Disappointed

15 August 2026 at 15:44:36
We have visited this campsite for five years in a row, and having just returned home from our latest two-week stay, I genuinely felt I couldn’t sit here and not leave a review. I really hope the management take the time to read this and act on some of the issues, because unfortunately this will be... our last visit.
Firstly, the location is absolutely stunning. Being right on the river is what brought us back year after year, and I can’t fault the setting. It really is a beautiful place. Unfortunately, I now feel the campsite has become far too reliant on its location rather than maintaining the standards that should come with the prices being charged.
We actually booked a specific riverside pitch last year while we were staying at the campsite, specifically so we knew where we would be when we returned. On arrival this year, we discovered we’d simply been moved elsewhere. Although we were still on the river, the replacement pitch was badly uneven. We were camping in a tent and, as a result, we slept poorly for pretty much the entire two weeks. If you allow guests to book specific pitches a year in advance, those bookings should be honoured.
The biggest issue, however, was the cleanliness. In five years of visiting, this is by far the worst I have ever seen it. The toilets and showers were frankly disgusting at times. I genuinely felt dirtier coming out of the shower than when I went in. Toilet paper was constantly running out, as was hand soap. At one point, someone came around with one toilet roll for the six of us, explaining that they couldn’t get a delivery. We were told to just walk up to reception and ask for more when we needed it.
The problem wasn’t confined to the toilet blocks either. There was grime everywhere, including around the pool area. At one point my nephew slipped over in foul water from an overflowing toilet, which is completely unacceptable.
My impression is that more and more lodges and cabins have been added because they generate more income than standard camping pitches, but the staffing and facilities simply haven’t increased enough to cope with the additional number of guests. If you’re going to increase capacity, you also need to increase the resources required to keep the site clean, safe and properly maintained.
There were safety concerns around the bar area too. I completely understand that glasses get dropped and smashed, and staff did make an effort to sweep the glass up. Unfortunately, it wasn’t done thoroughly enough and two people in our group ended up with shards of glass in their feet. That simply shouldn’t happen.
Another situation summed up the lack of thought given to guests. During prime dinner time, when lots of people were collecting pizzas from the snack bar and having evening drinks, a huge storm arrived. Obviously nobody can control the weather, but there appeared to be absolutely no contingency plan. Around 100 people were crammed into the tiny bar trying to shelter while holding food and drinks.
Meanwhile, the restaurant seating area was sitting empty, yet people weren’t allowed to use it. We eventually went and sat at the tables in the soft-play area to eat. The following day, a member of staff actually told us off for doing so. Considering the circumstances, that was unbelievable.
The restaurant itself is another area that has sadly gone backwards. Before the campsite was taken over by the larger company, we remember the restaurant serving genuinely good-quality food. We booked the Thursday mussels special this time and they were honestly some of the worst mussels I’ve ever had. They had virtually no flavour and a significant number hadn’t even opened.
Shade around the pool is another issue. There are fixed umbrellas, but nowhere near enough of them, particularly when temperatures reached 38°C. We even witnessed another customer being told to take down their own umbrella that they’d brought to provide some shade, leaving them sitting in extreme heat with no protection. I cannot understand the logic behind that.
The food situation during the day isn’t much better, with the snack bar closing between 2pm and 6pm. Thankfully, the fantastic guys down at the canoe place by the river serve great food and were an absolute lifesaver. Without them, the options during those hours would have been extremely limited.
Then there are facilities such as the mini golf course, which are desperately in need of investment. The condition of it is almost comical — it genuinely looks like something somebody made on Blue Peter in the 1990s.
What makes this review particularly disappointing to write is that we have loved coming here. Five consecutive years speaks for itself. We didn’t return year after year because we disliked the place. The river and surrounding setting are fantastic, and this campsite has the potential to be brilliant.
But it feels as though the priority has shifted towards squeezing more accommodation onto the site and generating more revenue, rather than investing that money back into the basic facilities, cleanliness, maintenance and staffing that existing guests actually experience.
Instead of another row of cabins next year, I would much rather see investment in clean toilet and shower facilities, more cleaning staff, better pool facilities and shade, improved food provision, proper maintenance and facilities that can actually cope with the number of people staying here.
Unfortunately, after five years of returning and making some great memories here, this year’s experience has made the decision for us.
We won’t be returning.
I genuinely hope management takes reviews like this seriously, because the campsite has an incredible location and so much potential. It would be a real shame to see that squandered.
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