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Original poster

CenterParcs - How does Whinfell compare to Sherwood?

16 replies

HomeIsWhereTheHeartIs · 28/10/2014 22:03

I have been brought up as a die hard Sherwood Forest fan, but DH and I are thinking of doing the unthinkable by going to Whinfell next year. Parents are horrified How do the two compare?
I went on a day pass to Whinfell about 15 years ago just after it was bought out by CP and I remember it felt a bit like the poor relation to Sherwood. Tell me things have changed and the trees have grown a bit by now?
We have one DC who will be nearly 2. We will take our own bikes I imagine.

OP posts:
SquishSquasherHellHounds · 28/10/2014 22:10

I've been to both.
I prefer Sherwood, but would be equally happy going to either.
Whinfell feels like a smaller setting, but that's probably because the lake is smaller.
The slides in the pool are better at Sherwood, but the waves are better at Whinfell.
I like that all the shops are undercover at Whinfell, where at Sherwood it's not.

Thinking about it, I prefer Sherwood because I've never had to be there with FIL, so I'm probably biased.

So there you go, a pointless, badly written answer Blush

Pancakeflipper · 28/10/2014 22:19

Whinfell was an Oasis park before being bought by Centre Parcs. It has the advantage you can escape to beautiful walks around Ullswater very easily.

Original poster
HomeIsWhereTheHeartIs · 28/10/2014 22:21

Thanks for the reply! We are thinking of going in Spring, so maybe the shops all undercover might be a good thing... I also love the Village Square at Sherwood with the ducks and the trees. Not the same now Chez Pierre has gone though.
Trouble with having been to Sherwood with my parents so many times, is that it feels like I am 'taking' DH on one of our family holidays. So Whinfell would be a new experience for both of us.
Is it as forest-y as Sherwood? From some of the pictures it looks a bit bare. Can you recommend an area to stay?

OP posts:
SquishSquasherHellHounds · 28/10/2014 22:54

It's foresty, but iirc Sherwood has more native trees, whinfell is more coniferous.
Our best stay was in the top right hand corner (will try to find it), it was lovely and quiet.

SquishSquasherHellHounds · 28/10/2014 22:55

Meadow view, that was it!

AliceMum09 · 28/10/2014 23:49

We've stayed in Meadow View. It was nice. Bit of a trek to the village centre though, especially if you forget that it's Sunday and the Parc Market that you were heading to for food has closed at 4pm (that was my sister, not me!)

I've also been to Sherwood Forest (that's less than an hour from us, but we tend to go to Whinfell annually for a big family get-together because my sister is in Glasgow so that's a good half-way meeting point). It was almost 10 years ago now, but I remember thinking that the village centre is nicer at Sherwood because it is all outdoors and 'separate'. If you eat that the restaurants at Whinfell it feels like you are sitting in a food court at a shopping centre, rather than being in a separate building. But the accommodation looks nicer at Whinfell, it's more nice lodges than the 'portacabin in the woods' feel I got from Sherwood. But I have a feeling they might have altered the look of the Sherwood Forest ones by cladding them with wood, I just remember a greyish pebble dash effect - not good!

Original poster
HomeIsWhereTheHeartIs · 29/10/2014 13:57

Thanks, I will have a look at the accommodation map tonight.

OP posts:
whatnoblackshoes · 29/10/2014 14:09

Winfell is hilly! We preferred it to Sherwood.

IsabellaofFrance · 31/10/2014 08:15

Glad to find this thread, we are off to Whinfell for the first time in Feb, having been to Sherwood at least 10 times.

Racers · 31/10/2014 08:34

We are closer to Whinfell and have been many times. We went once to Sherwood, although my experience was not great partly because I was quite poorly and with a 3m old breastfed baby and had driven there with pericarditis (I found out afterwards) - so knackered! Lake was nice and big but having just seen Woburn's "pond", I'd say lake at Whinfell is fine (also, very close to rather a lot of other lakes so it's not a big selling point in some ways). We had poor weather so I didn't so much like the open air centre, but it was lovely at Woburn because the sun shone. Much prefer the accommodation at Whinfell. Seven Pines is great, Three Oaks, too. Our children were a bit young for the activities at Sherwood but they are excellent at Whinfell. Really good new playground for age 5-12 ish. Spa very nice, prefer it to Sherwood because it has a proper (small) outdoor pool. (Woburn spa was amazing if you ever get a chance to go). We started going about 9 years ago and it has always felt quite forresty. It has been there quite a while as an Oasis as said upthread. Agree about pool slides, Whinfell's haven't got the wow factor as much but we all still love it.

Racers · 31/10/2014 08:35

Oops sorry did I write that much. And with no paragraphs?!! :-o

IsabellaofFrance · 31/10/2014 08:40

We are staying at Badgers Wood.

Doingthedo · 31/10/2014 08:48

Whinfell is different to Sherwood but still lovely, red squirrels made up for the hills for me, and seeing a badger outside our lodge!

juneybean · 31/10/2014 08:49

I found whinfell a bit dirty and disappointing :(

Original poster
HomeIsWhereTheHeartIs · 31/10/2014 19:11

Thanks for all of these new replies!! I had forgotten about the red squirrels, so that would be a real treat :) are most of the villas 2 storey? And do they come with baby gates?

OP posts:
Racers · 31/10/2014 22:31

2 storey will have baby gates but not all are two storey, there's a lot of single storey lodges too.

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