This site review is based on our visit in October 2017 during the half-term week, when we stayed for five nights. It is the first of hopefully many that the guys from Legs Down will be producing for us.
Access was straightforward and the site is easily reached from the M25, however it is worth following the directions provided by the club as you avoid a sizeable stretch of sometimes single track road. Our Site Arrival Video shows the route from the M40 having travelled via the M4 then M25.
The warden was friendly and helpful and indicated on a map what pitches were available – there was only three so it didn’t take much of a drive around to chose – and there are only fifty pitches anyway – all hardstanding. Check out the site plan HERE and our site tour HERE
The facilities were all located in the same building as the reception – the laundry on the side and the showers, toilets and washing up area via a door at the back. The newer colour scheme suggested that they’d been refurbished in the last few years and were kept very clean and tidy throughout our stay. Here too was the information area with an array of leaflets but also information on local buses, trains, pubs and directions to local attractions and walks.
There were two of the usual club service points offering fresh water, waste water and chemical toilet disposal and a dedicated motorhome point for fresh and waster water too. Given the size of the site nothing was very far away.
During the day there was some noise from the nearby airfield but it ceased at dusk and the site was very quiet at night. The club rate their site WiFi as Bronze – we found it ok for general browsing. Download speeds hovered around the 1Mbps mark – upload was a quarter of that. All the major mobile networks had a good 4G signal.
One of the selling points of the site is it’s proximity to London. Denham station is a five minute drive away, although fitter campers might walk it in twenty-five minutes or so. There was plenty of room in the car park when we stopped there – parking is £7.00 all day if you arrive before 10am or £4.00 after. Those with a Blue Badge park for free but must register their vehicle registration number at the ticket office.
Trains will whisk you into London Marylebone roughly three times an hour taking around 22 minutes, or if you fancy going in the opposite direction, to Aylesbury or Birmingham. Wembley is on the same line so this may be of interest when events are on.
An alternative – which we may try on our next visit – is to drive to Ruislip from where you have access to the London Underground network.
Closer to the site there is plenty on offer to. The Northmoor Hill Wood & Nature Reserve is next door to the site and is the nearest dog walking area. A map in the car park details a 1.5km circular walk which we did. The wood slopes down to the A412 below so you do get some road noise further down, it is a little uneven in places so those with reduced mobility might find it a bit tricky. A lovely spot for a gentle meander though.
Rickmansworth is a few miles up the road and parking is free for a couple of hours in the small car park just off the high street. Just out of town is the Rickmansworth Aquadrome – again with free parking. It was clearly popular with families and the café was very busy and noisy. An adjacent ‘Quiet Room’ was popular with those unburdened with children or grandchildren.
A short walk from the site and across the road at the airfield was the Crew Room café. The usual fayre was on offer including fish finger sarnies which I’m pleased to report were delicious. The café terrace offers a great view of the airfield and it’s comings and goings. Those with deeper pockets can take a scenic helicopter flight across London too.
Up to three times a day you can take a bus direct from the site to Uxbridge in about fifteen minutes – handy for a bit of retail therapy but also for access to London’s bus and underground network too. The tube station is just a couple of minutes’ walk from the bus stop on the Metropolitan & Piccadilly lines. There is also a Saturday service to Windsor but times are limited so the car maybe more convenient.
For walkers, the Hillingdon Trail runs 20 miles from Cranford to nearby Harefield at times alongside the Grand Union Canal. If you visit the The Old Orchard pub in Harefield – and it’s worth it just for the views alone, there is a 4.5 mile circular walk from the pub traversing part of the trail.
Talking of pubs, there are plenty of options although only one is perhaps within walking distance – the Coy Carp – and is probably twenty-five minutes away – a leaflet with directions is available from reception. Within ten minutes drive you will also find the Bear on the Barge in Harefield, the Oaks in West Hyde and in Denham Village there are three – The Swan, The Falcon Inn (which also does B & B) and The Green Man. Parking is extremely limited in the village but it’s worth noting that there is a footpath from Denham station 650 metres away.
The area offers plenty more but sadly we ran out of time – Denham Country Park is nearby and Legoland at Windsor is a just a bit further afield as are a number of National Trust properties and the Harry Potter studio tour is within reach too. The Chiltern Open Air Museum is also on our list for a return visit which I hope is soon.
Site Arrival Video
Site Tour Video