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Camping

Our UK Camping forum has all the information you need on finding the right equipment for your tent or caravan.

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Original poster

Just returned from worst campsite I've ever stayed on - come and share my pain!

50 replies

slayerette · 08/08/2009 13:28

Beautiful beautiful location in Dorset (which I love) ruined by a horrible site

Booked in February to turn up last Saturday and be told to 'pitch wherever you can find a space'. Squeezed into a tiny space; essentially it felt as if we were camping on a grass car park. That was certainly all we could see around our tent - other campers' cars. No welcoming smile at reception, no 'How was your journey?' as we've had at other sites.

My sister came down to visit for the day and was charged £10 to come onto the site. When we expressed surprise at this, she was told to 'Get off the site, now' if she didn't like the rules. I have never met such appalling customer service as I did on this site. Any queries were met with offhand rudeness.

The mark up on goods in the shop was way above that which you might expect in a campsite shop (sample tin - 90p in Tesco, £1.75 here) and they were even charging for carrier bags.

The site was busy, noisy and so crowded. We had lovely days out but our hearts sank at the thought of returning to the site in the evenings.

If anyone has any recommendations for good sites near Weymouth, we'd love to try to have a better experience next year because the location is gorgeous!

OP posts:

MollieO · 08/08/2009 13:29

Ooo you must name and shame!

ipiratethief · 08/08/2009 13:32

name please, that awful. I would be writing to them. In fact we all could inundate them and shame them!

flossie64 · 08/08/2009 13:32

It must be a haven site ,they are truely crap.

Original poster

slayerette · 08/08/2009 13:35

Am I allowed to name and shame? It was Sea Barn Farm just outside Weymouth. I was nearly in tears over the incident with my sister; I felt so embarrassed because she'd driven for over an hour to meet up with me there.

I am definitely going to be writing to them. Do you think it does sound awful then - I'm not just being precious and expecting too much?

OP posts:

lisad123 · 08/08/2009 13:37

name and shame. Does it have to be weymouth?

Original poster

slayerette · 08/08/2009 13:40

I just really liked Weymouth itself and completely fell in love with Abbotsbury as well. So certainly that stretch of Dorset.

OP posts:

MollieO · 08/08/2009 13:55

You should post a review on the UK Campsite website too.

sarah293 · 08/08/2009 14:25

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

GeneHunt · 08/08/2009 14:45

They don't mention a £10 charge in their rules on-line. Sneaky.

Curiousmama · 08/08/2009 14:49

Are you on my website mums-tent.webs.com? If not could you join and copy/post the review you put on uk campsite (if you do)
I think you should name and shame. It's appalling to be treated like cattle.

Hope you find a campsite near weymouth you like.

PeachyLaPeche · 08/08/2009 14:58

Feat site near Weymouth? Easy- East Fleet (stayed last year, loved it as would yu by sound of it)

Will avoid Sea Barn now- sounds awful!

Carrier bag charging the norm many palces now, indeed compulsory here in Wales either now or shortly I believe.

PeachyLaPeche · 08/08/2009 14:58

Sorry, GREAT site- doh!

flatcapandpearls · 08/08/2009 15:02

We have camped at sea barn farm and our school has used it, infact I think I have recommended it on here. Never had any problems.

PeachyLaPeche · 08/08/2009 15:10

Sometimes sites fab out of season are tempted to take too many bookings otr just cannot cope in peak times? No idea, but could be the case here?

flatcapandpearls · 08/08/2009 15:13

Maybe, I have only stayed out of season.

Original poster

slayerette · 08/08/2009 17:14

Ooh Peachy - we saw East Fleet Farm when we were walking along the South West Coast path and had a nose around - it looked great. Big pitches and no charge for day visitors (we asked and they looked at us as if we were slightly mad before saying 'Er - no' in that 'why the hell would you charge for day visitors?' tone of voice). So glad you can recommend it because we are definitely thinking of booking there next year.

Have posted a review on Tripadvisor and will definitely put one on the UK campsite one as well.

Flatcap - it may well be a seasonal thing. They were full to overflowing last week and I wasn't the only unhappy camper. The people next door to us left two nights early because they couldn't stand it any longer.

I know carrier bag charging is getting more and more common but you know when one thing happens which is the last straw? It was that!

OP posts:

FantasticMissFox · 08/08/2009 17:42

I second East Fleet Farm- v good there- I stayed on West Fleet Farm in June which is Sea Barns sister campsite- site was nice but staff were not so helpful.

PeachyLaPeche · 08/08/2009 17:45

East Fleet is the MN staple of yore, pre-Bracelands ' Christchurch.

nikkid21 · 09/08/2009 19:43

Osmington mills - now called Rosewall is the other side of Weymouth (just down the road from Ewleaze) and is very nice.

nannyL · 09/08/2009 22:45

make sure you write a review on UK campsite

be factual rather then expressing your opinions so others know not to bother with that site!

delllie · 10/08/2009 20:43

We have used this camp for years with no problems at all, we have always received a warm welcome (infact the lady in the shop goes out of her way to accomodate us) but do agree that the last couple of years the peak times are getting very crowded.

silentnights · 21/08/2009 13:12

August is the peak season for all camping parks so not expecting to see other people's cars and tents is pretty unreasonable. The views from this park are truly amazing - see the web site www.seabarnfarm.co.uk.I expect if there wasn't a charge for visitors' guests and their cars it would be even busier. It seems only fair to expect to pay for access to services that all other customers have paid for. You wouldn't expect to take along a friend for free anywhere else, would you? If everyone did it, no one would enjoy their holiday. If it is a popular site, and it seems to be, perhaps it is because the majority of customers enjoy their stay. I, for one, like to get a good night's sleep and so do most parents. The park has rules to try and ensure everyone enjoys their stay and these are available on the web. By the way, there are plenty of supermarkets in the area. The nearest is five miles. Ask politely at the shop and I'm sure the people there will give you directions.

UnquietDad · 21/08/2009 15:14

How did they make your sister pay? Do they have turnstiles with armed border guards and machine-gun turrets? Most campsites I've been to are wander-in wander-out.

We went with Canvas to a Yelloh site in France this year, and we all had to wear wristbands to aid "identification" at the car barrier, but as far as I'm aware nobody ever checked.

TheFallenMadonna · 21/08/2009 15:19

We had to wear wristbands at our french site too UQD, and they hauled a boy of about 5 out of the pool to go and get a new one from reception because his had come off. For another 'non-refundable deposit' (that would be a charge then ) of 3Euros.

Silentnights, are you by any chance connected with the campsite the OP refers to?

TheFallenMadonna · 21/08/2009 15:20

And we all had a special code for getting through the car park barrier too. Very strict.

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