Sites in towns or walkable distance (1 Viewer)

[Penk]

We’re sitting on a bucolic site - lovely - but going anywhere means (1) packing away everything and taking our van to town (2) getting our Smart4Two fixed up for towing rather than sat at home on the drive (3) getting back into cycling (at our ages?!?) or (4) camping in or very near to town centres. Taking the van into town is laborious and hard to park.The Smart tow option was winning till we got quotes and read dire warnings. Cycling? OK on tracks but not roads at our venerable ages. So that leaves camping in, or a walkable distance from, town centres. Harder to locate than we imagined. Any suggestions gratefully received. Thanks folks

 

[Aly1]

Or a bus stop outside the site?

 

[peterc10]

Take the ferry or train to Europe. You will find lots of stops near or in interesting villages, towns and cities. And most places have better bus services

 

[Bailey58]

As said, a bus stop outside which has generally been our research tool. But there's also one or two club sites we've stayed at including, Minehead, Dulverton, Gt Yarmouth, Stratford Upon Avon and the Bristol site Baltic Wharf, if it's still open, within walking distance.

 

[CAB96]

Tewkesbury. Nice town.

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[meanders]

+1 for the bus option.

 

[Coastal Cruiser.]

Devizes Ccc site pub and bus stop outside.

 

[Swifter]

Hereford Rowing Club

 

[Jev88]

Chester racecourse, Stratford racecourse, Shrewsbury Showground - all have cycle routes that virtually pass through them and are easy walks to town - often old railway lines

 

[Roger S]

If your abroad the aires are generally within walking distance of thr town or village.

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[westhamman]

Warwick, though a club site, Shrewsbury the showground. Norwich going there soon.

 

[Vanman]

It's a couple of years old now, but the spreadsheet here is Downloadable

 

[westhamman]

Hartshorne country park,Lincoln a bit of a walk but OK.

 

[Langtoftlad]

My list of Sites walkable to Market Towns:
Berwick
Brecon Beacons
Southport
Burrs Country Park
Exmoor House [Dulverton CCC]
Old Hartley, Newcastle upon Tyne
Coniston Park Coppice, Cumbria
West Ayton, Scarborough, North Yorkshire
Beechwood Grange, York
Chatsworth, Peak District

Skegness Sands, AS Lincolnshire
Milestone Park, Newark
Fakenham Racecourse, Norfolk
Cambridge Cherry Hinton, Cambridge
Kidlington, Oxford (CL)
Bromyard Downs, Cotswolds
Cheddar, Bristol, Somerset
Black Knowl, Brokenhurst, New Forest
Hillhead, Brixham Devon
Steamer Quay, Totnes Devon
Commons Wood, Welwyn Garden City
Abbey Wood, London
Crystal Palace, London
Brighton, West Sussex
Littlehampton, West Sussex
Cheltenham Racecourse
Gt Yarmouth Racecourse


Tewkesbury #
Cirencester #
Moreton in Marsh #
Warwick racecourse #
Seacroft (Cromer) #
Hawes #
Knaresborough #
Teesdale Barnard Castle #
Thirsk Racecourse #
Warfedale #
Rowntree Park #
Bridlington, East Yorkshire#
Fairoaks, Chester #
Castleton, Peak District #
Blackshaw Moor, Peak District #
Sutton on Sea, Lincolnshire #
Bladon Chains, Cotswolds #
Henley, Cotswolds #
Broadway, Cotswolds #
Uttoxeter Racecourse#
Houghton Mill, East Anglia#

Scotland:
Moffat#

# visited

 

[Penk]

Wow. Thanks one and all Fabulous choice there. Sadly bus travel is out for me as I’m shielding with immune system problems, but walking/biking in the open air seems ok. We’ll crack on with trying those now. Can’t wait

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[starquake]

Cambridge CCC also has a bus stop directly outside for the town, as it's near the Addenbrooks hospital too.
We're actually using it because of latter, as wife can walk back from some of her appts to the site.

 

[scotjimland]

going anywhere means (1) packing away everything and taking our van to town (2) .... snip ... Taking the van into town is laborious and hard to park.

two reasons why a caravann works better for some people .. this is a choice many make once their touring days are ending.. and now prefer staying longer term on a site ..

you can also use more remote CLs which are generally much cheaper than sites close to towns ..

cycling is also a great way to get about, and if you have never tried, have a test ride on an e-bike.. it gives you the legs of an 18 year old.. but you are correct, main roads in the UK are not cycle friendly

 

[starquake]

Oh another one you missing, the CAMC site at Kessingland (White Sands is it?) ... it's walkable to a fish n chips shop, a co-op (about a mile), and a NISA at the parkdean (about 300 yards). It's a lovely little town, and techcnially walkable up to a Zoo/Safari place too (about 2 miles uphill by the CACC clubs site). I'd pick the CAMC site over the CACC site in Kessingland as the CAMC one is literally on the beach if you book a non-awning pitch and are "lucky" to be allocated a beachside pitch.

 

[scotzsue]

HAVE LOOKED AT Langtoftlad list, coniston and Beechwood grange were not doable when i was troubled with dodgy leg.

 

[Penk]

two reasons why a caravann works better for some people .. this is a choice many make once their touring days are ending.. and now prefer staying longer term on a site ..

you can also use more remote CLs which are generally much cheaper than sites close to towns ..

cycling is also a great way to get about, and if you have never tried, have a test ride on an e-bike.. it gives you the legs of an 18 year old.. but you are correct, main roads in the UK are not cycle friendly

Yes indeed. After 25 years motorhoming with a Wagon R towed behind, we swapped to a caravan. I enjoyed setting up, my husband hated it - he loved the towing, I spent the journey terrified of a tyre blowing out. Towing something on 4 wheels feels safer than something on 2! So we swapped back to motorhome again. Short of swapping our Smart car for something else, towing now seems to be out.

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[Penk]

It's a couple of years old now, but the spreadsheet here is Downloadable

Can’t seem to link to it???

 

[Vanman]

Just follow the link and click on the Orange Download box

 

[PaulC70]

the spreadsheet here

I never knew this existed! Excellent, downloaded and this thread marked as a favourite for the list from Langtoftlad too.

We prefer the "near town" setups too due to the wife's mobility but some buses are out due to her mobility scooter, trains? hah, every train company has different permit systems in operation as we found out recently at Lytham St Annes :-(

Cambridge CCC also has a bus stop directly outside for the town, as it's near the Addenbrooks hospital too.
We're actually using it because of latter, as wife can walk back from some of her appts to the site.

Used it for first time myself for my prostate treatment only last month. Lovely site and very hand both for cambridge and addenbrookes, wife ended up using a taxi to get into cambridge with her mobility scooter, fine in areas where lots of taxis, not so handy further out in remote places.

PS Keswick CCC is great and one of our faves and we dont like club sites frankly, but when they offer everything on the doorstep of a lovely town? Gotta be done!

 

[Debs]

Bristol site Baltic Wharf, if it's still open, within walking distance.

One of our fav cities but sadly out now in the van due to the clean air zone charges - check if yours is compliant if you are thinking of visiting.

 

[Bailey58]

Crikey there's a lot on that list I've stayed and forgotten about.

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[pelican]

We’re sitting on a bucolic site - lovely - but going anywhere means (1) packing away everything and taking our van to town (2) getting our Smart4Two fixed up for towing rather than sat at home on the drive (3) getting back into cycling (at our ages?!?) or (4) camping in or very near to town centres. Taking the van into town is laborious and hard to park.The Smart tow option was winning till we got quotes and read dire warnings. Cycling? OK on tracks but not roads at our venerable ages. So that leaves camping in, or a walkable distance from, town centres. Harder to locate than we imagined. Any suggestions gratefully received. Thanks folks

Been towing a Smart for four years now, It has been trouble free.We find it completely transforms our time away
We also are getting wary of cycling.
We have also got one of these which has a detachable drawbar and tows on just its rear wheels

 

[LindaPaulB]

Great list in the thread, one to add for Scotland is Melrose CAMC site, great location right in town centre.

 

[3 cabbages]

Take the ferry or train to Europe. You will find lots of stops near or in interesting villages, towns and cities. And most places have better bus services

Rural bus services in France are thin on the ground!