Date of Visit: August 2021
Overall View
This is a privately owned site, part of the group which owns The Ranch Caravan Park near Honeybourne in Worcestershire. www.fernwoodpark.co.uk The site is a mixture of static caravans and tourer pitches. There are no tent pitches available. This is a large site but laid out in separate areas which means it feels very comfortable. There is also an adult only, fully serviced pitches, area but they are grass only. Dogs are allowed at the site and there is a lovely, wooded area, bordering the Llangollen Canal where you can exercise them.
It is a rural site with no road noise and only the occasional light aircraft or microlight heard from a nearby private airfield. Please see site arrival video HERE. Please do not use SAT NAV for the final couple of miles as you will be directed down a single-track road with no turning or passing places.
Facilities
There is a shower block, separate laundry block and an ensuite disabled access room which is centrally located for the tourer areas.
There is a children’s play area with a good range of equipment, this is situated to the front of the site.
There is also a shop on site, however, due to COVID it has not yet reopened this year.
A big attraction for caravanners who like to fish is a large, well-stocked fishing lake with fishing stands around it. Permits can be obtained from the office. It is also possible to fish on the Llangollen Canal which borders the site, all necessary permits etc can be sourced via the site office. There is also an area alongside where non-fishing caravanners can sit and have a picnic.
Review of Site Pitch
There are a mixture of hardstanding and grass pitches, all have EHU and a good number of fully serviced pitches as well. Pitch size, particularly hard standing will accommodate a caravan and full awning but not a car alongside. We were not using an awning for the bank holiday weekend so were able to park the car alongside. Those who were had to park in front of the van or on the grass area across the site roadway in front of the vans. The site was very busy and the lack of space between the pitches, particularly hardstanding, was of concern in the case of fire etc. Pitches were well kept and clean. Grass pitches were less close together and allowed a certain amount of freedom to keep a safer distance.
TV Reception was good – no bollard booster was available or required. There is, however, no Wi-Fi available on site – this was a big disappointment for a 5-star listed site. The website does not mention wi-fi as available but neither does it mention it is not available. Today, Wi-Fi is expected, certainly on a site as large as this. EE 4G was patchy and I certainly used up lots of my mobile data allowance as a result – again my personal choice. Making calls on mobile but not using 4G, signal was weak.
Around and about
Fernwood, although very rural is well placed to access a good number of towns and cities, particularly in the Marches between England and Wales. Whitchurch, Oswestry, and Ellesmere, being the nearest, are three towns in Shropshire. Slightly further afield are Chester and Shrewsbury. A car or bike is essential here as there is no bus service close to the site.
The nearest pub is the Sun Inn in Welshampton, the little village where you turn off the A495. It serves food as well. www.thesuninn.net
The nearest railway station is in Whitchurch; however, this is a branch line and stopping services are infrequent.
There are plenty of walking opportunities around the site, accessing the canal from the bridge not far from the entry to the site will allow you to walk to Ellesmere in one direction, the start of the canal or Whitchurch in the opposite direction, this being slightly further in terms of distance.
Ellesmere is the nearest supermarket – Tesco and fuel is available in the town. There are also a wide range of independent shops selling a good variety of merchandise.
As Ellesmere is the nearest town to the site and it being a shorter break, this is where I spent most of my time off site. There is much to do and lots of history is available here as well. Many people may not know that Ellesmere Port on the River Mersey in Cheshire got its name due to a canal being built to carry goods from Ellesmere to the river, more latterly the Manchester Ship Canal and away. Over recent years there have been considerable developments in the area where the canal starts, this being by Tesco car park. There are also clear signs of people preserving and promoting the heritage that the canal has left to the town. There are walking tours available which help illustrate this. At the time of my visit there was an original fly boat moored up and a small exhibition of what life was like at that time.
www.waterways.org.uk/waterways/using-the-waterways/activities/langollen-canal-walk-ellesmere-wharf
Perhaps, currently, the attraction which Ellesmere is best known for is its mere. This is a large post-glacial mere and which it is possible to walk round. It should be noted, however, that not all of that pathway is wheelchair friendly but certainly the main area is okay. It is possible to hire rowing boats on the lake – there is a small motorboat to come and rescue you if you get stuck, it is quite deep in parts. On bank holidays and weekends, parking is at a premium and which is payable. There is a larger car park at one end of the mere, but it is about a 10-minute, level walk back to the centre of the mere. There are some kiosks offering takeaway drinks, cakes, and ice creams on the side of the mere and a café/restaurant called The Boathouse, www.ellesmereboathouse.co.uk This has a terraced decking area where dogs are allowed. They offer a full range of food, alcohol etc. Toilets are available but are not plentiful – the main ones being in the public garden area of the mere side, closest to the town.
Summary
A very well-kept site with a very high standard of facilities, maintenance, and cleanliness the wardens were friendly, approachable, and keen to help if asked. It is in a lovely rural area, away from roads and this meant very quiet nights. The proximity of Ellesmere meant that supplies could be obtained, as necessary, together with plenty to keep you entertained, across the age ranges.
I had a very pleasant long weekend here. It is a site I would consider in the future for short breaks, but the lack of Wi-Fi is a big issue for me, that is, of course, a personal choice to make.