Jumbo Jungle

We have just returned from a stay at Bolbec Manor Campsite and came away feeling that it has fantastic potential. On arrival we received a warm, friendly welcome from the owners and were even given the choice of which pitch we preferred. The caravan pitches are spacious, private and well screened with hedging. The views across the moors are absolutely spectacular and are one of the site's biggest attractions. The location is excellent. Derwent Reservoir is only around a mile away and has a fantastic, large secure dog exercise field where our dogs enjoyed a proper run before we headed out each day. The site is also well placed for visiting Corbridge, Hexham and Weardale. There is a pub next door, although we didn't eat there as the dog-friendly bar area was quite small and no availability, so instead we drove into Consett for fish and chips, which was only a short drive away. One of our favourite touches was the owners' free-range hens wandering around the site. One had even made a nest of eggs at the end of our pitch and was happily sitting on them one morning, which was lovely to see. We completely appreciate the challenges of running a campsite alongside other work commitments and understand that improvements take time and significant investment. The current owners have made considerable improvements during the six years they have owned the site, and we recognise that these things evolve over time. However, there are a few things that prospective visitors should be aware of. For a site with 25+ pitches, there are only two male toilets, two female toilets and two showers. On Saturday morning I showered later than usual and there was no hot water left and had to shower in cold water. I was told the hot water is solar heated and stored in a tank, providing around an hour's worth of hot water, which had already been used. Thankfully, I had a lovely hot shower the following morning. The toilet and shower block is very basic and appears to have been built using a mixture of different materials, giving it a rather makeshift feel. That same impression is reflected throughout parts of the site, where several areas look as though they are still a work in progress or only partially finished. The chemical waste disposal consists of an old toilet in a wooden shed with no water supply, meaning I had to carry buckets of water from a nearby tap just to flush away the waste. As a result, I wasn't able to properly rinse out my caravan toilet cassette on site, and the disposal area itself also needed cleaning which was very poor. The washing-up area also didn't provide enough hot water for washing dishes effectively. Overall, we enjoyed our stay, particularly because of the peaceful pitches, beautiful scenery and welcoming owners. However, at the current price, we didn't feel the facilities offered good value. We've recently stayed at a campsite in Derbyshire for the same nightly fee, with multiple toilets and showers, a dog wash, laundry room, several washing-up stations and immaculate facilities throughout. By comparison, Bolbec Manor's facilities currently don't justify charging the same price. We genuinely hope the owners continue investing in the site because it really does have the potential to become an outstanding campsite in a beautiful location.

· via Google

Be aware! I stayed for only one night. I had booked through Pitchup.com for 4 nights. The second day we were asked to leave based on personal concerns with our ‘wellbeing’, regardless the campsite had been unavailable for days to arrange adequate assistance for a disabled person or amend the booking prior check in. In the end, we were promised a full refund processed immediately and pressured to leave so it ‘would make the owners feel better’ because of the poor weather conditions, not because of personal fault of ours or breach of policies and from that moment we never saw that refund again. Tried to contact the campsite for days and they keep ignoring communication. Don’t fall for this if it should happen to you. Very likely our booked spot was given to others, while we were charged for 4 nights and forced to stay 1.

· via Google

Great views and location . Hardstanding elec hook up pitches are very close to owners house so didnt feel private. Toilet block wasnt the cleanest and looks like its been half built for quite some time now . No hand dryers or paper towels to dry hands, bins were overflowing the 2 nights we stayed so obviously hadnt been cleaned or checked in that time. Shower screens dirty , toilet & shower room floors dirty . Has potential to be a great site with some pitch upgrades & renovation of toiket block completed and cleaned regular but as it stands its overpriced

· via Google

Booked a last-minute overnight stay at this new site and was really impressed. It’s a lovely, pretty location with fabulous views. The site is small but really well laid out, and we were greeted at the site house and shown to our pitch, which was a nice personal touch. There are still a few bits being finished off as it’s a work in progress, but that’s easy to overlook when everything else is so peaceful and well thought out. Definitely one to watch as it develops further — we’ll happily return!

· via Google