Makins Lakes

Liked spacious pitches, needs a little tidy up and with a few changes could be a 10/10. Amazing views and fishing and really good price. Lakes are beautiful and really is beautiful. Very relaxed. Lots of families enjoying the space and it was lovely. Dog and family friendly. Bait shop was good. No problem with Wifi on site and phone signal was really good too.

Disliked Toilet and shower facility aren’t great but this really is down to the users more than the owners, regular cleaning is needed, although when really busy, more toilets and showers will likely be needed. The general pitches need tidying up, there is no service point for motorhome’s so you will need an aqua roll or a portable waste tank to empty for those that don’t normally carry one (ie us) The 10am departure time is harsh on Sunday as most sites we have been to are are 11am. Cafe could be open longer, include to include lunch hours- a little play park for the children that do visit with the families as there was a few although there were not noisy or anything. There is a big field opposite the lodges that could have facilitate this or have more done with. The after 6pm fishing rules was not followed and people were still fishing and nor were the noise levels by follow guests but it did not bother us as we are not early sleepers. There was the smell of cannabis occasionally but not much you can do about it sadly. It won’t stop us coming back. Maybe a site warden driving occasionally would deter this and other bad behaviour, late noise levels and fishing? didn’t see any site managers / owners when we were there that were noticeable.

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Liked Helpful staff, amazing facilities and great views

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Liked Plenty of space for each hard standing pitch. The site is well laid out with well spaced hookup and water supply

Disliked The toilet facilities were not well looked after. Only two flushing toilets in the make changing rooms with not constantly running - resulting in only one effective flushing toilets. Toilet paper had run out and not topped up after two days. In the female toilet only one working shower the days we were there.

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Liked Good sized hardstanding
Nice open, uncrowded site
Nice scenery & wildlife
Excellent shower toilet block
Handy onsite shop & cafe
Helpful & friendly staff.
Local facilities nearby

Disliked Hook up bollard a little far from pitch

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Liked Lovely area, with lovely walks around, helpful staff, there’s a shop and cafe onsite site, we had beautiful weather.

Disliked The toilets could do with a clean more often,

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Liked nice

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Liked Lovely site helpful staff

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Liked Bathrooms were good and clean , nice and warm

Disliked “The staff member was extremely rude, dismissive, and unprofessional. He came across as intimidating and behaved like a bully, clearly having no time for us. He repeatedly looked us up and down in a very disrespectful way.

He told us to move cars that were not ours, despite us explaining that our vehicle was already parked in the designated area provided. He also took issue with us going out for dinner to explore a local pub, which was completely unreasonable.

He then questioned whether my 5-year-old daughter had a fishing licence, despite the fact that I held a valid licence and government guidance clearly states that a child of her age does not require one. The way this was handled was unnecessary and confrontational—we were only able to fish for around 30 minutes before feeling uncomfortable.

Most concerning, his attitude noticeably changed as soon as he heard our South African accent, which felt discriminatory and unacceptable.

In addition, we specifically booked a pitch with electricity as advertised. However, we were later told that there is no electricity available on the tent campsites. This was misleading, and unfortunately no one offered a solution—only an apology, which did not resolve the issue.

Overall, this was a very upsetting experience and, without question, the worst camping day we have ever had in the UK. This should be taken seriously.”

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From the manager: Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We are sorry to hear that your stay did not meet your expectations.

We take any allegation of discrimination extremely seriously. However, we must respectfully challenge this point. The staff member you refer to has been part of our team for many years and is consistently recognised by guests for his polite, friendly, and helpful manner. We welcome visitors from across the UK and around the world, particularly within our lodges, and we have never received any complaints regarding discriminatory behaviour.

We would also like to clarify that this team member carries out a wide range of responsibilities across the site and would not have had the time to observe guests in the manner described. That said, we regret if any interaction was perceived as uncomfortable.

Regarding your departure for dinner, you were asked to ensure your vehicle was not left on the road and to use the nearby car park so that access remained clear and safe for all guests and emergency vehicles.

In relation to fishing, our staff member is experienced and fully aware that young children do not require a licence. If this was not communicated clearly, we apologise for any misunderstanding.

With regard to your pitch, due to the recent heavy rainfall, ground conditions have been particularly challenging. Prior to your arrival, you were offered a hardstanding pitch as a more suitable option, which you advised was not suitable for your tent. You were also offered a drier grass pitch without electric hook-up. On arrival, you chose to proceed with a grass pitch with electric hook-up, noting that these areas had only just reopened after being closed due to wet conditions.

We appreciate that these factors may have impacted your overall experience. However, we believe the situation has been misrepresented in parts, and we hope this response provides clarity.

Thank you again for your feedback.

Liked Lovely quiet site

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Liked Lovely spacious pitches and showers. Well presented entrance and shop, sadly didn’t get a chance to try the cafe but looked good from the walk past.

Disliked Bathrooms were a bit messy, no toilet brushes for the previous occupant to clean marks left in the bowl. Also the bathrooms were left a bit smelly. Dog friendly but cannot walk around the lakes and no dog friendly areas marked out.

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From the manager: Thank you for the review.
Dogs can be walked around the lakes once fishing has finished for the day and can be walked on our field on a lead. This is communicated in our confirmation email so apologies if you missed this. We have replaced the toilet brushes in the toilets and also refurbed the shower block. Our toilets are cleaned very regularly, but unfortunately, we can't check them after every visitor...