Alderford Lake

Liked The lake was beautiful.

The inflatable aquapark was great fun and well priced.

Great place to wild swim, kayak and paddle board.

The bell tent was a great size and the outdoor space was good with a picnic bench per bell tent.

Would definitely return to the lake for a day.

Disliked The campsite toilets were disgusting, whilst relatively clean they smelt like festival toilets. My nephew was physically sick due to the smell.

The campsite is located too close to a very busy and noisy A road it is impossible to sleep throughout the night. The campsite would have been better situated where the car park was and the car park next to the loud road. Whilst you can't hear the road much during the day it's very apparent when the lake closes, (which is early) and the place is no longer buzzing with people.

The lake closes far too early - closes at 16:30. We were experiencing a heatwave in the May school holidays and having to leave the lake so early was frustrating. Should consider opening until 18:30 especially during school holidays and when the weather is good.

Due to the park being located on the lake site it is not accessible to campers when the lake closes.

Better to take your own kayak/paddle board as 50min rentals aren't long enough slots.

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From the manager: Thank you for your detailed review, Stuart. We’re really pleased to hear you enjoyed the lake itself and made the most of the activities, and that you found the bell tent spacious with a good outdoor set up. It’s great to hear you’d return for a day visit.

As this was only our second opening weekend for camping, we really appreciate you taking the time to provide such detailed feedback. We recognise the comments raised regarding the toilet facilities and have already begun making improvements following feedback from opening weekends, including additional servicing and facility upgrades.

We also appreciate your comments regarding road noise. Whilst the location itself isn’t something we can change, feedback like this is helpful for future planning and setting expectations for guests.

Thank you as well for your suggestions around lake opening times, access to facilities after closing and activity hire durations. Guest feedback like yours is incredibly valuable as we continue developing the camping experience alongside the lake offering.

Thank you again for visiting and we hope to welcome you back for another day by the lake soon.

Liked The lake was spectacular

Disliked The toilets absolutely stank and the road so close behind was so so noisy

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From the manager: Thank you for your review. We’re pleased to hear you enjoyed the lake and found it spectacular.

As this was our very first opening weekend for camping, we know there are areas that need refining and we appreciate you sharing your feedback. We’ve already taken steps to improve the toilet facilities and servicing schedule following guest comments from opening weekend.

We also appreciate your comments regarding road noise. Whilst this isn’t something we can directly control, it’s useful feedback for future guests when choosing the setting that suits them best.

Thank you again for taking the time to share your experience.

Liked We stayed over night at Alderford lake. The tent was spacious, beds comfortable. Really enjoyed the set up with a camp fire in the middle. Separate toilets and shower with small kitchen area.
I am a regular user of Alderford lake and hold a membership, this is a fabulous addition to the site.

Disliked On arrival, set up and went on to the lake for an hour, unfortunately we paid full price for admission. We raised this in the morning and was given free access to the lake for the day. The staff are amazing and do resolve your problems. Just something to be aware off when arriving late on.

The showers weren’t working in the morning and the toilets had a bad smell about them (but maybe that’s part of camping) Could be mindful of more toilet rolls in each toilet and a mirror in the shower cubicles.

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From the manager: Thank you for your lovely review, Tash. We’re so pleased to hear you enjoyed your overnight stay and found the bell tent spacious and comfortable. It’s great to know you enjoyed the campfire set up and, as a regular lake visitor and member, it means a lot to hear that camping feels like a great addition to the site.

Thank you as well for mentioning the team and recognising how they helped resolve the lake access issue for you. We’ll make sure that feedback is shared.

As this was our very first opening weekend for camping, we really appreciate your feedback regarding the showers, toilet facilities, stocking levels and adding mirrors in the shower cubicles. We’re already making improvements following guest feedback and comments like yours really help us shape the experience going forward.

Thank you again for staying with us and we look forward to welcoming you back again soon.

Liked Large pitches
Close to lake and activities
Good location
Very basic at the min
If the washing and toilet facilities were improved would return

Disliked -Toilet and washing facilities are very poor for price - if site was fully booked unsure how 3 female toilets and 3 male would cope
-could not control shower temp and found it very hot during the heatwave with little ventilation so was very uncomfortable
- no area to wash face, teeth or hands etc
-luckily staff was on site to discuss showers which were not working after closing but had tried number first which did not work - luckily staff members still on site
-no real check in and during extreme busy periods day visits parked in camping bit(secure for tent?)

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From the manager: Thank you for your review, Kate. We’re pleased to hear you enjoyed the spacious pitches, the location and being so close to the lake and activities.

As this was our very first opening period for camping, we really appreciate you taking the time to provide such detailed and constructive feedback. Your comments regarding toilets, washing facilities, shower temperature and dedicated wash areas have all been taken on board and improvements are already being implemented as we continue developing the campsite facilities.

Thank you as well for highlighting the contact number and check in experience. We’re reviewing guest communications and site processes to make arrival and support clearer and smoother going forward.

Regarding parking, day visitors should not be parking within camping areas and we’ll continue reviewing how this is managed during busier periods to ensure campers feel comfortable and secure on site.

Thank you again for your feedback and we hope to welcome you back again in the future to see how the site develops.

Liked Pitch sizes were great
Camping field was great
Location next to lake was great

Disliked Only 1 sink.
The smell from the toilets was horrendous
Had to pay each day to use the lake so a really expensive trip for a very very basic site.

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From the manager: Thank you for your feedback, Catherine. We’re pleased to hear you enjoyed the spacious pitches, camping field and lakeside location, and we appreciate you taking the time to share such detailed comments following your stay.

As this is a newly opened campsite, we know there are areas that require improvement and your feedback has been genuinely helpful. We fully recognise the concerns raised regarding the toilet facilities, washing-up provision, site security and communication, including the contact number issue, all of which are being reviewed as we continue developing the campsite experience.

Lake activities are booked separately to camping, allowing guests the flexibility to choose how they would like to spend their stay. Camping guests are also provided with a discount code to use against lake activities during their visit.

Thank you again for your honest and constructive feedback. Comments like yours are incredibly valuable during these early stages and will help shape improvements moving forward.

Liked How close the campsite was to the water

Disliked The noise from the passing traffic at night

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From the manager: Thank you for your lovely review. We’re so pleased to hear you had a fabulous stay and enjoyed being so close to the lake and water park. It’s great to know you’d visit again.

Thank you as well for your comments regarding traffic noise. Whilst this isn’t something we can directly control, we do appreciate the feedback.

We especially loved reading your private feedback about our team member. We’ll make sure this is shared with the admissions and café teams as it’s always fantastic to recognise team members who go above and beyond to help guests. Thank you for taking the time to mention her — comments like this mean a lot.

We hope to welcome you back again soon.

Liked Bell tent was great
Fire pit area was good for cooking and toasting marshmallows
Beds comfy

Disliked Toilets didn’t have sinks for washing face/brushing teeth etc
No sanitary bins in the ladies toilets

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From the manager: Thank you for your review. We’re so pleased to hear you enjoyed your stay in the bell tent and that the fire pit, cooking area and comfy beds helped make your visit enjoyable.

As this was our very first opening weekend for camping, we really appreciate you taking the time to share your feedback. Your comments regarding wash basins and sanitary bins in the ladies toilets have been really valuable and we’re already putting these improvements in place as we continue developing the facilities and overall guest experience.

Thank you again for your feedback and for sharing your photos. We hope to welcome you back again soon.

Liked Peaceful and quiet
Loved the bell tent everything was spotless inside
Lovely touch having the fire pit with the wood provided

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From the manager: Thank you for your lovely review, Maria. We’re so pleased you enjoyed the peaceful atmosphere and that you loved the bell tent. It’s great to hear everything was spotless and that the fire pit and complimentary wood helped make your stay extra special.

We really appreciate you taking the time to leave such kind feedback, especially during our very first opening weekend. We hope to welcome you and your family back again soon.

Liked Location, good pitch size, great for access to the lake

Disliked More washing up facilities, shower rooms need to include basin for washing and toothbrushing etc.

Toilets require servicing more regularly

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From the manager: Thank you for your review, Nick. We're really pleased to hear you enjoyed the location, the generous pitch sizes, and the easy access to the lake.

As this was our first weekend open, we’re definitely still learning and really appreciate the constructive feedback regarding the washing-up facilities, shower room basins, and toilet servicing. Comments like yours are incredibly helpful as we continue improving the site and facilities for guests.

We’re glad you had an enjoyable stay overall and look forward to welcoming you and your family back again soon.

Liked Lovely position and each pitch was big enough despite it being very busy.

Disliked Toilets and showers were adequate but there were no wash basins ( apart from three to wash dishes) thus nowhere to clean your teeth.
We were initially asked to pay to go into the lake area. This was not made clear anywhere on the website or in the ( many) emails we received before arriving.

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From the manager: Thank you for your review, Bridget. We’re so pleased you enjoyed the setting and the spacious pitches, especially during such a busy weekend.

As this was our very first weekend open, we’re still learning and really appreciate your helpful feedback regarding the facilities. We completely understand the point about having dedicated wash basins for brushing teeth and general washing, and it’s something we’re already taking on board as we improve the site.

Lake access information and charges were included in our pre-arrival emails, but we appreciate the feedback and will review how clearly this is communicated to guests ahead of their stay.

We’re glad you enjoyed your stay overall and hope to welcome you back again soon.