Cycling UK Forum

Slowroad wrote: ↑26 Jan 2025, 8:43pm

https://bedalecampingandcaravanningpark.com/
A lovely site with excellent showers, indoor eating area, etc and very friendly folk running it. Five minute stroll to the town centre shops and pubs.

Looks nice! Just in case anyone gets confused, it's not a Camping and Caravanning Club site, despite the name...

Yet the sign says it is a C&CC 5 van certificated site.
Are they lying?

I’ve cycled past it a couple of times in recent years. It is used for club rallies too so can be busy

Sorry! Yes, I could have been clearer. As PWA has said, there are different C&CC sites, the Club sites, which are pretty standard in having good facilities and have the backerpacker/cyclist rates, and the Certificated sites, which are private and very varied in price and facilities.

Furkuk wrote: ↑26 Jan 2025, 9:50am I’ve been a member of C&CC since 2013 and never saw this group. Looks interesting. Do you have different groups for different areas? I live in the north west and cycle/camp to Hayfield or Delamere

No, but we have had meets at both Hayfield and Delamere.
The next meets are Canterbury (14 Feb), Barnard Castle (7 March) and Alton, The Star (28 March).
Let me know if you need any further information.

Slowroad wrote: ↑26 Jan 2025, 8:43pm

https://bedalecampingandcaravanningpark.com/
A lovely site with excellent showers, indoor eating area, etc and very friendly folk running it. Five minute stroll to the town centre shops and pubs.

Looks nice! Just in case anyone gets confused, it's not a Camping and Caravanning Club site, despite the name...

There are different types of C&CC site. This is not owned by the club, but has an arrangement with them. So (at least, when we used it a couple of years ago) it appeared in their handbook. Bedale appears to be a certificated site : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFNErnqiexM

Paulatic wrote: ↑27 Jan 2025, 12:58pm

Slowroad wrote: ↑26 Jan 2025, 8:43pm

https://bedalecampingandcaravanningpark.com/
A lovely site with excellent showers, indoor eating area, etc and very friendly folk running it. Five minute stroll to the town centre shops and pubs.

Looks nice! Just in case anyone gets confused, it's not a Camping and Caravanning Club site, despite the name...

Yet the sign says it is a C&CC 5 van certificated site.
Are they lying?

I’ve cycled past it a couple of times in recent years. It is used for club rallies too so can be busy.

Slowroad wrote: ↑26 Jan 2025, 8:43pm

https://bedalecampingandcaravanningpark.com/
A lovely site with excellent showers, indoor eating area, etc and very friendly folk running it. Five minute stroll to the town centre shops and pubs.

Looks nice! Just in case anyone gets confused, it's not a Camping and Caravanning Club site, despite the name...

Yet the sign says it is a C&CC 5 van certificated site.
Are they lying?

I’ve cycled past it a couple of times in recent years. It is used for club rallies too so can be busy.

Is the Caravan Club different from the Camping and Caravanning Club?

If not, then as discussed up-thread, the C&CC rebates/discounts for cyclists and hikers at some/all sites, so that I paid £12/night, for instance.

PS: The Caravan & Motorhome Club?? If so, good tip, because having just checked, they have a site that would be really useful to me, at £17.30/night, which isn’t cheap, but isn’t too bad! Thank you.

Furkuk wrote: ↑26 Jan 2025, 9:50am I’ve been a member of C&CC since 2013 and never saw this group. Looks interesting. Do you have different groups for different areas? I live in the north west and cycle/camp to Hayfield or Delamere

https://walkingandcycling.org.uk/
https://walkingandcycling.org.uk/Events/Map

I’ve been a member of C&CC since 2013 and never saw this group. Looks interesting. Do you have different groups for different areas? I live in the north west and cycle/camp to Hayfield or Delamere

I'm a member of the Camping and Caravan Club and the Association of Lightweight Campers, having joined both this year.
I joined the C&CC to give me access to the 'certificated sites' which are the independent small sites which you have to be a member to use (though off the record some will accept non-member tent campers). I like the C&CC for its reliability and being able to just turn up. However I have been told that this is now an 'unwritten rule' so it's something to keep an eye on. The prices have gone up over the last few years, but it's difficult to compare as the club has 'dynamic pricing' so different prices at different times. I've not paid less than £10 for years, but I do tend to need to go touring in school holidays which I guess are pricier. It was actually cheaper to do a few days as a car camper in term-time (I'd just had covid...) The sites do seem to be getting more caravan and motorhome oriented, with grass areas converted to hard standings, but I do appreciate that this is where the money comes in... So it's all a bit complicated but they are efficient, well-run sites with helpful, friendly staff.
I joined the ALC because they sounded like nice people! They are, and I'm hoping to join more meets next year.
As this thread begain talking about finding reasonably-priced campsites, it may be of interest for those of you on Facebook, that there's a new-ish group with the aim to map campsites in the UK suitable for cycle-tourers - under £16, no minimum stay, toilet at least, etc,. www.facebook.com/groups/cyclecampinguk
www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?ll=50.7941 ... 9dMYAW-aqE

Carlton green wrote: ↑7 Dec 2024, 9:11am

Bmblbzzz wrote: ↑6 Dec 2024, 12:40pm I'm not a big fan of C&CC sites, but as Nearholmer says, they're useful every now and again for showers, laundry and even kitchen. But as for them publicising the "backpacker rate", well maybe they will (though that might be self-defeating?) – but this is a club which, in its magazine, distinguished between "camping" and the minority sub-genre of camping known (to them) as "tent camping". So it's clear where their interests lie.

To my mind that’s a bit judgemental and harsh. Caravan and motor home camping can be done nearly all year round and the income from that near continuous - if peaky - activity helps - ensures even - that sites are available (open and in business) to tent campers too. One could say that their interest lies in making sites available to all and that to do so they needed to be inclusive whilst responding to business needs. From the little camping that I’ve done over the years I’d say that metal box campers were positive towards ‘canvas’ ones and vice versa. There is no us and them but there is identification to ensure that everyone is catered for.

Hi Carlton,
I think that's a very nice and intelligent observation. I can also understand Bmblbzzz's point of view.
I agree with you, metal box campers are positive towards canvas ones and I think it's really helpful to have conversations with metal box campers and site staff while we are there. Often they are especially fascinated that we can arrive on our cycles, with all the stuff we need to exist there. It's also true that there are metal box campers who were once canvas campers but for a variety of good reasons can no longer canvas camp.
As usual actually talking to each other is a great way to dispel stereotypes and make friends!

Bmblbzzz wrote: ↑6 Dec 2024, 12:40pm I'm not a big fan of C&CC sites, but as Nearholmer says, they're useful every now and again for showers, laundry and even kitchen. But as for them publicising the "backpacker rate", well maybe they will (though that might be self-defeating?) – but this is a club which, in its magazine, distinguished between "camping" and the minority sub-genre of camping known (to them) as "tent camping". So it's clear where their interests lie.

To my mind that’s a bit judgemental and harsh. Caravan and motor home camping can be done nearly all year round and the income from that larger and near continuous - if peaky - activity helps - ensures even - that sites are available (open and in business) to tent campers too. One could say that their interest lies in making sites available to all and that to do so they needed to be inclusive whilst responding to business needs. From the little camping that I’ve done over the years I’d say that metal box campers were positive towards ‘canvas’ ones and vice versa. There is no us and them but there is identification to ensure that everyone is catered for.

Bmblbzzz wrote: ↑6 Dec 2024, 12:40pm I'm not a big fan of C&CC sites, but as Nearholmer says, they're useful every now and again for showers, laundry and even kitchen. But as for them publicising the "backpacker rate", well maybe they will (though that might be self-defeating?) – but this is a club which, in its magazine, distinguished between "camping" and the minority sub-genre of camping known (to them) as "tent camping". So it's clear where their interests lie.

Hi Bmblbzzz, I absolutely agree but the facilities are there to be used and the price is right! Cycling UK have 70,000+ members, there are countless others who go bike packing and touring, if more of us start using their sites we might just start to change perceptions, and save some of our money too...

mattheus wrote: ↑6 Dec 2024, 1:02pm

NigelonForum wrote: ↑6 Dec 2024, 11:17am

scottm wrote: ↑6 Dec 2024, 10:16am Interesting to know that, even as a non-member, there's a reduced backpacker rate.

t's a shame this info isn't made more widely available, I can't count the amount of times I've been searching for a camp, input my details to a C&CC website and baulked at paying the very high price presented, and so looked elsewhere.

Hi scottm,
Yes, I agree, even amongst it's own members it is not well known. Perhaps the Club will recognise the great potential amongst bike packers/tourists and back packers and more openly promote the "back packer rate".

Over the years this has been mentioned many times in camping threads, and frankly the situation always seemed muddy.

So this thread is much appreciated for bringing clarity. And telling us about https://www.lightweightcampers.org.uk/ !

p.s. @nigel I think you need a couple of more "lightweight" photos for this page: https://www.lightweightcampers.org.uk/social-camping !!! ;-)

Hi Matteus,
Thanks for your positive response and your great suggestion!
I've just replaced all those pictures, they are not ideal but definitely more lightweight - told you I was a volunteer webmaster!!

NigelonForum wrote: ↑6 Dec 2024, 11:17am

scottm wrote: ↑6 Dec 2024, 10:16am Interesting to know that, even as a non-member, there's a reduced backpacker rate.

t's a shame this info isn't made more widely available, I can't count the amount of times I've been searching for a camp, input my details to a C&CC website and baulked at paying the very high price presented, and so looked elsewhere.

Hi scottm,
Yes, I agree, even amongst it's own members it is not well known. Perhaps the Club will recognise the great potential amongst bike packers/tourists and back packers and more openly promote the "back packer rate".

Over the years this has been mentioned many times in camping threads, and frankly the situation always seemed muddy.

So this thread is much appreciated for bringing clarity. And telling us about https://www.lightweightcampers.org.uk/ !

p.s. @nigel I think you need a couple of more "lightweight" photos for this page: https://www.lightweightcampers.org.uk/social-camping !!! ;-)

I'm not a big fan of C&CC sites, but as Nearholmer says, they're useful every now and again for showers, laundry and even kitchen. But as for them publicising the "backpacker rate", well maybe they will (though that might be self-defeating?) – but this is a club which, in its magazine, distinguished between "camping" and the minority sub-genre of camping known (to them) as "tent camping". So it's clear where their interests lie.