Farm and Fell Campsite

Thank you for your review.

Many hundreds of campers compliment the freedom to choose your own pitch.

Some people like to be next to toilets, some people like to be as far away as possible (the maximum distance in any field is 75 metres).

We try to promote the freedom of camping, but with that freedom comes a degree of personal responsibility.

It looks like you chose to camp away from the toilets.

There was 30 acres open for camping on your weekend. If you camped on a slope - it was your choice - as there were many many very flat fields with low occupancy.

Mud - we are a grass campsite. There was 2 weeks of heavy rain prior to your visit. The heavy rain during your visit was forecast. You chose to camp on a grass campsite with all of those known conditions. We opened up 30 acres to minimise mud - that’s 7 cars per acre (football field). I suspect that you were amongst the 48 campers who selected the 3 acres of the main field where the views of the Howgill Fells are best. You traded mud for views.

I’ve answered the shower question in a previous review.

We will continue to provide freedom for our campers to select what best suits their needs. Whilst I accept that this isn’t what you want, I hope that this review has helped you to see that if you accept a small amount of personal responsibility, your camping experience will be much better wherever you visit.

Sincerely

Brian

Thanks for your review, please let me give you my perspective on showers.

After 2 years of reviews asking us to install good showers, at Easter Bank Holiday 2023 & the 2 May Bank Holidays in 2023, we hired in VIP showers costing £1500 a week. These showers were only used 28 times, so it wasn't viable. We decided to build our own.

The current showers were installed on 12th June 2023. They cost £6,000 to build and have only had 1 negative comment since (by someone who wouldn't be happy in a 5 star hotel).

Since the 12th June 2023, we have had approx 1100 pitch bookings and approx 3,500 visitors.

Only 128 people have had showers. We have charged £3 - making £384 revenue.

In the same period (69 days), we have used £268 of LPG gas (a lot - but we don't limit time in the shower) and the showers have been cleaned continuously, roughly 10 hours of cleaning and maintenance which at £10 an hour is another £100.

So I hope you can see:

1. The showers aren't used as much as people think.

2. At £3 per shower, they just about pay for the operation, cleaning and maintenance, but they'll never repay the capital cost of building them.

In summary, Farm & Fell Campsite exists for everyone, but it was founded during COVID to give an outlet for families on marginal subsistence. In every decision I make, I'm thinking of hard working families who are struggling to get the money together to get away for the weekend....that's why so much of what we do that involves children is free. Many people encourage me to increase the costs at the bar - but every time I consider it, I'm thinking of that single parent who wants to treat themselves to a couple of drinks on one night of their stay (it's also the reason why we don't charge for the live music) - and I won't do it until it has to be done for viability.

I appreciate your review and whilst you might not agree with my reply, I hope you understand why I'm making the devisions that I am.

Kind Regards

Brian

Thank you for your review, it was a very wet weekend following 2 very wet weeks. We did everything we could to help those that got stuck. Incidentally, out of the 16 vehicles that we pulled out (of 364 campers that visited on that weekend), only one of them was a woman driver........ a fun fact that stimulates a discussion on driving styles...

Kind Regards

Brian

Thank you for your review. We are going to improve sign posting for next year as we recognise that the back fields were under-populated because a number of campers didn't know they were open and it caused congestion in the main field.

Kind Regards

Brian