Alderford Lake

A aimé Clean toilets and showers. Friendly staff. Great activities in the day time for extra cost and better if lake was cleaner.

N'a pas aimé Lake has serious algae problem. In fairness it was advertised as a moderate problem but was still open for activities. I feel it really should be closed. Was so smelly and gross when you were in it that it made me feel queasy. Also access to the lake closes early evening and doesn’t open until 9am so nowhere to relax/walk dog/ children’s play area other than the one camping field. You’re essentially just on an empty field. Lake side dining was closed due to slow business. Only cafe open but not suitable when you’re wet and smelly from the lake. Also cafe closed early. It seems everything shut down from around 5:30. No staff around to ask questions. Road noise loud on camping field from nearby A road. WiFi doesn’t reach to camping field.

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Réponse du gestionnaire : Hi,

Thank you for taking the time to leave such detailed feedback following your stay.

We're really pleased to hear that you found our facilities clean, our team friendly, and that you enjoyed the range of activities available.

We're sorry that other aspects of your visit didn't meet your expectations. We completely understand your concerns regarding the water quality. The lake was operating under a moderate algae risk, which was clearly communicated before arrival and is within the levels where activities can safely continue under our comprehensive water quality management plan. We work closely with independent specialists and regularly test the water, only opening when it is considered safe to do so. That said, we appreciate that the appearance and smell of the water can still affect the overall experience, and we're sorry this was the case during your visit.

Access to the lake outside of operating hours is restricted for safety reasons, and we appreciate this limits the areas available for campers during the evening and early morning. Our Lakeside Kitchen and café opening hours are reviewed based on demand, but we understand your disappointment that there were fewer options available later in the day. Your comments regarding evening facilities, staff availability and Wi-Fi coverage on the camping field have all been noted and will be considered as we continue to improve the camping experience.

Thank you again for your balanced feedback. We genuinely appreciate you recognising the positives alongside the areas where you feel we could do better, and we'll use your comments to help shape future improvements.

A aimé The place is amazing and beds are so comfy in the bell tents! Plenty to do inside the lake.

N'a pas aimé Check in times and access to lake should be more clear when booking. We thought we could not arrive until 2pm for check in when we could have been at the lake all day while waiting for check in. This meant we only got an hr in the lake on saturday.

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Réponse du gestionnaire : Hi Carly,

Thank you so much for your lovely review and for booking to stay with us again this weekend – we really appreciate your support!

We're delighted to hear you enjoyed the bell tent, found the beds comfortable, and made the most of everything the lake has to offer.

Thank you also for your feedback regarding the check-in information. We can see how this could have been clearer. While bell tent check-in is from 2pm, guests are very welcome to arrive earlier and enjoy the lake and site facilities before their accommodation is ready. We'll review our booking information to make this clearer for future guests so no one misses out on valuable lake time.

We look forward to welcoming you back this weekend!

A aimé Location next to the lake is great - took our paddle board and could easily spend the whole day here. We could also come in and out which worked well with kids, and could bring lunch back to tent etc.
Cafe was great - pleasantly surprised there was a gluten free option for the whole outside menu!

N'a pas aimé Only 6 toilets (3 men’s 3 women’s) for the whole campsite doesn’t seem enough - it was quiet while we were there but can’t imagine how it would work if the site was full.
Showers were OK - did come out like a lobster as it’s v hot bur clean at least. Only one block of showers seemed to work while we were there, not sure why but again not really an issues as only 3/4 pitches occupied.
Whole washing up/sink/area felt thrown together and v basic especially given that I’d assume the majority of people will be spending the day at the lake will want to properly clean up afterwards.
You can’t access the lakeside outside of the opening hours, a real shame that you aren’t allowed to even walk round etc - means the kids can’t access the park too.
A park run rocked up at 9am on Saturday morning and ran around the campsite, felt a bit odd having loads of people running round the tents. Not a massive deal for us as they were quiet ish but when you’re still getting up etc would prefer a bit more privacy.
The road is NOISY. Does not quiet down at night, if you’re a light sleeper bring ear plugs.
Also so much geese poo everywhere! Not a deal breaker but just another annoying thing on top of others really.

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Réponse du gestionnaire : Thank you for taking the time to leave your feedback.

We're delighted to hear you enjoyed our lakeside location, the flexibility of being able to come and go throughout the day, and our café, particularly the gluten-free options.

We would like to clarify a couple of points for future guests. During your stay there were only a small number of pitches occupied, and our toilet and shower facilities are designed to accommodate the total number of camping pitches on site. Comments about how the facilities would operate when the campsite is full are therefore based on assumption rather than firsthand experience.

Our weekly parkrun takes place every Saturday morning and follows a designated route around the site. When tents are pitched within their allocated areas, participants do not pass directly in front of them. In fact, we've received lots of positive feedback from both campers and parkrunners, with many campers enjoying cheering participants on, and some even deciding to join the free community event themselves.

As a natural lakeside setting, wildlife such as geese are part of the environment. We work hard to keep the site clean and regularly maintain the grounds, but it isn't possible to completely eliminate evidence of wildlife in an open, natural setting.

Thank you again for your comments. We appreciate all feedback and continue to invest in improving our campsite and facilities.

A aimé Nice location. Good communication about the lake not being available for use.

N'a pas aimé Toilets -We were aware that the lake was not available to use in time but decided this may have benefits as it wouldn't be too busy. Booked for 2 nights but stayed only one. It was not busy at all - hardly any campers. The toilets were horrid really stank so only stayed one night.

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Réponse du gestionnaire : Hi Fran,

Thank you for taking the time to leave your feedback.

We're pleased to hear you appreciated our communication regarding the temporary lake closure.

We fully understand your comments regarding the toilet facilities. During that period, we experienced an issue which unfortunately resulted in an unpleasant odour, and we recognise this affected a number of our camping guests. As soon as the problem was identified, we worked to resolve it and we're pleased to confirm that it has now been fixed, with the toilets back to the standard we expect.

We take cleanliness and hygiene extremely seriously, so we were disappointed that this issue occurred and appreciate you bringing it to our attention. We hope you'll consider visiting us again in the future so we can provide you with the experience we would normally expect our guests to have.

A aimé Gorgeous bell tents and fabulous lake. Cafe was also excellent. Staff also so lovely and helpful.

N'a pas aimé Toilet and washing block. Awful smell from the toilet blocks due to the heat and poor flushing. No mirror in the toilets. Blacknout bell tents would be better too.

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Réponse du gestionnaire : Hi Ruth,

Thank you so much for your lovely review.

We're delighted to hear you enjoyed your stay in our bell tents, loved the lake, and had a great experience in the café. It's especially nice to hear your kind comments about our team – we'll be sure to pass them on.

Thank you also for your feedback regarding the toilet and washing facilities. During your stay we were experiencing an issue with the toilet system which unfortunately caused the unpleasant odour. We recognise this affected a number of our guests, and we're pleased to confirm that the issue has now been resolved and the toilets are back to normal.

We also appreciate your suggestions regarding mirrors and blackout bell tents. Guest feedback like this is always valuable as we continue to improve the camping experience.

We hope to welcome you back again soon.

A aimé The area was stunning and the bell tents were a great set up. The cafe was fab and there was a big Tesco nearby to stock up. No electric hook up but some sockets near the washing up area so that was fine.

N'a pas aimé Sadly the only thing stopping me from returning was the bathroom situation.

They were like being at Glastonbury. If you want to make this a camping destination you need proper plumbed in toilet blocks and showers.

The showers were scolding and the kids couldn’t wash and after 1 day of camping the toilets were absolutely disgusting. The smell was knocking me sick, had to take numerous trips to the cafe or Tesco as I couldn’t use them.

Such a beautiful place but this lets is down. If permanent blocks were built I would come back in a heartbeat

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Réponse du gestionnaire : Hi Alexandra,

Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback.

We're delighted to hear you enjoyed the beautiful surroundings, found the bell tents a great setup, and made the most of the café and nearby amenities.

We appreciate your comments regarding the toilet and shower facilities. Feedback like yours is invaluable as we continue to review and invest in the campsite. Creating the best possible experience for our guests remains a priority, and your suggestions have been shared with the team.

It's great to hear that you'd consider returning in the future, and we hope to welcome you back as the campsite continues to develop.

Kind regards,

The Team

A aimé The drive out

N'a pas aimé The unsanitary risk to health that they claimed as a toilet.

Festival on site the previous weekend and clearly no cleaning work carried out on the proceeding 4 days before our arrival, the manager informed us the cleaners would be in tomorrow ( Friday ) unfortunately we arrived Thursday… the attached photos show a small part of the horror of these portaloos! There are worse photos, and we didn’t even bother to look at the showers.

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Réponse du gestionnaire : Hi Mike,

Thank you for taking the time to leave your feedback.

We recognise that the condition of the facilities during your visit did not meet the standard we expect for our guests. Following the festival, additional cleaning and servicing schedules were put in place, and we have since reviewed our procedures to help ensure facilities are maintained to the required standard during busy periods.

We appreciate you bringing your experience to our attention, as feedback like this helps us continue to improve the campsite for future guests.

Kind regards,

The Team

A aimé Site to ourself (probably due to no activities).
Beautiful lake
Good sized pitch.
Staff friendly and suggested alternative places to swim on request.

N'a pas aimé Weren’t informed before arriving that the lake was closed for activities- this was a major selling point to go there so could have been communicated to us.
Chemical toilets quite smelly and not cleaned until last day of stay.

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Réponse du gestionnaire : Hi Olli,

Thank you for taking the time to leave your review.

We're really pleased to hear you enjoyed the lakeside setting, the spacious pitch, and that our team were able to recommend alternative places to swim during your stay.

We're sorry you weren't aware of the temporary lake closure before arriving. We did communicate the closure to customers in advance via email and our website, but we're sorry if this information didn't reach you. We'll continue reviewing how we communicate important updates to ensure they're as clear as possible.

Thank you also for your comments regarding the toilet facilities. During your stay we were experiencing an issue with the toilet system which unfortunately caused an unpleasant odour. This affected a number of our guests, and we're pleased to confirm that the issue has now been resolved.

We appreciate your feedback and hope to welcome you back so you can experience everything Alderford Lake has to offer.

A aimé We had so much fun at the weekend. The staff were absolutely amazing really friendly and helpful. The site was spotlessly clean and the bell tents made camping for a single night so easy!

N'a pas aimé As has been mentioned in other reviews the toilets are rather pungent. They are still spotlessly clean and the showers piping hot but do have chemical toilet smell.

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Réponse du gestionnaire : Hi Rebecca,

Thank you for your wonderful review. We're delighted to hear you had so much fun during your stay and that the team made you feel so welcome. It's also great to know you found the bell tents comfortable and the site spotlessly clean.

We appreciate your comments regarding the toilets. Your feedback has been noted as we continue to review and improve the facilities for all of our guests.

We're thrilled to hear you'd like to return for a longer stay, and we look forward to welcoming you back soon!

Kind regards,

The Team

A aimé The lake and cafe.

N'a pas aimé This should be advertised as a basic, temporary campsite and priced inexpensively to reflect that just for proximity to the lake. But it’s not and at £35 per night it’s actually an expensive site and facilities are beyond poor.
Very basic, dirty facilities- the toilets and showers were disgusting. They were blocked, not replenished and stank. Also nowhere for handwashing in hot water other than the 1 washing up sink which doesn’t seem very hygienic.
The showers were so hot everyone was coming out with red raw skin and they can’t be adjusted. Not what you need after a day in the lake. They also lost pressure if more than one person was using them at one time so turned to a scalding dribble.
The lake and playarea can only be accessed if you pay entry to lake and until 5pm so advertising a playarea as a campsite facility is not accurate.
There was one bin on the site which was not emptied or swapped so was overflowing and smelly.
The road is noisy all night- nothing can be done about that but worth knowing.
It’s a real shame as it could be so lovely, and the lake itself is great. I appreciate its early days for the campsite and they are still finding their feet with it and maybe have plans to upgrade facilities but that doesn’t excuse unhygienic and unusable facilities. Until it’s upgraded it should be advertised as a very basic, cheap campsite and then people would know what to expect.

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Réponse du gestionnaire : Hi Chesca,

Thank you for taking the time to leave such detailed feedback.

We're pleased to hear you enjoyed the lake and café and appreciate your comments about the potential of the campsite.

We've taken on board your feedback regarding the facilities, cleanliness, shower temperature and pressure, waste management, and how the campsite and its amenities are described. As a new campsite, we continue to review all aspects of the guest experience, and comments like yours help us identify where improvements can be made and where expectations can be communicated more clearly.

Thank you again for sharing your experience. We value all feedback as we continue to develop the campsite.

Kind regards,

The Team