The perfect campsite

[DiplomaticDecorum]

Would have what? We're thinking about starting one, so obviously can't change the location, but it's level and sheltered. Would be Caravan Club with 5 vans, or Caravan and Camping Club with 5 vans and 5 tents, do people tend to be members of both? Or do you have a preference?

Facilities would be water, waste point, electric, and a portacabin type thing with toilet and shower in. Other things would be picnic benches, a couple of whirly clothes dryers (with pegs). There's also a small dog walk (must be on lead).

We were wondering about fencing off a small area in the centre of the site - would farm animals be welcome there? Or a decent fence for a dog area, or keep at as a safe play area for small kids? Also would day kennels interest anyone? Probably away from the site in case of barking.

Anything else that would make it a better camp? Or any things to avoid? A gin bar and free childcare would be a bonus, but can't really manage it for £10/night!

LOL lots of the ‘noise’ comments on site reviews feature cockerels

I’d be fine with grain lorries at 8, less fine with combined the other side of the fence til 4am / starting at first light 4am.

Caravans are better for this, tents provide zero sound insulation.

We have a cockerel, he keeps the ladies calm and looks after them beautifully.

We wouldn't go to a campsite where we couldn't have a fire. It's an essential for us. If you're worried about the fire risk would you consider some sort of fire pits to hire out? Makes money and keeps the ground from being scorched. We have been to plenty of working farm sites that will allow fire pits.

Yes, I have to say, a campfire is our number 1 priority as well.

I didn't realise that fires were such a thing. I have friends who camp and they fill the car to the roof with stuff, I don't think they'd have space for bags of firewood too.

Do you have a communal fire? Or one for every tent? Even on a small 5/10 pitch site? Just from curiosity really, the site would be next to ponies/sheep/goats on one side, with arable crops at the other side, so fires won't happen. I would also be concerned that people would start snapping bits of the fruit trees off (a few down the side of the field) or taking logs from the wood which is carefully managed for wildlife.

Best campsite I was at they had a freezer in the office stuffed with freezer packs so you could swap ones out for new ones. Brilliant.

Some sites sell bags of firewood, otherwise we tend to just go to the nearest petrol station and buy it once we've set up. Most have either firebaskets on a paving skab or a cleared patch of earth surrounded by stones on each pitch. They usually have very strict rules about not using wood taken from the site itself and the warden keeping an eye on it. We never used to bother with fires but once we'd tried it at a site we'd chosen for other reasons that was it, we want a fire every time noweven if we don't use it every night. Cooking on a campfire is really hard to beat.

@DiplomaticDecorum I find camping without a fire cold and depressing! Nearly all the sites we go to provide their own fire pits and their own bag of wood and kindling. We had friends who run a site (albeit bigger than yours) on a farm and have about 20 fire pits made out of old drums and then provide the firewood with a strict rule that the campers must make use that and must not forage for their own wood. They say it makes them quite a bit of easy money! Usually pay £5 to hire the pit and then around £8 for a small wheelbarrow of logs.

Oh and yes a freezer for blocks is essential.

Something like these but a bit smaller!!

I like campfires, no ehu, showers and toilets, a bath is nice to have, wash up area with a fridge/freezer, kettle and microwave, WiFi and parking next to tent. I also like tents around edge of field and play space for kids in the middle. If given the choice is prefer no dogs.

If you decide to allow fires (and I know a lot of campers who will pick a site that allows fires over one that doesn't!), you can specify that fires have to be raised (eg fire pit) and you can sell your own kindling which has the multiple advantages of ensuring wood used is dry and seasoned, stops people scouring the area clean of fallen wood and makes you a few extra pennies.

Other than that, maybe think about why people will be visiting your site, and tailor any facilities to that. People will want different facilities depending on whether you are in a walking area like the lakes, a jumping off point for tourist attractions such as just a couple of miles from P&R for a big tourist city or just a site in itself to chill out for a weekend.

Yes, tents round the edge, open area in the middle is great for families.

I like shower cubicles that are actually large enough to a. put stuff down without it getting wet. b. have a stool to sit on (cannot bear hopping on one leg trying to put pants on. c. have temperature controls.

I think fires go with a ‘style’ of camp and are not usually allowed where pitches are close to each other.

Lots of people don’t like fires because of the risk of sparks damaging the tent, or they don’t like the smell.

There are campers who pack the car (plus roof box plus trailer) with loads of camp furniture, slow cook pot, tapenaki grill, fridge, inflatable sofas, and more ‘back to basics ‘ campers who are less keen to recreate home comforts, are quite happy with eco / compost toilets, tend not to have massive tents but sit out under a tarp and cook over a fire. A lot of Cool Camping sites are like this, or look at the Camping Unplugged sites, or Beech Estates, for example.

And many ‘inbetween’ campers, of course.

You need to get yourself on Pitchup.com and UKCampsite.

I agree with everything that has been posted above but would also mentioned that we like sites that has some sort of the play area for the children to congregate. It then means that the children can all hang out and make new friends and chat as they play on the equipment which they may not tend to do otherwise. We also do not return to campsites that insist you have to leave on the Sunday by midday as often we have not got there until late Friday night and want to spend as long as possible there on the Sunday. If there is nobody coming on the pitch it is nice to give people this flexibility.

Caravan & Camping Club members here and we use a lot of the smaller sites, the best ones for us are those that only have the basics, so not really suitable for tents, as long as we have water and waste points we're good to go. We use a local one quite a bit that has a shed/summerhouse with a fridge with local produce in to buy (works on an honesty box system) and loads of local leaflets/maps to borrow.
They also encourage book swapping in there, with a donation tin for local Air Ambulance.
Been to loads of certified sites around the country, never seen a fire at any! Maybe we just pick the ones that are more for caravans:)
I would say start small and see what type of people the area attracts, older couples, young families etc and then you can add facilities and amenities as you go to suit that.

I'm not fussed about fires at all but like clean toilets and showers with somewhere to put your clothes where they won't get soaked while you're showering.

When I read it will be just 5 caravans I was imagining a very small yard but is it in fact a decent size field? I like plenty of space for the kids to run around and play. And a tyre swing or something for the kids to climb on would be appreciated too.

And if you're a working farm then the offer of a farm tour or being able to buy fresh produce would be great too.

It's not a big field - 0.6acre, which is about 2500m². It's big enough for 5 caravans plus 5 tents. I think the Caravan and Camping club allow 10, but tents knacker the grass, and I think it would be too many. I'd rather have fewer, nicer pitches.

We are very much a working farm, but not sure many would want to buy wheat and barley. Could sell a half lamb if around at the right time though. Happy to show people around though, and let them learn a little about how their food is produced.

We'd thought about play equipment, but I'm guessing that it will bring a whole new insurance into the equation?

I could not cope with a site where I have to park away from my tent. I camp on my own and use my car as a handy lockable cupboard for my valuables when I need to pop to the loo or something. It's also a nice warm place to sit. Love me, love my car.

I'm with Goldenbug. I don't like sites where you have to leave your car at the field gate and go backwards and forwards all the time. We use it to lock up valuables as well.

I look for a small site with a toilet/shower block and washing up facilities. Dogs allowed with an area to take them for exercise. A play area is a bonus but failing that an area to play catch, badminton, boules or just run about in safely away from the units.

Your forgotten cupboard is a good idea especially if you are not near a local shop. Wi-Fi is a bonus but not essential, we like to unplug but looking up local info, restaurants and weather is useful. Oh and enough bins. I'd love a kennel but we'd probably only use a day. Then we could visit a no dog beach or go to an attraction that doesn't allow dogs. I think it only works if you are in a place near these things though, if it's mainly fell walkers you might not get much business.

Some nice touches I've seen were, the option to buy eggs from the farm, local weather forecast put on a blackboard outside the office, a small kitchenette with a kettle and microwave for those with no EHU and a hot drinks machine in the office with a reasonable price. I went somewhere that had a dog shower once, brilliant.

Oh and be friendly, present and available but not intrusive. You'd be amazed how many owners seem to hate having campers...well don't then. I like rules to be enforced but not a huge wankey list of them. I went somewhere where my 12 year old couldn't go to the toilet alone

I think your site sounds nice and somewhere we would pick.

I don’t see how you can provide half these things for such a small number of units. The capital costs will be considerable.

I think this is why small sites take caravans which have more of their own infrastructure.

The last couple of small sites I have been to had an outdoor cold tap, compost toilets, and a shower in an outdoor wooden cubicle,

I realise you can't change the location but we only stay places that are a near a pub. Our tent is really small so we can't sit in it and if it's raining it's nice to have somewhere to go in the evening.

I know you can't change where the camp site is, but you can see if the ground is actually suitable for normal tent pegs or if campers need to get industrial ones

Our provisos for choosing camp sites are as follows; sea view, within walking distance a bonus. Pub in walking distance which allows dogs. Decent showers. The rest is just added extras if we can have these three things.