Date of Visit: July/August 2023
Overall View
Grafton CL is a Caravan and Motorhome Club members only 5 pitch site just to the southwest of Hereford, it is a family and dog friendly site. Care needs to be taken on accessing the site – using the owner’s directions and ignoring a club sign if approaching from the North. Please see arrival video HERE.
The site is to one side of an agricultural, Christmas tree growing and laser clay pigeon business. During the working week there is business being carried on and at the weekend, the laser business may be operating.
The site is well placed, being around a mile off the A49 and access into Hereford is relatively straightforward – the almost constant queuing to get through the city notwithstanding, (this is an issue of many years standing, so time should be allowed to get through the city as appropriate).
Facilities
There are water taps to each pitch with grey water being deposited to the rear on the Christmas tree growing area.
There is an Elsan point at the end of the site. Caravanners have the use of a toilet in the main building which is a good 5 minute walk away. We chose to use our own facilities during our week-long stay.
There are no laundry facilities but a 10 minute drive to the southern edge of Hereford brings you to a laundry which does service washes, very useful parking right outside too.
TV & radio reception was good. There was no Wi-Fi available but the four mobile networks reported good coverage up to 4G with EE and Three also offering 5G, better outdoors.
There are some good walks for dogs around the site and the map and local information booklet which help you with this is stored in a pipe at the rear of the pitch. You are also invited to pick some fresh fruit, particularly plums and apples if you so wish. We can confirm the plums, once ripened are very pleasant indeed.
Review of Site Pitch
The 5 pitches are lined up in one row, facing the laser clay pigeon area – there is a loose fence which delineates between the two areas. Pegs are used to separate the pitches, which centre on the water taps.
The site is laid to grass and was well kept, EHU’s to each pitch too offering 16 amps.
Overall the CL area is pretty level although due to the softer nature of the ground – it was necessary to use a ramp for side to side levelling.
There is sufficient space to have an awning and park the car the other side of the van, in the same way as on most Club sites.
Around and about
The nearest bus stops are on the A49, approximately half a mile from the site, going to Hereford in one direction and Ross-on-Wye in the other. See Stagecoach for more information.
The nearest railway station is in Hereford, a little under 4 miles away and can be reached on the bus. This has mainline connections to the north, south and east.
Hereford is a city on the River Wye and is of great historical importance. The Cathedral, the Mapa Mundi and the Chained library, (all within the cathedral building) are just some of the attractions within the city.
There is, of course, the usual national shopping suspects and a pleasant pedestrianised centre with a good range of coffee shops and cabins that you will be able to obtain pretty much anything you may require.
https://www.herefordcitylife.co.uk/stay/good-to-know/visitor-information
The Victorian Town Hall is a splendid piece of architecture – reminiscent of so many such Town Halls up and down the country. This one is in a lighter stone colour – yellow hues are very much in evidence.
A familiar county symbol is the Hereford Bull and one can be seen in the town square by the coffee shops. Herefordshire beef is widely prized and is a feature of local cuisine.
Whilst staying in Hereford, you may wish to complete the Black and White Trail – it is based on Leominster to the North but you can easily pick up at point 5 – Eardisley which is the nearest one to the CL and then make your way round from there.
A short diversion from the Black & White Trail is Westonbury Mill Water Gardens, a beautiful and calming little oasis. Dogs are welcome and there is a café where tea is served in teapots and China cups.
There are a good number of pubs around the area but you will need to use a car. The site provides a useful information leaflet which details these, a list of important telephone numbers, some community run shops and general site information and map.
Fish and chips are available, Tuesday to Saturday from the nearby Tump Inn – ring ahead and book and they will be ready for you when you go to pick them up and pay. A very nice meal was had. It takes around 10 minutes for the round trip including picking the food up.
For some pleasant retail therapy which is supporting local businesses and avoids the rush, you may wish to try Oakchurch Farm Shop – its billing as the Harrod’s of Herefordshire are reflected in some of the prices but there is a nice café/restaurant to the side and a telephone number is on the web-site which you ring as you arrive and they will let you and your dogs in to sit under a lean too style roof and you can order food and drinks which are delivered to you. A plus point indeed.
In terms of shopping, there are a couple of local shops listed in the information booklet on your pitch. We did not visit either of them on this occasion. In terms of supermarket shopping, the nearest supermarket is Asda and this also sells fuel. Click and Collect is available at this store. There is a slightly nearer petrol station on the A49 with reasonably comparable prices and also an Amazon pick up point if required. The laundry is opposite the Asda although it requires several lane changes to ensure you make the right turning. It is, however, possible to go to the next roundabout and come back on yourself if you miss it.
During our stay, we visited a number of pubs, as indicated on the site’s information leaflet:
Black Swan – 10 minute drive away, very much a local pub, friendly and dog’s welcome. We did not eat there but it looked very appetising. There was also a pool table.
The Tump Inn is a little closer, (this is the same pub as sells fish and chips). It is dog friendly.
Bunch of Carrots – this was another very old pub, like the Black Swan – about a 15 minute drive towards Holme Lacey and crossing the River Wye. Dog friendly and the carvery looked superb. The pub stocked a small range of Wye Valley Brewery ales on draught. It is a wood and brick building which makes it a very characterful place to visit. Staff were friendly and helpful.
A visit to Hay on Wye is a must for those who love books, old vinyl records and antique shops. It is world famous as a book lovers’ destination and holds various annual festivals including the Book Fair. It is about a 30 minute drive from the site. There is ample parking but please be advised on market days these car parks fill up very early indeed. There is a cost to park but blue badge holders are exempt for up to 3 hours. There are toilets at the front of the car park but there is a charge – coins not accepted, card only. Hay on Wye’s main shopping area is relatively level but drops sharply to the riverside. There is a café on the riverside and a picnic area just before that. There are a couple of general stores for food supplies, a range of clothing stores and a post office, information office just across from the entrance to the main car park.
A recent addition is the re-opening of Hay Castle – it has been restored beautifully and has good wheelchair access from the rear of the castle, again opposite the car park entrance. There is an ice cream trolley and they also sell cold drinks, ice cream was local and delicious. Dogs are allowed on the ground floor, gardens and café.
Summary A conveniently located site with straightforward access – largely quiet and very good value for what is, essentially, a fully serviced pitch.