Gobur Carousel weekend- Woodlands, Sheringham

I first came across the Gobur Carousel Preview Open Weekend even before I had a Carousel folding caravan myself- I was spending the first weekend of October at Seacroft CC site near Cromer, Norfolk in 2007, and was intrigued to see quite a few Carousels on site- I spoke to the owners, and following their advice went to Melton Constable, where Gobur has its factory and showroom, learned about the Carousels, decided I wanted one myself, and the rest is history...

Each year, the first weekend in October, I have joined in the Gobur event, but have stayed at a Caravan Club site each time- until this year. The evening banquet is held at the Pinewood suite on the Woodlands caravan site, on the A148 near Sheringham, and the site is the base for the majority of Gobur owners attending the weekend. 

As with most privately owned sites, the basic unit is a caravan with two occupants plus ehu: the cost was £18 per night; there was a special offer of 4 nights for the price of 3, which I took up, so I paid £54 for four nights, which as a solo caravanner cost me £13.50 per night- not bad, but not 'cheap'. Of course, for a couple, and the majority of visitors were couples, the cost per person was therefore £6.75 per night, a real bargain in anyone's terms.

The facilities block was superb- spacious, modern and clean, with underfloor heating- a real luxury. The sink taps and shower controls were timed, but not so short-timed to be an annoyance. My usual point about no sink cubicles, only sinks in a long row in an open area, but there you are- I don't know what goes through site owners' heads when they plan a new facility. There was a good washing up/ laundry area. Considering that most of the caravans on site were Gobur Carousels, and many of these were models without a washroom, I thought that there would be queues for the toilets, sinks and showers, but I never had to queue- perhaps due to being an early riser.

The facilities block was, unsurprisingly, in the centre of the site- but strangely the path access was only from the upper side of the site: in front of the block was a garden with a tall brick wall which separated the block from the rubbish bins and grey water disposal area, but no gaps in the wall to allow people from the lower side of the site to enter the block area- they had to trek all the way round.

The site had a good reception, and efficient receptionist, and a little shop next door- newspapers were available without booking.

The biggest drawback, in my opinion, was that the site is all grass pitches- no hardstandings at all- and pitches are defined by very small concrete slabs (about 6in square) upon which your jockey wheel must sit, and vans must be positioned in parallel with those on other pitches nearby. The site is on a hillside, and slopes a little bit sideways as well as quite a lot forwards- not ideal for folding caravans, which are best  set up on flat and level pitches!

I arrived at midday on the Thursday, to find that retired folk and ‘old hands’ had arrived earlier in the week, and ‘bagged’ most of the less sloping pitches! I drove around, until I found a less sloping pitch- it had been left because it was under an oak tree! I decided there was nothing for it, I would have to take that pitch. My ‘reward’ was the sound of acorns banging on my roof as they fell off the tree, and an annoying morning when I got home cleaning the tree sap stains off the caravan roof!

As usual, on sites on the Cromer-Holt ridge in Norfolk, phone/wifi signals and television reception were problematic- now we have only digital television signals, it is no longer a case of a fuzzy but watchable tv picture as with analogue, but pixellation at best and no signal at all at worst, despite protestations by the broadcasters that they have made allowance for ‘one-off’ areas shielded by hills from the main transmitters- I beg to differ. Woodlands does not have tv booster sockets on the ehu pillars. When I set up the caravan, all my bits of television aerial/booster kit failed to ‘do the biz’. I was saved by the fact that at the Gobur showroom on preview weekend they have a caravan secondhand bits and pieces stall, and I was able to buy a Status 315 aerial complete with 12v booster box at a knockdown price, and this enabled me to get a picture on my Avtex television.  Strangely, when I switched on my table lamp which I have upgraded with an 18 LED bulb, the picture froze- the LED bulb must emit some kind of interference.

I enjoyed the stay, both the Carousel events, and also a day visiting Sheringham (the Mo Museum is well worth a visit) and going on the North Norfolk Railway’s superbly restored steam trains, plus walks at Sheringham Park and a visit to Felbrigg Hall. I visited the caravan shop at West Runton and treated myself to a Milenco aluminium level to ensure that I can have a level caravan even on sideways sloping pitches in the future.

However, the stay at this caravan site reinforced my firm opinion that, as a solo caravanner with a folding caravan, who prefers a bit of privacy in the facilities block, a high level of facilities and a chance of using a hardstanding pitch, for the per night charges I pay, the Caravan Club has by far the best facilities, at least on the sites I have visited.