Start Bay Club Campsite

Rated 4 of 5

Rated 5 of 5

Peace and quiet

Rated 5 of 5

Facilities and cleanliness

Rated 5 of 5

Location

Rated 5 of 5

Good for families

A warning to campervan and motorhome owners visiting South Hams

This is one of our favourite sites and we try to visit it every year. We love the South Hams which has lovely beaches and coastal walks. However, on our last visit in September 2022 we were unfortunate enough to get a parking ticket when we took our campervan to Strete Gate Car Park. We didn't see the notice stating "No motorhomes" until it was too late. It seems that due to misuse by some motorhome owners, Strete Gate, The Monument and the Tank Car Parks along Slapton Line have banned all motorhomes. This is a great shame as those of us who are resposible owners would always stay in proper sites and not park up overnight anywhere. The local council do allow motorhomes in some of their car parks, but these are miles from the beach. It means that anyone with reduced mobility bringing their motorhome to this area will not be able to enjoy a day by the sea unless the South Hams Council have had a change of heart!!!

1 reply

PatFrancis

Reviewed on 06/02/2023 17:33

2 reviews

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Rated 4 of 5

Peace and quiet

Rated 4 of 5

Facilities and cleanliness

Rated 3 of 5

Location

Rated 1 of 5

Good for families

Worst site for families

Stayed at this site over the summer, I would compare it to a retirement home. Kids scared to make a noise or enjoy themselves. My wife accidentally used the shower when it was suppose to be close for cleaning. A male warden entered the shower next to her cubical singing to make her feel uncomfortable. Wardens made a big deal of my wife speaking with a family member at the entrance of the site, telling them they need to move, the entrance wasn’t blocked and no one was leaving. Got waved at by a female warden for driving at 8 mph rather than 5mph, later that night the same female warden drove past our caravan faster than the speed I was driving at. Oppressive behaviour from wardens which did not make for a pleasant stay.

1 reply

ScreenName4F4014A83C

Caravanner

Reviewed on 07/09/2022 22:49

1 review

1 Helpful note

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Rated 4 of 5

Rated 5 of 5

Peace and quiet

Rated 4 of 5

Facilities and cleanliness

Rated 5 of 5

Location

Rated 5 of 5

Good for families

Great site!

Had a great family holiday and wish we were staying longer! Lovely site, friendly and helpful wardens and super clean facilities. Site nearly full and never queued once for a shower. Met so many guests who had returned year after year and totally understand why. I’m not sure we’ve ever been to a more friendly site, our children (9 and 7 years) have apparently had the best holiday ever, making lots of friends and enjoying the park and buying sweets from reception. Our kids and dogs loved Slapton Sands, Beesands and Stretegate beaches, also shopping in Kingsbridge and Salcombe. 10 days was not long enough-definitely on our list to return to again…

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ScreenNameF503435976

Caravanner

Reviewed on 22/08/2022 20:20

2 reviews

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Rated 4 of 5

Peace and quiet

Rated 3 of 5

Facilities and cleanliness

Rated 5 of 5

Location

Rated 4 of 5

Good for families

Good site, but small pitches and dated shower blocks

As the title really, the site is small and there is one shower and toilet block which could do with some updating but it was clean and the showers were hot. There are a few towns nearby to visit but the beach which is 15mins walk away is all shingle so no sandcastles. The staff are friendly, the only real problem was the road in, I chose one that looked quite big on Google Maps but ended up being caught in battles with buses and very narrow streets which is hard work when towing.

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Skattyskoo

Trailertenter

Reviewed on 13/08/2022 21:01

5 reviews

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Rated 4 of 5

Rated 3 of 5

Peace and quiet

Rated 3 of 5

Facilities and cleanliness

Rated 2 of 5

Location

Rated 1 of 5

Good for families

nice site but difficult roads

we stayed for three weeks and although the site was ok we found the roads from Kingsbridge very difficult. The site itself was very noisy due to the almost constant use of grass cutters and hedge cutters. We appreciate that the site must be maintained however the noise of the machinery every day was very intrusive. We found one warden in particular to be quite officious although the others were friendly. A lot of road noise. Lovely area to visit but we won't be returning to this site in the future.

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Craftawebb

Reviewed on 10/08/2022 14:00

3 reviews

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Rated 4 of 5

Rated 5 of 5

Peace and quiet

Rated 5 of 5

Facilities and cleanliness

Rated 5 of 5

Location

Rated 5 of 5

Good for families

Lovely quiet site

We are currently on this lovely site for 10 days The site is quiet small so appears busy but there are pitches tucked away in the corners if you want them The beach is a short walk away if you want it with shops a short distance away as well Few points to note for some Small site compared to others basic amenities so if your looking for serviced pitches and bells and whistles this aint the site for you The road in can be tricky and a novice tower will struggle I've driven artics for years its tight but do able Some of the pitches ain't level bring your blocks If your a TV lover you will just about get basic TV If your looking for peace and quiet and a place to route this lovely part of Devon this is the place

2 replies

Simon 3566

Caravanner from Wiltshire

Reviewed on 08/08/2022 10:37

8 reviews

1 Helpful note

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Rated 4 of 5

Peace and quiet

Rated 3 of 5

Facilities and cleanliness

Rated 3 of 5

Location

Rated 1 of 5

Good for families

Good site if you like peace and quiet

This is a fairly limited site with lovely views and a 15/20 min walk to the beach. The shower facilities are basic but spotlessly clean. I took my kids but wouldn’t go back with them as there is very little to do and no open space for ball games etc. there is a very small basic park for very small children. There is a pub a short distance away and although the food is good the prices are very, very high. A cheaper, more traditional pub, can be found in Start Bay and I highly recommend this place for service and price. As with a lot of these sites the shop is very basic with little provision. I may sound like I’m being picky but I feel the need to as I paid , I think, too much for the stay compared to other sites I have been to this summer that have offered a lot more. With the cost of living being so critical now the value of a stay is dissected more. One thing I will say is I cannot understand the issues some people have with the road getting to the site. It is not the highway from hell or anything like it!! It’s a normal road in Devon, it’s not even a country lane! There are plenty of stopping spaces and most speed limits are 30/40mph. Buses, lorries, vans etc all make it through very easily. Just take it slow and allow plenty of space when travelling behind people. The directions on the site on how to get there are perfect and there was no issue at all, even in heavy traffic that we experienced. Do not worry about the road.

1 reply

ScreenName18E1829E7A

Motorhomer

Reviewed on 04/08/2022 07:12

1 review

1 Helpful note

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Rated 4 of 5

Rated 5 of 5

Peace and quiet

Rated 5 of 5

Facilities and cleanliness

Rated 5 of 5

Location

Rated 5 of 5

Good for families

Very nice site

Great facilities. Cream tea in a bag available on site, very good. Quiet despite site being nearly full. Excellent fish and chips at Start bay inn. Roads around very busy, narrow and steep for cycling. Hilly for running. Nice paths around Slapton Ley. The road to tow in from Kingsbridge isn’t good but done it a couple of times now with small caravan behind Rangerover without a problem.

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ERIBAPUCKL

Reviewed on 03/08/2022 05:52

2 reviews

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Rated 4 of 5

Rated 5 of 5

Peace and quiet

Rated 5 of 5

Facilities and cleanliness

Rated 5 of 5

Location

Rated 3 of 5

Good for families

Good site to tour Devon

We read many of the reviews,the road from Kingsbridge to the site sounded like the road from hell,but with careful driving we found it not so bad,looking well ahead,expect the unexpected we drove in with little problem.Driving out we met a bus,large hgv but passed with mutual giving way. Follow route suggested is a good idea,luckily our truck,caravan sat nav followed this route anyway. On arrival we were met with very pleasant wardens,we opted for a grass pitch,yes it had a significant slope but the warden supplied extra blocks and we were soon level. The facilities were always clean,would not really say they were dated but could have done with shower stools and curtains . Salcombe and Dartmouth are well worth a visit as is Totnes,Dartmouth parking can be very busy so we opted for the park and ride,open top bus,it’s £5 to park and ride return,after 2pm it’s £3.So much easier than struggling to park.Local ,there is a farm shop,good pub in stockham The Church ,good Sunday lunch.Beach at Torcross is in walking distance or drive,a pub offering food etc pebble beach .Nice site ,we will be returning.

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salton

Reviewed on 25/07/2022 09:50

3 reviews

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Rated 4 of 5

Rated 5 of 5

Peace and quiet

Rated 5 of 5

Facilities and cleanliness

Rated 5 of 5

Location

Rated 4 of 5

Good for families

A very pleasant site

A very pleasant site , once you have traveled the final 6 miles along the highway from hell and arrived ,the site is well set out facilities are clean and tidy , not sure why people say they are dated , they are just not new but are fine ,they were kept clean and tidy you couldn’t wish for more , the site was busy but the facilities coped ok , the pitches are well maintained. The description by the club about the location is correct it is fine for visiting the locals areas by bus or car, it’s a little daunting on the narrow lanes . It’s a shame some of the clubs members do not adhere to the speed limits and seem to fly around even when towing the caravan around , the site was fine . Unfortunately we witnessed something we didn’t like was when a caravan left it’s pitch early one morning a camper vans residents put table and chairs on it so just after 1pm when new arrivals came in they drove past it for around an hour and then they moved when the friends they had been saving for arrived the table and chairs moved , if everyone did this it would give the site staff a problem when they tell new arrivals which pitches are free , he ho the site was fine.

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marmy46

Caravanner from Lancashire

Reviewed on 16/07/2022 18:00

7 reviews

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