Date of Visit: July 2022
Overall View
This is a 5-pitch, members only, Certified Location located about 10 minutes’ drive from the City of Chester. Please see arrival video HERE.
It is a small, basic but fully functioning CL, whose main attractions are its proximity to Chester and ease of access.
Please note, site fees are payable in cash only and, being a CL you must be a member of the Caravan & Motorhome Club to stay.
Facilities
It is situated to the side of Belle Vue Farm in one level grass field. EHU points are available, and a water tap and refuse disposal and recycling point is at the entrance to the field. There is an exclusive use WC and wash hand basin room in the farmyard and the chemical disposal point is opposite there.
Awnings are permitted and during our two stays, we observed several caravans and motorhomes making use of this facility.
There is no site WiFi, however, EE gave a very strong signal and Three was good too. The coverage maps for both Vodafone and O2 reported suggested similar coverage although none currently offers 5G.
TV signal was not tested during these visits; however, it is fully expected, again due to its proximity to a big city, that there would not be a problem.
The field entrance is not secured and is away from the main house.
Review of Site Pitch
Pitches are well spaced out, level, of a generous size and are fully grass. The site is well used but at no time did we feel hemmed in.
The proximity of water and refuse disposal was helpful, however, the toilet and disposal point are a little further way and access could be muddy if wet.
As stated in the Club Handbook, there is some road noise due to nearby main roads. We did not find this intrusive, and it did not keep us awake.
Around and about
This site is very conveniently located close to the Roman/Medieval city of Chester with his famous Shopping Rows and Roman walls enclosing the city centre. As a result, there is a very wide range of activities suitable for all ages and interests. www.visitcheshire.com
The site is near to the A55/M53 & M56. This provides opportunity to access further afield activities with ease. The Cheshire Oaks Outlet Village is 10 minutes’ drive from the site. https://www.mcarthurglen.com/en/outlets/uk/designer-outlet-cheshire-oaks/ Liverpool and all it offers is a further half an hour away. www.visitliverpool.com Bus services to Liverpool can be caught from the Outlet Village or from the Zoo Park and Ride.
The world-famous Chester Zoo is about 10 minutes from the site and offers a strongly recommended Park and Ride service for visiting the City of Chester. www.chesterzoo.org
A child friendly fun and energetic attraction is the ‘Crocky Trail’ – about 20 minutes from the site. www.crockytrail.co.uk
Nearest Railway Station is Chester, about a 10 minute drive away, with good mainline links.
A very pleasant, dog friendly, farm café is about 15 minutes’ drive from the CL. It serves a good range of snacks and light meals plus the usual cakes, tea, coffee and soft drinks. www.meadowleacoffeeshop.com It has car parking to the front and is very popular with cyclists due to the closeness to start of the Chester Greenway – a disused railway line which runs all the way to Shotton in North Wales but can be a car free walking or cycling route into the city of Chester. https://www.sustrans.org.uk/find-a-route-on-the-national-cycle-network/millennium-greenway
There is a small shop and PO in the village of Guilden Sutton about a five-minute car drive away. It stocks the basics and there is ample free parking. https://www.postoffice.co.uk/branch-finder/3286142/guilden-sutton
There are several petrol stations near the site but the nearest supermarket one is Sainsbury’s in Great Boughton, about 10 minutes from the site and this is also the nearest supermarket.
There are a couple of pubs close by, Bird In Hand, www.thebirdsinhandguildrensutton.co.uk in Guilden Sutton village itself and the Piper Inn across the A41 https://ourlocal.pub/pubs/piper-chester/. Both serve food but please check in advance as opening hours do change.
Bus services are available on the A51, about 1.5 miles from the site. No pavement is available between the site and the A51. It should also be noted that services are not that frequent.
There are several National Trust properties within half an hour drive of the site, Speke Hall, Tatton Park, Dunham Massey.
Over the border into Wales, about an hour from the site is Erddig Hall and Chirk Castle. www.nationaltrust.org
This CL is also extremely popular for overnight stays as people break their journeys. In that respect it scores very highly.
Summary
This is a popular little CL which provides all the basic amenities you need. The site fees reflect this and if you are looking for a sound and inexpensive base from which to explore the area – then this is for you.