hartley after an 11 night stay. The views are absolutely stunning and the site is really nice and quiet. Probably best for adults such as ourselves due to the lack of a play area for children. This was ideal for us as our two have now flown the nest and it was nice to stay on a peaceful site.
As others have mentioned there are a few downsides to this site. There is quite a slope on the site but not insurmountable for most people. Our main concerns were the toilet blocks and the pitches themselves. The toilet block was kept nice and clean by the wardens but it is crying out for an upgrade. The shower cubicles themselves are very small and only a contortionist could dry themselves off comfortably. My wife who has hip problems had a really hard time trying to get dry. We were also surprised that the disabled facilities were not unlocked during the time the main block was being cleaned.
Now I do take on board the comments from others who say if you don't like the facilities you could use those in your van However at just under £30 for 2 adults per night I would expect better. If we wanted to use the van's facilities all the time we would have chosen a site at half the price that didn't provide a toilet/shower block.
Now the pitches, which only have hardstanding where the caravan is situated and are surrounded by grass. We drove straight onto the pitch so that we could have a great view of the bay/lighthouse (as many others do) and had no problem However the same cannot be said when we tried to get off. The gravel is so deep that when I tried to reverse off onto the road the rear wheels of my 4x4 sank almost hub deep into the gravel. Luckily there was a space In front of us where a van had just left and I could get enough traction with the front wheels of the car on the grass to tow off this way. If there hadn't been that space it would have been a trip to the wardens to request their tractor to get us off. So Be Warned.
In all fairness when I mentioned this to the warden she did say that the site is due for an upgrade in the future. The sooner the better I say.
Please don't let my comments put you off staying at Old Hartley because the peace/quiet, view and easy bus travel makes up for the shortcomings (Number 308 every 15 mins from just round the corner gets you to Newcastle and back for just a £3.80 adult all day saver).
Site with a view
Such a good site. A favourite for us. It has its shortfalls ( unfortunately not refurbished for a while) Still worth a try. Excellent wardens, couldn’t speak more highly of them, really kind and helpful. Thank you Old Hartley for another stay !
Sorry not for me,
Great views from the site & was great to watch a sun rise from the east (as i stay on the west coast) but with the large slope & as i thought not large enough facilities on site for the amount of people there, its not a site we will return to, plus with the public car park next to the site the kid liked to drive up & down till gone late with their farty exhausts.It will suit many people but just not us Sorry...
You must see the Spanish City, in Whitley Bay
Very charming, if rather small site; but all the better for it. Delightful views from all elevations, of St Mary's Lighthouse and the sea and the lonely sky. Wow we had a lovely time on our way here, from Hartlepool on our way to Beadnell Bay CC&C. Thoroughly recommend this: if you're coming from the South, use the A19, via Tyne Tunnell; shortly after turn right on the Silverlink Roundabout, and take Coast Road. Within seconds you will see a fantastic Chinese Buffet Restaurant called MYShanghaie - it's great, and has a massive car park for any unit, towing or motorhome.
Carry on the Coast Rd, then take A193 and it takes you right to the Old Hartley site.
Enjoy!
Kevin and Denise Marwood
Kevmarwood
Reviewed on 02/08/2019 21:24