Who likes Centerparcs WHINFEL best?

[clottedcreamteawithscone]

not been before and thinking of going next May, why do you like it?

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I've been to all 5 and I'd put Whinfell as coming 4th out of 5 with the new one, Woburn as the worst. Sorry, I just didn't like it. If you have the choice, defSherwood or Elveden. Longleat No3 for me.

we always go to Sherwood as it's nearby, went to Elvedon years ago havent done Longlet and Woburn friends say give it a miss. So you like Elevedon why????

I'd say Elveden is very similar to Sherwood although the village square is indoors. The pool is good, esp for toddlers as they have their own big section rather than just a little bit like Sherwood. The high ropes are very good at Elveden with a zip wire that goes right across the lake. My 12 yr old &9yr old def prefer the high ropes at Elveden. I think the water sports are very good there too. The lake is bigger.
I think from your other thread you just have a 10yr old. In which case, give Whinfell a try, certainly. We have been twice but both times were when my eldest was under 7 and I also had a 5yr old and a 1yr old. So the stuff I was looking for at that time was good play areas and soft play. Both are a bit lacking at Whinfell so it didn't suit us at that time unlike Sherwood which has a good range of both.

I found Longleat a bit soulless because the village square was separate from the indoor area and there seemed to just be reams and reams of accommodation.

Whinfell was good for cycling though as quite spread out. Horse riding also very good there as it's a proper riding school just outside the CP site.

Woburn was very corporate orientated. Very sparse with regards trees etc (understandably) but the villas are in a straight line almost on top of each other. The pool is tiny in comparison to the others and I found it very expensive for not a lot of that CP feel.

So probably with one 10yr old I'd try Whinfell again. The accommodation is different with a lot of it 2storey. Oh just be aware if you're going in Oct that because the trees are (I think) Scots Pine so exceptionally tall, then it gets very dark and gloomy in the evening and we didn't find it very well lit but then we had a toddler and pushchair. Elveden def worth a visit though if not too far away esp if you like Sherwood.

We usually go to Whinfell. It's nice and we always enjoy it, but would probably go to Sherwood if it wasn't more expensive.
It feels smaller, which I think is down to the smaller lake, so there isn't the feeling of space that there is at Sherwood.
The waves are better at Whinfell, the slides are better at Sherwood.
Apart from that, there's not much between them, same restaurants, same shops.

I think the main difference with Sherwood is that the village square is outside so is, IMO, much more pleasant. Elveden is partly inside, partly out so the inside part seems more spacious and less claustrophobic. I dislike the sports cafe at Elveden as it always seems more of a bar than the one at Sherwood. More like a holiday camp type of thing, like you'd find at Haven. None of the others feel like that. I found the indoor bit of Whinfell very dark and oppressive though.

Yes itsnot, Sherwood village is much nicer, although undercover Whinfell has its benefits when it is raining.
Sherwood have more water sports on offer if that's your thing.

woburn pool is good for the slides for a ten year old. slides tropical cycloine v fast; and two others where you go on on rubber things; plus other slides going into the water. and rapids will occupy tween/teen for hours. zip wire goes across lake too... lake is big enough for half hour canoeing tho not massive.

if you go to outer areas there are more trees and forest like. also there is cycle trail outside which goes all round the whole centre - not advertised by CP.

(and easy to get to from london - depends where you live!)

We go to Whinfell a lot, it's a half way meeting point for our family in Yorkshire and my sister who lives in Glasgow.

It's got a different feel to the other Center Parcs because it wasn't originally built as a CP.

Only been to Sherwood and always loved it. Just felt like a proper retreat and not butlins.

GOSH now torn between Whinfell and Elvedon, have done Sherwood to death as close by.

DS 10 likes - rapids, slides, enjoyed underwater motor jets this year, cyclying

We like - all above as keeps DS happe :) and nice places to eat, we like Cafe Rouge at SF

Im a little jittery about going to Whinfell as I KNOW my DH will say ah let's have a wonder into the lakes whilst we are here ... if we are spending cira 700 for a week I want my monies worth not to be going out - or am I being silly????

So should it be Whinfell or Elevedon????