Tarset Tor Bunkhouse and Bothy Holidays

Liked Very little

Disliked Vans are in a dug out bank. The sites are small and with a view of a high vertical earth bank behind and a wooden fence topped by a very tall leylandi hedge in front.
Showers are in the bunk house shared by everyone in the bunkhouse.

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From the manager: It is true that our pitches are dug into the bank, this is a recent extension to the size of the bays.
When you came they would have looked bare and had no growth of grass or greenery, we up-graded our grass bays with gravel as Vans kept getting stuck in the mud, so at the same time added electric hook-ups for each bay, also we have trees and bushes between each bay making them more private than the norm.
We have one eco-toilet & one out-door shower and a washing up area for use by campers. You must not have found them as the Bunkhouse facilities are not for your use and are exclusive for bunkhouse users only!
We have a football/netball court, a wildlife pond as well as a woodland bar and use of a sauna, so although the pitches are basic the rest makes up for this. I hope this explains?
One thing though that is weird is the low rating for location! We are slap bang in the middle of the Northumberland National Park and have some of the best views in England therefore the world! Some homework on where you are coming to may be a good idea next time you choose to go rural!
For readers, we are a holiday business with Cabins and have just 3 pitches, they are basic and if your not a fan of the great outdoors maybe we are not for you, because a glitzy motorhome park we are not!

Liked Scenery spectacular - owners friendly- peaceful

Disliked The loo!

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From the manager: I have taken on board your 'Loo' comment and made some improvements, I have put in a hand sanitiser and given it a once over & levelled it.
For 'readers' the toilet cubical is hand made from 6 by 2 wooden planks and sits on a very deep pit, we are lucky enough to have a natural water spring on our land and when it is a rainy period the water level raises and it self flushes as halfway up the pit is a drainpipe that is connected all the Cabins and the Bunkhouse on our site therefore it is self flushing, the only one of its type me thinks, so therefore i am quite proud of it! for anyone who has been to a festival or the like, it much much better than these!
FYI....Tarset Tor is predominately a Holiday Business and has 6 other buildings the 3 Camper-van pitches are 'new' and have just had a landscaping and gravel overhaul with electric hook-ups, it is still bedding into its environment, that said they are private as they have bushes and trees between each pitch. There is just 1 toilet (the afore mentioned) and one warm outdoor shower cubical and a double washing up sink. Other facilities are a football/netball pitch and woodland bar area and even a wildlife pond, the sauna can also be hired.
We have some of the best views down the North Tyne & River Tarset valleys towards Kielder forest & Scotland.
We don;t sell ourselves as an all singing all dancing Motorhome Park and neither do we want to be. Our Camper pitches are basic, but the environment we have built over the last 15 years makes us very popular. Our Bunkhouse & Cabins have very high reviews, they are kitted out to a good standard, so maybe one of these might suitable more to some!?

Liked Lovely site, beautiful surroundings and friendly and helpful hosts.

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Liked Loved the privacy of the pitch between 2 motorhomes as we came with friends. As a dog owner the green area to the front was superb for the dog to run. If the weather had been better it would have also been an ideal area for a bbq. The views are totally stunning and the staff were on hand to answer any of our questions.

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Liked Spacious, clean bothy, friendly owners, great location for walks, fire pit, we loved our stay

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Liked We were lucky enough to arrive on Thursday evening and have the entire place to ourselves on Friday morning.

Claire and Rob were wonderful and allowed us to shower in the bunkhouse

The lack of lighting was perfect for stargazing in the evening which was fantastic

I received an email with instructions beforehand, which for my first time in a motorhome helped remove some anxiety for arrival.

Disliked the Wi-fi was patchy for me, but I didn't come to a secluded spot for the wifi so it didn't cause me any issue.

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Liked Friendly welcome from owner.
Stunning views.
Quiet location.
Added quirky touches.

The holiday cabins looked lovely.

Disliked The eco toilet shed had subsided slightly, so quite difficult to sit down and stand back up, especially if your legs are aching from lots of walking.
I love the concept but would advise having own toilet facilities.

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Liked Pellet fed wood fire is amazing for heating the building, such a dark sky environment beautiful on an evening and friendly owners who always smiled and waved as you were coming to or leaving site. Well located close to multiple areas for walks and exploring. No road noise on a night even though the log trucks pass a lot.

Disliked Nothing, had a brilliant week.

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Liked Great location close to Kielder Water

Disliked Warning - stay clear unless you have guaranteed use of the facilities in the bunkhouse and sole use of the hardstanding.
Calling a toilet "eco" or "outside" is no excuse for a wooden cubicle with a door that doesn't fit, with no handwashing or sanitising equipment that opens directly onto the children's play area.
The shower is another wooden cubicle right next to the pot wash with a loose stone floor and nowhere inside to separate your dry clothes and towel from the shower - you would need to change outside, next to the pot wash.
The hardstanding is too small for more than one campervan - a mobile home turned up after we had parked our campervan that turned round and left. The position of the hook up would mean power leads trailing across the route used by other vehicles and pedestrians.
The pot wash had no running water when we stayed and no light, so make sure you wash up before dusk.

The bothies and bunkhouse looked OK form the outside but facilities for the pitches are shocking.

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From the manager: So, it's true, we are a basic pitch up and we don't hide behind this fact.
Our outside toilet is on the wonk and the door needs a slam when there has been weeks of rain due to wood swell! The pitch users get to use the bunkhouse showers and toilet only when the building is not booked by guests. The outdoor shower and sink was re-plumbed on friday espcially for you 2 campers, I explained that we don't normally have this facility in the winter because the frost pops the pipework! That said, we are value for money, we have van-lifers who come here and recharge their stuff and use our expensive electric which is why we are cheaper in the summer than the winter.
We have only 2 pitches that are grass, which cannot be used after 6 weeks of wet weather so it is also true that the hard standing is tight for 2 campervans. I informed you that another van was coming and to park up tighty, which was ignored, so the others left and we had to refund them. I also gave you a good welcome as I always do when I see people arrive.
The pitches are usually for self sufficient people, as the main business here is people staying in our Bunkhouse, Bothies or Cabins, which we are very highly rated for.
We have wildlife pond a football/netball court and sauna a woodland bar & BBQ area in the Northumberland National set in 5 acres, all for £27.50 in the summer & £35.00 in the winter...
All this said, we have now made the pitch exclusive until the grass drys and please note our wifi is perfect & free if you had bothered to ask for the code.
Everything is rustic but clean because we are slightly alternative and not a' run of the mill glitzy site'.
Most people love it, but it is normal for some poeple not to get it and be 'selfish' in the process by giving a bad review,
Note; you do need a long electric lead...
Any readers please check the other reviews for a more balanced view...

Liked In beautiful countryside easy to find

Disliked Hardstanding was a bit tight to get onto. Wifi didn't work on the motorhome pitch

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From the manager: Sorry you couldn't get on the wi-fi as it was working for everyone else.
I wish you had to come to find me and I could have helped you.
Kind regards,
Claire.