Cornwall campsite recoomendations wanted please

[mrspercival]

Its the New Year, we're thinking of our summer holiday and have all agreed on Cornwall and camping. Can you help with recommendations for good campsites please? Children are 8 and 6. We prefer small-medium sites rather than the big ones. Location, countryside setting and quality of showers important. Bars etc are not. As we're travelling from Scotland we're thinking the east of Cornwall may suit us best but we're open to options. All suggestions much appreciated thank you

[StanHouseMuir]

We went to www.gwithianfarm.co.uk/ last year and will be going again this year. Very clean/quiet site that is a short walk across a cabbage field to the beach.

[Wiggletastic]

We travelled from Scotland last year to a site near Mevagissey on the south coast. It was called Seaview International. We chose it because it had lots of facilities i.e. showers/toilets, shop, outdoor pool, laundry, play area but no bar/club. We prefer quieter sites and this was perfect and in a nice country location but close to lots of beaches and good places to visit i.e. Eden Project. The toilets/showers were spotless and the laundry was very useful. Mevagissey is a lovely little fishing port with pretty harbour and lots of nice shops and restaurants/cafes. We went off-season (DD is not school age yet) and it was great value but I don't think it is too expensive in high season.

[northender]

Wooda Farm near Bude was a mn recommendation and we enjoyed it there and would happily go back. Bude can be very windy though!

[mrspercival]

thanks, I'll look at these sites, anyone else got any suggestions? its snowing outside so I'm dreaming of summer sunshine

[Ineedtinsel]

Theres quite a lot around the Padstow area, do you use UK campsite, I know some people on here don't like it but it's useful for finding sites and then you can go to the sites own website if it has one.

We are going camping in cornwall too this year, last year we went to the river dart country park, it was brilliant for the kids but is Devon, worth a look though.

Good luck whatever you decide.

[wildbillhickok]

Another vote for Gwithian Farm - lovely quiet friendly vibe, clean and comfy facilities and great beaches within a few minutes walk.

[pipsy76]

Sun Haven Valley, friendly guinea pigs, play area, can walk to lovely Mawgan Porth beach, about 15 mins from padstow

[NappyShedSal]

I'm not telling you mine It's so lovely that I don't want anyone else to find out about it!!!

[serin]

That's helpful and sweet of you NappyShed

[NappyShedSal]

Sorry I couldn't resist. Anyway, it's South Penquite Farm on Bodmin Moor. They do restrict numbers so it's never over-busy, but is often difficult to get booked into.

[MaryMotherOfCheeses]

parbola was interesting. We weren't in the woods. Our bit was all smaller areas divided by hedges and we were in the one next to the playing field, which DS loved. It's not the best location though. Inland, and the nearby village is just pretty non descript, so it's a car to go anywhere.

[abgirl]

Treloan on the Roseland Penisula was fantastic. Great showers, friendly staff and lots of lovely cornish villages nearby. Fab setting with the sea on 2 sides. Bring and share bbq every wednesday with songs round the fire, great experience for our 2 DSs. Highly recommended.

[Tikkabillajive]

Another vote for Gwithian! We absolutely loved it last year and will hopefully go again this year. Only thing that put me off was driving back out of Cornwall at the end of half term - it took forever.

Treloan sounds lovely too abgirl.

[goodmanners]

I like look of gwitheon , was it windy as the bushes in the gallery look as if they are being blown alot

[Tikkabillajive]

Actually yes it was VERY windy (we were there in May half term). One evening we couldn't get our (admittedly crap) stove to stay lit at all and had to go out for fish and chips.

[mrspercival]

This is providing me with just what I wanted, thank you all. Glad nappyshedsal shared her top tip, it looks great, I love their website and what they're doing there so that is one of my favourites. I had thought we'd be near the coast rather than inland but theres no real reason for that. I love the look of Gwithian farm too.
I sympathise with tikkabillajive on the exit from Cornwall traffic but hoping that camping will give us chance to travel on nonpeak day

[NappyShedSal]

One good thing about being inland is that you can decide to go the north coast or south coast depending on the weather.

We are not camping in Cornwall this year as we're visting friends in the Alps and camping there instead [brave smiley]

[goodmanners]

I am ruling out windy as we have a vango with an porch extension which i dont think would hold up to wind, i am also ruling out midgey ridden places.

[goodmanners]

oooo nappyshed im liking the look of the yurts on that site!

[MilaMae]

We went to Gwithian in August and it was ok.

Obviously heaving(beach,cafes and campsite) and there were quite a few knobs when we were staying(eg head of Boden family who asked the fish and chip van to cook his families fish in foil not batter,then smirked at us all in the queue,seemed to spend the whole time jogging round the site in bare feet-just because I guess).

It just seemed to be full of those upper middle class,entirely Boden/Jules clad families striding round with surfboards and teenage kids trying to show the world how right on they were. I have never seen so many immaculate campers in my life, it was quite intimidating

We did meet a couple of nice families though.

There was also a big gang of very loud kids that were quite nasty to the younger kids,spent most of the time racing round on bikes and seemed to enjoy torturing the guinea pigs.

There is nowhere for kids to play other than the central field which can get taken over however we bought a kite which they loved(kites very popular). The nearest s/market is Lidl which I was getting sick of eventually. There are others further afield but you need to be quite organised if you don't have ehu.

The curry van was fab,the pub is extortionate,site owner lovely.

Sorry to be slightly neg but it didn't quite do it for us. We may have been unlucky with the other campers though,it just had a funny feel iykwim.

[Tikkabillajive]

MilaMae that sounds hideous! It sounds quite different to how it was in May half term - was definitely very middle class but mostly families with young children when we were there and I didn't notice too many dreadfuls - or maybe I just blocked them out!

Our kids are only little though so we tend to keep ourselves to ourselves - I can tell that other campers will be harder to ignore as the dcs start branching out and making friends!

Your description of the barefoot, surfboard-carrying immaculate campers made me smile wryly though - I know that type all too well. I could see how it would be like that in the height of the summer hols - although I kind of imagine much of Cornwall to be full of the same type.

The owner is really nice isn't she - and I liked the fact that she came round each evening making sure all was in order!

[FessaEst]

We loved Mother Ivey's. It's not cheap and down narrow lanes, but easy reach of Padstow etc, and immaculate site with it's own amazing beach, and sandy play area. Lots of ammenities, showers were clean, shop covered basic needs. We went out of peak season, so not sure how ir would be at the height of summer.

[Mum72]

Chy carne on the Lizard. Have been the past 2 years for 3 weeks and will be back again this summer.
The toilet facilities are good and they are in the middle of building a new additional shower block which will be ready for next summer. Its a 10 minute walk down to the beach (Kennack Sands). The views of the coast are amazing.
The site has a small shop and sells cooked pizzas. There is a small games room (but my DC have never used it) A nice play area and a marquee with tables and chairs in which is free to use - ideal for socialising or hanging out/eating in on a damp evening/afternoon. There are fire pits dotted around the site for camp fires and chimineas for you use on your own pitch should you wish - all free.

If you prefer it quiet(er) dont book the 2 weeks from 23rd July until 6th August as there is a big ralley on that has entertainment and can be noisy - however all other times this is a lovey laid back and quiet(bar children playing) campsite.
www.chycarne.co.uk/

[AllSheepareWhite]

Treen campsite see here was good, it is near Porthcurno, has a small shop on site. Has been a few years since I went there and from the website it looks like they have revamped the facilities, maybe someone else on MNet will know what it is like now. It is very beautiful and remote around there with lots of great walking to be done. Also it is close enough for you to walk to the beach and to the fantastic Minack Theatre, an open air cliff-side theatre with stunning views see here.

[bilblio]

I'm with NappyShed. SouthPenquite is fantastic. I'm already planning my trip back this year. I wrote a review on Mumsnet, I almost didn't because like NappyShed I don't want anyone else to go there :o
The showers are nicer than mine at home.

We decided this year our key things for camping are quiet site but excellent showers.

South Penquite also has small play room (pool, table football, duplo and books) with a comfy sofa where DD & I went in the morning so she could play, I could rest and DH could come and fetch us when he'd woken up properly and made us breakfast :)