Tuesday 22 July 2014

What makes for a good caravan site location?

So what makes for a good caravan site location? A fine view? Level pitch? Shelter from sun and wind?

Right now I'm in Weymouth, at a Dorset DA temp site. The big thrill for us was finding that it's only an eight minute walk to a big, bright, air-conditioned Sainsbury's.

So, yeah, I'm coming over a bit shallow here, I know, but really, the site itself has the other stuff, too: It's on a Rugby pitch, so it's level. It has an okay view - we can see the rolling hills in the distance. Protection from the elements? Well, not so much, but this week the main element is the unrelenting sun and I am not going to complain too much about that. We can also walk into the centre of Weymouth in about half an hour, so another big plus.

The site feels remote. It is quiet at night. There is no road noise. The birds from the nature reserve, next door, make themselves heard. Yet despite all this we have no need to use the car, and this is a plus for me, because I use the car way to much getting to and from the day job in the week. You need the car for shopping though, right? Not here, and this is one of the reasons we were so happy to find a place so close to a supermarket. We can shop on a meal-by-meal basis, and if we don't want to cook, the cafe in the supermarket do breakfasts and lunches for not much more than a fiver, and from the wide picture window in the cafe we can see Portland Bill and the coast. Wonderful.

Oh, and the other thing: we love Weymouth. The old harbour, the eateries, the network of antique shops that have sprung up out of the old dock buildings just below the Nothe Fort.

  Having a lovely week. 

        Wish you were here.