Skern Lodge

No availability at present on Pitchup.com 9.5 89 reviews

Visitor image of the level camping field (added by manager 28 Nov 2022)

Visitor image of the level camping field

Visitor image of the sunset over skern - from skern lodge campsite aug 22

Discounted kayaking bookable at reception

Calm site in the grounds of a north Devon outdoor activity centre
A 15-minute stroll from Appledore; 10 minutes' drive from Westward Ho!
Estuary views; 10 minutes' drive to the Lundy Island ferry

Rafting, river kayaking or surfing, followed by some quiet time surrounded by green fields? That’s the catch of the day at Skern Lodge, a popular outdoor activity centre on the edge of the quiet coastal village of Appledore. With 22 acres of land to its name and direct access to the tidal waters of the Taw and Torridge estuary, this site is a prime pick for relaxing north Devon break in a gorgeous natural setting. Skern Lodge has a lush, green countryside setting, and simple facilities such as toilets, showers and a washing-up point available. The site is keen to keep its impact on the environment to an absolute minimum – once you've seen these serene surrounds, there's a strong chance you'll be keen to do the same. Head to reception upon arrival or find your way to your chosen accommodation. If you're interested in booking any activities (which depend upon availability), watersports sessions can be booked in advance or during your stay – the aforementioned rafting, river kayaking and surfing can all be tried out with full supervision from expert instructors. Appledore village centre is a 15-minute stroll away – head here for a trip to the pub, to sample local grub at an independent deli or simply for a coastal stroll. Bideford (10 minutes' drive) is also close by – make tracks here to catch the ferry out to Lundy Island (crossing time about two hours).

Site type

Please note

Under 18s must be accompanied by their parents or legal guardians.
Single-sex bookings of 4 or more people (couples and immediate family members excepted) are not permitted via Pitchup.com.
Facilities/activities including Pool hire, Kayaking, High Ropes, Zipwire. are subject to extra charges payable on arrival.
No cars/motorbikes by the pitch/unit. All cars must be parked in the designated area.
The campground/park caters for families (immediate members) and couples only - bookings from all other forms of groups are not accepted.
Reception is unmanned after 5:30 p.m.. Please inform the campground while on your way there should you expect to arrive after this time so that the team can provide information about your unit/site.
At least one of the party members must be aged 18 or over.
This is a quiet campground/park: no music is allowed.
Guests are advised to bring a good quality torch with them as parts of the campground/park are unlit.
No naked flames are allowed inside the hired accommodation units.
Fires, barbecues and/or firepits will not be permitted in dry, windy and/or hot weather conditions.

Languages spoken

English

Pitch types & availability

No availability at present on Pitchup.com

Choose your dates and we'll email when available.

See nearby bookable sites

Reviews

would recommend this site to a friend

would stay here again

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Only showing reviews for the last 30 months.

Looks like a shower or toilets dedicated for each pods but were not being use at all.

Overall excellent

Overall	8/10
Location	10
Value for money	10
Accommodation	10
Facilities / Activities	6
Customer service	10
Child friendliness	10
Cleanliness	10
Wifi	8

Anonymous Sept 2024

Camping pod (two person)

Liked: Brilliant location, lovely pods, so chilled out amazing time

Disliked: Not a complaint just maybe more info on the activities and time schedules available

Recommend to friends Visit again

Camp site in a great location for westward ho and Appledore. My…

Overall	10/10
Location	10
Value for money	10
Accommodation	10
Facilities / Activities	10
Customer service	10
Child friendliness	10
Cleanliness	6
Wifi	2

Gareth L. Aug 2024

Unpowered grass tent or trailer tent site

Liked: Camp site in a great location for westward ho and Appledore. My son loved the swimming pool

Disliked: Outside washing up area was dirty and was not cleaned in the 2 days we stayed l.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Fantastic site with spotless facilities and peaceful setting.

Overall	10/10
Location	10
Value for money	10
Accommodation	10
Facilities / Activities	10
Customer service	10
Child friendliness	10
Cleanliness	10
Wifi	No rating

Jess H. Aug 2024

Unpowered grass tent or trailer tent site

Liked: The space and facilities.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Lovely clean and comfortable accommodation in the pods at a really reasonable…

Overall	10/10
Location	10
Value for money	10
Accommodation	10
Facilities / Activities	10
Customer service	10
Child friendliness	10
Cleanliness	10
Wifi	No rating

Anonymous Aug 2024

Camping pod (eight person)

Liked: Lovely clean and comfortable accommodation in the pods at a really reasonable price for summer holidays - brilliant to have a loo and kettle with tea/coffee provided. Nice quiet location and plenty to do on site and nearby. Kids loved the pool. We didn’t book any of the on site activities this time but there was a lot going on. Showers were some of the best we have used whilst camping!

Recommend to friends Visit again

Perfect location, great value, high standard of cleanliness in pods.

Overall	10/10
Location	10
Value for money	10
Accommodation	10
Facilities / Activities	8
Customer service	10
Child friendliness	10
Cleanliness	10
Wifi	6

Anonymous Aug 2024

Camping pod (eight person)

Liked: Great value for money. And could just book for the one night which was perfect and you can’t do that in many places. Location was excellent. Staff were very accommodating and friendly. Lunch for for the HAF program was delicious. Pods were really comfortable and spacious. Lovely and clean. Brilliant that They have toilets in each one, makes it so much easier with children. Really quiet site. Great space to play and for the child to run around. Check in and check out was very easy and stress free. The pods and beds were very comfortable and loved the touch of tea making facilities. Didn’t ask whether they provide wifi but I found phone signal really good. It had a everything I needed and would love to book the same again for next year.

Disliked: The pool was just a bit colder than expected for a outside heated pool. Young children struggled to get warm so could stay in the pool for long.

Recommend to friends Visit again

I throughly enjoyed my stay at Stern Lodge. We arrived on a…

Overall	10/10
Location	10
Value for money	10
Accommodation	10
Facilities / Activities	10
Customer service	10
Child friendliness	10
Cleanliness	10
Wifi	8

Anonymous Aug 2024

Unpowered grass tent or trailer tent site

Liked: I throughly enjoyed my stay at Stern Lodge. We arrived on a Friday and the staff were very friendly and welcoming; we had accidentally left our air pump at home however the staff were very helpful and helped us find a pump to use. The facility’s were all very clean and tidy, overall a lovely place will definitely be back!

Disliked: There was nothing we disliked about are stay

Recommend to friends Visit again

Great stay in a lovely location.

Overall	10/10
Location	10
Value for money	10
Accommodation	10
Facilities / Activities	6
Customer service	8
Child friendliness	10
Cleanliness	10
Wifi	No rating

Anonymous Aug 2024

Camping pod (eight person)

Liked: Pod was clean and beds made on arrival. Great having a kettle and tea and coffee supplies. Loved having own toilet in pod. Staff were very friendly and cleaners asked everyday if we needed anything.

Disliked: Not being able to park car near pod. Maybe one less set of bunk beds to make space for a sitting area or small table. Small fridge would be great. Need broom or dust pan and brush to help keep pod floor clean.

Recommend to friends Visit again

For the price this accommodation was absolutely perfect. Great as had electric…

Overall	10/10
Location	10
Value for money	10
Accommodation	10
Facilities / Activities	10
Customer service	8
Child friendliness	10
Cleanliness	10
Wifi	2

Katie H. Aug 2024

Camping pod (eight person)

Liked: For the price this accommodation was absolutely perfect. Great as had electric sockets (enough for multiple things). Beds were comfy (narrowish) and included decent bedding which was great. Nice ensuite toilet with decent sized sink (no soap, but does have toilet roll). Very warm. Soundproof. Clean and tidy. Includes a kettle and tea and coffee items which is a nice touch. Showers were a very short walk away and were great - clean and powerful. (no soap - byo). Large lawn out the front for kids to play. Short drive to westward ho! for surfing and 20 min walk, or 5 min drive to Appledore - which is lovely. There are activies onsite, but we didn't do any of them. We will definatly be back.

Disliked: There was very little "spare" room in the pods - there was only 3 of use staying in an 8 bed one, so used beds to get clothes out, store bags etc. But would have been a major squash if there was 8 of us (there is no way I would come with 8 people in one pod - would be way too close!). One night it rained and we struggled to sit anywhere to play games. Ideally needs a covered area -just an overhang out the front would have been good. Also if one of the sets of beds were taken out then there would be room to sit with a table. More shelves would have been really great too. Everything had to be stored on beds/on floor/in car. No wifi - not that we expected there to be - but just to be aware if that's an issue for you. You have to park a short distance from the pods - so bring a trolley to transport stuff if you have one. Would have liked to have used the pool, but you can only hire whole things for £40. Good if you have a big group, not if you don't!

Recommend to friends Visit again

stunning views, pods with electric perfect for travel with teenagers

Overall	10/10
Location	10
Value for money	8
Accommodation	10
Facilities / Activities	10
Customer service	8
Child friendliness	10
Cleanliness	10
Wifi	No rating

Anonymous Aug 2024

Camping pod (eight person)

Liked: The pods were a good size, clean and shower and toilet facilities modern and clean.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Excellent site, beautiful views, clean facilities and helpful staff

Overall	10/10
Location	10
Value for money	10
Accommodation	10
Facilities / Activities	10
Customer service	8
Child friendliness	8
Cleanliness	10
Wifi	No rating

Anonymous Aug 2024

Unpowered grass tent or trailer tent site

Liked: A great location, close to some lovely beaches. It was quiet, clean with good facilities.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Features

No dogs allowed

Leisure on site

Bar or club house Cycle hire Evening entertainment Fishing Fitness centre Games room Indoor swimming pool Kids' club On-site restaurant/cafe Outdoor swimming pool Play area TV room Take away Tennis Watersports

Amenities on site

Bath available Car parking by site/unit Composting toilet Dog park Drying room Food shop Free wifi Ice pack freezing Internet access Laundry Parent & baby washroom Pick-up from public transport Portable toilet Pub toilets Public telephone Shower available Toilet block Washing-up area Wifi

Groups welcome

D. of E. welcome Family friendly Motorcycle friendly Single-sex groups welcome Student groups welcome

Rules

Barbecue provided Barbecues allowed Campfires allowed Commercial vehicles allowed Dogs allowed No dogs allowed

Utilities

Charging facilities Dump point Electric car charging point(s) Gas cylinders available Recycling available Renewable energy

Nearby amenities

Bar nearby Convenience store nearby Dog walk nearby Public transport nearby

Type

Small (11-25 sites)

Accessibility

Disabled facilities

Nearby leisure

Canoeing/kayaking nearby Climbing nearby Cycle hire nearby Cycling nearby Fishing nearby Golf nearby Horse riding nearby Indoor pool nearby Leisure/theme park nearby Outdoor pool nearby Restaurant nearby Sailing nearby Surf school nearby Tennis nearby Watersports nearby

Location

Skern Lodge

Appledore

Bideford

Devon

England

EX39 1NG

Directions

Timezone

Europe/London +0100 (GMT+01:00)

GPS

51.05385°N
-4.20348°W

Nearest transport

Coach

1.6 km The Quay

1.7 km Square

Rail

10.1 km Barnstaple Rail Station

13.2 km Chapelton (Devon) Rail Station

16.7 km Umberleigh Rail Station

Ferry

0.9 km Appledore Ferry Landing

1.5 km Instow Ferry Landing

3.9 km Bideford Ferry Landing

Airport

Please note: All distances on this page are calculated "as the crow flies" - please check actual distance depending on your mode of travel using the Get directions button above.

Local attractions

Where will a short walk get you? Northam Burrows Country Park (10 minutes' walk) is one place – rare plants and animals hide out there – and the North Devon Maritime Museum (20 minutes) is another. A short drive will soon get you putting holes or trotting through fields: Royal North Devon Golf Club and Follyfoot Equestrian Centre are both five minutes’ drive away. When you’re feeling like a longer journey out in search of islands, coves and cliff railways, that’s absolutely fine too. Ferries to Lundy Island depart from Bideford (10 minutes’ drive) for dramatic cliff hikes (and sea puffins if you’re lucky). You might want to go climbing cobbles and coastal paths in Clovelly (25 minutes) too, or let the Lynton and Lynmouth Cliff Railway (50 minutes) do most of the hard work for you. As for beach days, well, Westward Ho! (10 minutes) is a fine destination for practising your wave-catching skills. Ilfracombe (40 minutes) has several more beaches with more good surf, tunnels and a Victorian bathing pool. Kids asking after theme park rides? The Big Sheep (10 minutes) is an adventure park aimed at the smaller ones in your family, with attractions including live shows, rollercoasters and farm animals.

Water quality at nearby bathing waters

Name	Distance	Type	2020	2019	2018	2017
Westward Ho!	2.5 km	Sea	N/A	Excellent	Excellent	Excellent
Saunton Sands	7.1 km	Sea	N/A	Excellent	Excellent	Excellent
Croyde Bay	9 km	Sea	N/A	Good	Excellent	Good
Putsborough	10.3 km	Sea	N/A	Excellent	Excellent	Excellent
Woolacombe Village	13.1 km	Sea	N/A	Excellent	Excellent	Excellent

Data source: European Environment Agency

Must see

RHS Garden Rosemoor 13.2 km

National Trust

Arlington Court and the National Trust Carriage Museum 18.5 km

Heddon Valley 26.3 km

Watersmeet 33.8 km

Lundy 34.3 km

Finch Foundry 40.9 km

Cycle routes

Find local routes on the National Cycle Network - over 12,000 miles of cycling routes.

Other

Northam Burrows - Coast Path - Appledore - Diddywell - Northam Burrows 1.8 km

TAPELEY PARK 2.6 km

ISLEY MARSH (CURRENT BOUNDARY FROM 05/04/1990) 4 km

Saunton - Croyde - Putsborough - Fruit and Nut Trail 7.1 km

SAUNTON COURT 7.2 km

Please note: All distances on this page are calculated "as the crow flies" - please check actual distance depending on your mode of travel using the Get directions button above.

Policies

Booking terms and conditions

Admission

Admission is only permitted after registering at reception.
At least one of the party members must be aged 18 or over.

Safety

Barbecues are permitted but must be raised off the ground and attended by an adult at all times.

Extras

Facilities/activities including Pool hire, Kayaking, High Ropes, Zipwire. are subject to extra charges payable on arrival.

Safety

Fires, barbecues and/or firepits will not be permitted in dry, windy and/or hot weather conditions.
Guests are advised to bring a good quality torch with them as parts of the campground/park are unlit.

Arrivals and departures

Late arrivals must notify the park as soon as possible. Your booking will be held for 24 hours. After this period the management reserves the right to relet your unit.

Extras

Motorbike(s) can be brought instead of the car(s) included.

Vehicles

No cars/motorbikes by the pitch/unit. All cars must be parked in the designated area.

Hired accommodation

No naked flames are allowed inside the hired accommodation units.

Arrivals and departures

No refunds/discounts for inclement weather, late arrivals or early departures.
Please pick any available pitch on arrival.

General

Public areas are non-smoking.
Quiet hours must be respected between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m..
Radio, music and TV players must be kept at a low volume. Car doors and boots must be closed quietly.

Reception

Reception is unmanned after 5:30 p.m.. Please inform the campground while on your way there should you expect to arrive after this time so that the team can provide information about your unit/site.

Occupancy

Single-sex bookings of 4 or more people (couples and immediate family members excepted) are not permitted via Pitchup.com.
The campground/park caters for families (immediate members) and couples only - bookings from all other forms of groups are not accepted.

General

The management reserves the right to deny access or terminate the stay of those guests whose behaviour is deemed unsuitable. No refunds will be offered.
This is a quiet campground/park: no music is allowed.

Admission

Under 18s must be accompanied by their parents or legal guardians.

Additional terms

Activities are subject to extra charges and must be booked in advance.

Payment terms

Nearest sites

Unfortunately, we have no nearby bookable sites.

Frequently asked questions

Does Skern Lodge have a swimming pool? Yes View all features
Is Skern Lodge dog friendly? No View all features
What attractions are near Skern Lodge? Where will a short walk get you? Northam Burrows Country Park (10 minutes' walk) is one place – rare plants and animals hide out there – and the North Devon Maritime Museum … Read more