Date of Visit: July 2023
Overall View
This is a Camping & Caravan Club site usually open from the end of March through until the end of October. It is located inside the M25 just under 9 miles from Junction 10 via the A3. Please see the arrival video HERE. Please note the height restriction of the railway bridge at Hersham – 3.2m.
The club also gives directions from Junction 13 of the M25 – the A30. This route also has the same height restriction but can be avoided by continuing on the A308 to the A309 then joining Molesey Road from the opposite direction. My route in from the A3 was of little concern although the A244 was very uneven in places and the access road to the site is single track.
The site offers both hard standing and grass pitches, with or without EHU. This is a no facility site so own sanitation is essential.
Facilities
As mentioned this is a no facility site so there are no toilets, showers, laundry or washing up facilities. The Recreation Room had some easy chairs, leaflets, a small selection of books and some history of the site which this year (2023) was celebrating its 110th birthday. Some emergency numbers – including a Vets – were listed on a board outside and also at reception. Shelves in reception were bare when I went in.
There is a dog walk at the south-western corner of the site with access to a short stretch of the banks of the River Mole – for this reason it is recommended dogs are kept on leads. Crossing the bridge takes you to a more secluded area but it was quite overgrown – be aware of brambles and stingy nettles!
There is a children’s play on the east of the site and this area might be a better option for families. There is only one CDP, located roughly in the centre which is where you will find the motorhome service point, but there are some additional fresh water points located either side of the site.
Both TV and radio reception were good. Free site WiFi was offered which was fine for emails and social media. Mobile wise I used Smarty (piggybacking Three) for my roof mounted puck which struggled with streaming but according to the coverage checker there was an issue with the local mast. The other three networks report good coverage all the way up to 5G although O2 suggests this may be limited indoors.
Rubbish and recycling points are not dotted around the site but instead everything goes into one – bins are located by the site entrance in the visitors car park.
Review of Site Pitch
I chose a grass pitch in the far corner of the site (No.49) for some shade which backed on to the storage area, separated by trees. A ramp was required but there was plenty of room, with no pitches to my left. The surface was firm and reasonably even.
I was advised that ‘clean’ waste water, i.e from the shower, could be discharged in to the undergrowth behind the pitch but any food based waste water would need to be disposed of as normal, at the service points.
Occasionally faint traffic noise could be heard and aircraft too – Heathrow is not that far away. I didn’t find it intrusive though.
Around and about
There is a shop roughly 10 minutes walk from the site entrance – go back along the access road and turn right into Oakbank Avenue. Well stocked in what it carries, with a couple of large freezers but there is no fresh fruit or veg.
Here you will also find the nearest bus stop from which you can travel to Hampton Court, by Bushy Park and on to Kingston in one direction, or to the town of Walton-on-Thames and Weybridge in the other. See Falcon Bus for more information. Their app was easy to use although adding a payment card was problematic. On my day ‘on the buses’ both the timetable and the departure boards on Google Maps were a work of fiction. However it was very busy through Hampton Court thanks to a very popular Garden Festival. Once in Hampton you have the Transport for London Bus network at your disposal – there is a mainline station there too.
For getting into London, Hersham railway station is the nearest, around a mile and a half away. The 514 bus will take you there from the stop nearest the site but services are infrequent. Otherwise it’s a 25-30 minute walk, either along the road or by the river – details in the Recreation room.
Supermarket wise there is a Lidl less than 10 minutes drive away by the A244/Molesey Road roundabout. You’ll find the nearest fuel at a Texaco here too.
Many of the major supermarkets are just a little further afield.
There are a number of pubs and restaurants a short drive away – maybe walkable for some, however I didn’t get to ‘research’ any on this visit. Whatpub.com has a comprehensive list.
Getting out for more than just fuel, food and drink, the National Trust has a number of places within 10 miles, one of the nearest being Ham House and Garden in Richmond.
A little further afield is Osterly Park, Morden Hall Park and Polesden Lacey near Dorking.
A short drive away Hersham Golf Club welcomes non-members as does Sandown Park Golf Centre where you will also find the famous racecourse. Both have driving ranges and clubs for hire, subject to availability. It should be noted that the Sandown courses are closed when horseracing is on.
For thrill seekers both Thorpe Park and Chessington World of Adventures are roughly a half-hour drive away.
A twenty minute drive away, in Weybridge is the Brooklands Museum. Sited on part of the old race track here you will find a wonderful collection of cars, motorcycles and aircraft, many with deep connections to Brooklands. You can see part of the old banked racetrack and discover the incredible history of the site and the part it has played in motor and aviation development. Included in the ticket price (a little cheaper bought in advance online) is the London Bus Museum with around thirty buses and other vehicles on display. It was a fascinating afternoon out and an attraction I would certainly recommend.
Summary
The site was largely peaceful and there is plenty to do around and about. Roads are busy around here so it can take longer to get around than you might think, particularly if there are problems on the nearby M25. Public transport offerings were lacking a little I feel but then this area is hardly unique in that regard.
None of this would put me off from returning as there is still plenty more to do and see.