 Ah, yes, you're right, MW, I wasn't looking at the backpackers rates.
|
 |
 I haven't used one for a few years, but the extra non-member fee used to be about £5.50, so bound to be even more now! Your probably looking at 7 or 8 quid per night extra for non-backpackers. It's to stop the hoolies spoiling it for everyone. It's 30 odd quid a year to join if it's your thing... if not, that's your choice I 'spose! Ravenglass is a good example of a small, well run site that caters for all (with a very good shop). It would be a s**t pit if run as a commercial site. Jen - what CCC campsite made you carry your tent and did you tell them you had a heavy tent before hand? Most have mini tractors that are used to help people out.
|
 |
 I think it was the Windemere site - I did say when I was booking in that I would struggle to carry it, but they really weren't interested at all. I was not impressed!
|
 |
I've stayed a few times at the Leek CCC campsite near to the Roaches and have also never been charged the £7.10 non-members pitch fee per pitch per night, just the £1.50 difference between member and non-member backpacking rates, even when I've backpacked all the way from the bus stop just outside the site. Excellent clean, quiet site at £6 to £8 per night for non-member backpackers, a pound or two cheaper than car-bound members. The non back packers rates have no premium for non-members, just the flat pitch fee. So it is expensive for single drivers, but less so for couples or families.
|
| Edited: 18/05/11 22:16 |
 Jen - I've stayed at Windemere and whilst it is not my favorite site, can't remember anywhere that you can't get easy access to by car. (The CCC pride themselves on disabled services BTW). However, why not get in touch with the CCC themselves. They take complaints very seriously!
|
 |
 I should have done at the time - but I fear it's a little late now, it must have been about 4 or 5 years ago!
|
 |
 I should have done at the time - but I fear it's a little late now, it must have been about 4 or 5 years ago! Tsk, that's a shame. Were you a member by the way? I've had my tent carried from my car and set up for me on many occasion.
|
 |

I've had my tent carried from my car and set up for me on many occasion.
Those poor kids. I bet you get them to open your beer for you too 
|
 |
 When your a CCC member you have man servants that charge the glasses with the finest libations! 
|
 |
 I try to avoid them wherever possible, the only campsite I like is the one in Glen Nevis. I would have stayed at the one in Rothiemurchus for a night for the convenience of it couple of weeks back (after being on a coach all night) but the bloke running it is a tosser and it's also now too expensive for my liking so I bivvied/wild camped in the forest instead. They only piss me off the once. I wont stay at the one in Braemar again for that matter, in fact that ones even worse.
|
 |
|
|
 |
Well if you arive after closing time of the reception I just walk to the tent pitch area pitch my tent and see what happens... Most of the times next morning I register and unregister myself at the same time thanking kindly for the hospitality. Sometimes the caretaker appears in front of my tent. After a kind chat all is well, the administration still gets done in the morning.
|
 |
 Toilet block is/was keypad/key operated, IIRC, otherwise I'd do just that. Places like the Coylumbridge site pin up the swipe card on a board in an envelope if you let them know in advance you'll be late.
|
 |
 On the whole, I've found all of the campsites that I've visited are welcoming to backpackers/hikers, and that was as part of a group of 17 year olds who probably aren't normally the most welcome of visitors!
|
 |
 I have never wild camped, so I've used a lot of campsites recently. The reception for backpackers can vary a little, but as you're a paying customer its generally fairly friendly. On some sites however the tent field is limited or poor, almost as if it was added as an afterthought. At one site in Dalston for example the backpacking tents were placed on a narrow strip of grass, between a high garden wall and a path. Because the path was used by golfers to get from the course to the clubhouse/hotel you had a lot of people walking back and forth within a few feet of the tent even well into the evening. On the flip side though when I was camping near Wrexham it was so cold at night that the owner of the site came out about 9pm to see how I was coping. He even offered me a cup of tea that evening, and invited me in the next morning for toast and a cuppa.
|
 |
 I was turned away once from a near empty campsite with a CCC sign up (not sure what kind) because I wasn't a member. Cornwall or Devon somewhere. I was cycling from Lands End to John o' Groats and just working out where to stop each night based on how knackered I was towards end of day and where campsites were shown on the OS map.
I wasn't impressed that maps OS maps showed private campsites and rattled off a moan to the OS, but never got a response.
I've avoided CCC sites since.
Nice to know I might have just picked a bad one!
|
 |
 National Trust Campsites in the lakes offer a green discount for walkers/individuals arriving by public transport, this results in a pitch being £3 in the winter...
|
 |
..yes, and the one at Low Wray has a new toilet/shower block and shop. 
|
 |