I booked this stay on bank holiday weekend, shortly before I left my house, so approximately 2 hours before arrival. Unlike many sites on Pitchup, the only option was to pay in full, before arrival... this should have been an alarm bell in hindsight. The reviews on Pitchup seemed ok so I went for it. I use Pitchup 6-8 times per year and have never before had negative feedback to give. I booked for a folding camper van with electric and sent the dimensions of my unit to the site.
Upon arrival, there was nobody around to speak to. The site was very small (an orchard in next to a back garden) I called a mobile number I was sent and nobody answered. I called a landline number and was told to pitch in one of three pitches. I looked at these and none of them were big enough for my unit. I walked around the site and again couldn't find anyone. The toilet and shower facilities were dirty rather than just basic and surrounded in debris. The showers were also £1 which is a lot on top of already expensive fees. I was camping for four days with three children and a dog and started to think this was not the place to be. A young man then came out and I asked him whether I could have a larger pitch. The man directed me to a smaller pitch with an overhanging tree where I couldn't have opened up the camper as there was no space. I told him this and he said 'it is what it is'. He also said that the electric points on the side of the filed where I had initially been sent to were not working...glad I didn't get set up there to find that out later then!
There was also no space around the pitches I'd been offered and those who were already there were very close together indeed. The images on Pitchup were of large open fields which I can only think are surrounding fields as there was no space on the site for kids to play or to reasonably be able to keep a dog. There was also a very large group of just young men pitched in one corner of the site and it was very close to both the carpark of an abandoned pub (the pub that was advertised as the nearby pizzeria) and so close to the a road that it was all you could hear.
I didn't feel safe- there was clearly nobody around watching comings and goings. I tried then to call repeatedly for over half an hour to speak to the owner/manager about a different pitch. It was getting late and I had to make a decision. I decided to cancel the pitch. Having only booked a couple of hours before and finding that the site was not as advertised and that it did not feel like a safe, family site, I'd have expected at least a partial refund. The fees for the site were not cheap- £170 for 4 nights. Part of this included a whopping £10 per night electricity fee as well as extra charges for the children. The owner deigned to get in touch with me two days after I had asked for a refund and called me unreasonable and suggested that it was my fault because I could have asked for another pitch. He knew full well that I had tried in vain to contact him many many times before leaving the site. I suggested that he send a partial refund for only the second night onwards or that he refund only the amount I had been charged for electricity- which I had not used. He refused.
I had found a beautiful, cheaper, safer and well- equipped site only 8 minutes away (Beech Croft Farm). Loads of safe space, peaceful and clean. The owners need to take a leaf out of their books- I spent £5 in total for five days worth of electricity here and nearly £15 per night less
One of these places where they want to bring in the money but not lay out on the upkeep. I wish I'd seen more honest reviews on Pitchup but if you want to read the real opinions of others, there are lots and lots on google... if I was desperate and on my own, I could bring myself to do a one night stopover here but it certainly didn't feel like a holiday location- more of a motorway stopover; pass through and shake the dust from your feet on the way out!
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Sorry about your experince when you booked it seems you never read
it says very clearly
CARAVAN/TIN TENT
We have made it very clear we have removed gas cooker and bathroom due to continuous damage by few guests
Firstly I accept kettle was not working and was replaced immediately
Bedding was provided by 7pm and not grudgingly it goes dark 1030pm
On discription we have clearly made it clear gas and bathroom have been removed and bathroom facilities to be used In shower block
We were available all the time I have message of you saying you going out for the day other things being said are nonsense and exaggerated
like some people do out of hatred and jealousy
Our campsite is small basic clean and tidy it's lovely lots of reviews confirm that