Marbury Camp and Lodge

Positiv well operated site

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Positiv Excellent toilet facilities

Negativ Vending machine needs a top up. No warning signs of electric Fench. Needs a kids play area.

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Positiv Nice level pitch. The toilets and showers were clean with lots of hit water. Didn't have to pay for the showers which always grates on me when you've paid already. Nice and peaceful would visit again

Negativ Nothing

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Vom Platzbetreiber: thank you.

Positiv Digital check in was easy. Good pitches.
Clean washing area. Lovely views.
Had the option to order pizza, this is a nice touch. Owners were great and allowed us to leave at a later time due to a sporting event. Thanks very much.

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Vom Platzbetreiber: thank you. Nice to have these reviews as opposed to grumpy ones from people we've asked to be quiet.

Much love.

Dave

Positiv Nice layout, lovely and quiet. Super friendly owners. The pizza’s were lovely too. Our dog loved the dog park, it was a great size for an energetic springer to release some energy. Everything was clean and well presented. We will definitely be back!!

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Positiv Lovely little site. Very clean.

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Vom Platzbetreiber: much appreciated

Positiv Love this site, 4th year there

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Vom Platzbetreiber: And we love you too!

Positiv Fire pits were good
Views were nice

Negativ Here’s a much more direct version that still sticks to your actual experience:

Beautiful location, but a thoroughly disappointing experience

The location and views are lovely, but unfortunately that’s where the positives end.

Firstly, the access really needs to be made much clearer on the website. Getting there involves some extremely narrow, single-track lanes, and this is not something you’d necessarily expect from the impression given when booking. A proper warning would be helpful, particularly for caravans and larger vehicles.

The caravan pitches were okay, but the tent pitches were on a slope, which certainly didn’t make for the most comfortable stay.

The biggest disappointment, however, was the attitude of the owner. The website gives the impression of a fun, relaxed and friendly place. In reality, we found it anything but. There was no warm welcome, no “hello”, and no interest whatsoever in whether we were enjoying our stay or if everything was okay.

Instead, the owner seemed intent on policing us. Every evening we were reminded about quiet time and told there was to be no music. We completely understand having rules and respecting other guests, but the way these were repeatedly delivered was incredibly condescending. We are adults in our 50s and certainly don’t need to be spoken to like naughty schoolchildren.

There is a huge difference between politely explaining the site rules and treating paying guests as though they are incapable of behaving responsibly. Unfortunately, we experienced the latter.

The beautiful setting couldn’t make up for the unfriendly atmosphere and the way we were made to feel during our stay. The website promises one thing; our experience was very different.

We wouldn’t return and, based on our experience, we wouldn’t recommend it.

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Positiv Nice showers and toilets, plug and phone charger points in toilets, clean site, reasonable nighty rates, water and electric point at pitches, vending machine with toothbrushes and shower gels etc. for forgotten items, fire pit rental, nice views

Negativ Too many rules and a 9pm curfew is very unreasonable. The tent pitches are on a slope which is not ideal.

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Positiv Generally if youre looking for a pitch up and do nothing few days the site is ideal but to say I liked anything is a hard one. Had a dog walking field which we used alot and plenty of space per pitch and toilets/showers where reasonably clean and tidy but thats as far as it goes.

Negativ Where do I start, its turn up and pitch up which to us felt very impersonal. Had a run in with another family because they wanted to pitch where we where setting up and kept saying we had taken there pitch because they wanted to be by friends but nobody was pitched by us at all. The pitches are a good size but oh my they are so uneven some of the pitches are on such a slope im not sure how people stayed on them. The male owner was extremely rude, I understand the site rules state quiet time between 9pm and 9am but 9.17pm and we had very quiet music on while playing family games in the tent to hear a very firm and rude 'turn that music down or better yet knock it off all together' and then heard him telling children laughing to keep it down because you only get two strikes and youre off site (these children where no older than 7 and where having fun playing) the next morning we where woken by a group screaming baa at the sheep over the fence at 6.50am literally stood right outside our tent and honestly if youre having kids on site its expected, I wasnt phased by it at all so maybe the quite time rule needs to be revised. The same male owner made my daughter feel extremely stupid in the shop when buying ice cream, she has autism and says what she thinks. Holding the tubs of ice cream she said my gosh these are cold to get a very sarcastic well the freezer is about -20 which was an uncalled for comment in my opinion. While walking over to the dog field myself and my child stood on an extremely large pile of dog pooh which must of been left by another camper, no bins on site other than the main one by the gate so was a pain when walking the dog having to take it right the way down to the main reception gate. The map for the site shows 20 tent pitches with only two male and two female toilets and showers which had people waiting to use with only 7 tents on site so cant imagine the nightmare with a fully pitched site. The dish washing facilities for tent pitches was again only two sinks with very little shelter overhead meaning we got absolutely soaking wet trying to do the dishes.

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Vom Platzbetreiber: Aloha,

Thanks for the review. In response:

1. As to us being impersonal, there's one full time employee, me. Check in is 'self-serve' and we wander around site doing jobs and say "hello" as we see you. You can also pop into reception any time it's open and we have our WhatsApp number plastered everywhere which we respond to 24/7. We live on site so we're never far away.
2. As to having a run in with another family, tell us then. Can't do much after the fact and we don't allow pitch reserving; we're not Germans taking sunbeds on holiday.
3. As to what appears to be your main bug bear, me telling you to turn off your music, I have a standard line which, "sorry guys it's after 9pm, please knock off the music." Take that as being rude as you like. We have rules for a reason and you but your own admission knew that and chose to ignore them. When you run a campsite and get messages at 2am saying my child can't sleep for the music next door, then you can have any rule you like. Go capitalism!
4. As your complaint about me telling someone else's children off, that's very altruistic of you. It was one child actually and he was screaming at his parents every time they asked him to be quiet (they were trying their best). I repeated my usual "firm and rude" line and threw in a few f-bombs for good measure. The said child then started giving me some lip (lovely 7 year old, just like mine), to which I responded, "just to let you know that we give 3 warning and on the third you're going home." The child then went quiet, the parents apologised and everyone went on living their lives, well almost everyone.
5. Apologies if some children were outside your tent screaming "baa". If you'd have let me know, I would have had a word.
6. As to your daughter, thanks for name-dropping her condition for all to see. I say what I think too and I've not (yet) been diagnosed. I apologise profusely for saying "sorry the ice cream is very cold. We have to store it at -20 for hygiene reasons. Let it warm up for a couple of minutes before you eat it." Again, most people went on living their lives, oblivious to the great injustice that had been done.
7. As to the dog poo ("pooh" is a bear - I make this mistake for years), yes, some dog owners can't be bothered to move it so we end up mowing over it, but there is a dog poo bin on the dog field and a 12 cubic yard skip as you enter. Not sure how much more waste disposal you require.
8. As to their not being enough loos/dishwashing for 20 tent pitches, we only have 12 tents on site at a time as per our licence (mic drop). We have more spaces than we sell because we like people to spread out a bit.

In summary, I think you've gone overboard a bit given you didn't like being told to turn the music off. 8 point of complaint for this is not a normal response and despite my rudeness, "please and thank yous" are quite important to me. Further, if I am going to get complaints for a) not enforcing noise restrictions after 9pm, and b) enforcing the same noise restrictions after 9pm, then I am going to choose the latter.

If that doesn't suit you, then given we make this rule clear before you book, then I can't help you.

I can however, wish all the best for the next campsite owner that you visit.

Much love.

D