Date of Visit: May/June 2023
Overall View
This is an independent, adults only, caravan and camping site on the outskirts of the village of Malpas in South Cheshire, just north of the market town of Whitchurch, just over the border into Shropshire. Malpas has a good range of small shops, services, cafes, pubs and a couple of restaurants. Please see arrival video HERE.
The site has 18 hardstanding, fully serviced pitches. The site is to the side of a farm but in the middle of the countryside and is very quiet indeed – there is little or no road noise and at night it is even quieter if possible. We found this to be a very welcome aspect to our weeklong stay.
The site is immaculately kept – both clean and tidy, grass mowed and amenities well looked after. The owners were approachable and willing to help if required but were not intrusive.
Facilities
There are two unisex toilets, keycode required to access keys, at the entrance to the site, they are not step free accessible. There is also the recycling and waste boxes close by.
A height barrier and wooden gates are currently the security entrance to the site – there is an automatic barrier which appears to have been recently installed but not yet operational. You must notify the site when you arrive as they will come and release the height barrier which is padlocked. Likewise, upon leaving, you will need to have the height barrier released in order to get the caravan or motorhome off the site. This led to a feeling of good security whilst on site.
There is an Elsan disposal point in the middle of the grass area in front of the caravan pitches. The only tiny issue we observed is that the fencing could do with being the other way round or an additional, slightly higher, fence put up in front to assist in privacy and for those people sitting opposite the point to not have to watch people emptying their toilet cassettes. There is a sink close by and a lone water tap point.
EE showed an above average 4G service. No 5G was available. Three was excellent too, though again no 5G. The Vodafone coverage checker indicated that 3G & 4G were good outside only, whereas O2 suggested good inside and out. No WiFi was available
TV signal was acceptable, although not much TV was watched on this particular visit.
Review of Site Pitch
The pitches are all hardstanding and fully serviced with water, grey waste point and the usual electric bollard hook-up, 10 amps. There is an allowance of 10kwh worth of electric per day – we found this to be more than enough, although to be fair we had excellent weather and it may well be different in other seasons. It is a simple on-line procedure to top up if required. They are predominantly level but from side to side you may need a ramp. All pitches are on one side of the field and face a grassy area in front and catch the sun all day. Some of the pitches have a wooden table with attached benches available.
It should be noted that at the time we stayed, approximately 2/3rds of the pitches were occupied by seasonal caravans.
Around and about
The site is situated close to the village of Malpas in the South Cheshire countryside.
This site is a must for adults seeking a quiet and peaceful stay with very well kept facilities, although there are no showers available.
The nearest town is Whitchurch, just over the Shropshire border. Its a small traditional medieval market town. It is at one end of the 35-mile Sandstone Trail, the other end being Frodsham in Cheshire. Whitchurch is famous for making large clocks, many of which grace buildings and main roads in many places. The famous Eastgate Clock, situated on the Roman Walls in Chester was made by them, as well as the one at the other end of Foregate Street in Chester.
The nearest supermarket is Sainsbury’s in Whitchurch. The nearest and, usually, cheap fuel is the Essar garage is Grindley Brook on the A41.
Other towns and cities within a reasonable driving distance are Chester, Shrewsbury, Wrexham.
A nice easy day out is to drive to Whitchurch and catch the train to Shrewsbury. You can also take in a boat trip along the River Severn on Sabrina Boats. Fully accessible if booked ahead. Highly recommended irrespective so as to ensure an upstairs seat.
Whitchurch has its own railway station trains travel to Crewe in one direction and Shrewsbury in the other. Mainline connections are available from both of these destinations.
Alderford Lake is a short drive away with plenty of activities for the whole family, quite a few of which will involve getting wet! It’s also a lovely place to take a picnic and just watch the world go by. Look for one-off events throughout the year too.Parking and entrance fees apply.
There are a good number of pubs, all within 20 minutes drive. These are apart from the couple of pubs in the village which we did not visit on this occasion.
Willeymoor Lock Tavern – a very olde worlde type of pub right on a canal and locks. Great in the summer for sitting outside and watching the canal boats navigate the lock. Food available.
Dusty Miller, Wrenbury. Again this is on the canal and although industrial in the past it us now focused on leisure. Canal boat hire available and pub serves good food. Hand operated traditional canal bridge to the side of the pub.
Cholmondeley Arms, a village school until the late 20th century. Regularly features in society magazines. A massive range of gins are available and food is highly recommended. Not a traditional pub but its quirkiness adds to its uniqueness.
The Bickerton Poacher, a very old pub indeed dating back to the 1600s. It has a well which you used to have to walk over on entering the bar. It has an old fashioned skittle alley at the rear. There is a play area to the side and families and pets are well catered for.
Summary
If you are looking for one of the quietest sites you can think of, then this is a very strong contender. The upkeep and the pitches made for a very relaxing stay indeed.
The introduction of a couple of showers and a piece of privacy fencing would, without a doubt, put it right at the top of its game.
It is definitely a site to which we will return after having a great weeks stay.