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Hi all.
just had a weekend at the Firs Caravan Club site near Belper/Ambergate, this was an old independant site taken over this year by the club. Apart from a few oddly placed grass pitches between the hard standings the site is excellent, with the majority pitches appearing to be serviced. The lower terrace is all grass pitches and they have started work on the tent area, who will probably have the best views!

Both Ambergate and Heage are a short but steep downhill walk away so you can forget the car and use the 'beer scooter' to get back from the pubs.

I have enclosed some pictures below.
Cheers.
Watto

Look's like a nice site Watto. I am quite in favor of them mixing up the pitches a bit as I am not to keen on pegging down the awning on hard standing and I feel that it can break up the car park look that some sites end up with.

Did notice they are doing a bit of re tarring, was wondering if they just gave a few free night's for the tar that was left over rather than cash Laughing

Hi watto,
We are heading up there from Essex starting Sep 11th , is the site exposed to strong winds being high up , not sure which awning to bring. We have booked a fully serviced pitch,LB brought my attention to the large Factory across the road from the site,Trust that you were not kept awake at night.

Trust the site directions where okay

Royston

Royston,
We did not hear the factory, it is some 200yards away down a hill, you will walk past it on the way to the Spanker Inn.
The main part of the site is sheltered on all sides by established trees and the large houses in the adjacent land, the grass pitch area on the terrace slopes looked fairly well sheltered also.

I would not go for a pitch along the entrance wall as the road runs very close to the rear of the vans and you will hear the cars zooming by.

Enjoy the site and your hols.

Watto

Royston,
The site directions in the suppliment are suitable if you are coming of the M1. We came through Derby (A38 from Tamworth), along the A6 through Belper, just as you leave Belper and head for Ambergate there is a road going off to the left. There is a brown caravan sign on the lef at this point, I think it is called Broadholme lane. Follow this up-hill round a bend to a T junction, turn left, site on left in 100 yards. the leaflet you get at the site has these directions on it as an alternative to the supplement book directions.

If you googleearth it you will see the road - the images of the site on there are pre-club ownership so do not be put off.
cheers.
Watto

watto,

Thanks again for your replys we are coming off the M1 at junction 28 directions look straight forward, picked the site because its central for us , between Derbyshire(dove dale) favourite walking spot and Nottinghamshire, having lived in Nottingham for severall years , made a note of your recommendations for pitches.

Royston

watto,

Thanks again for your replys we are coming off the M1 at junction 28 directions look straight forward, picked the site because its central for us , between Derbyshire(dove dale) favourite walking spot and Nottinghamshire, having lived in Nottingham for severall years , made a note of your recommendations for pitches.

Royston

Well after spending 10 nights at Firs would like to add our thoughts.
Starting off with this large factory that you can see on google earth, LB it is not opposite the site if you turn left out of the enterance you pass some houses well the factory is landscaped the roof just above the ground hidden by trees never saw it on the way out but coming back just about saw it.

The site has some history was originally a static adults only, the Caravan club bought over two years ago, the site is sanwiched between the original owners grounds and a retirement home owned by a woman who tried all sorts of sculldugery to get the CC banned , every time they submitted plans she vetoed them , so after along and drawn out battle the club was finally opened on August the 1st. Its a site of two levels the top site is mainly hard core with only 9 piches with service facilities, you will need about 12 meters of of both fresh and waste water pipes as the connections can be quite a lenght away from your pitched van, as quite a few people found out with their standard kits being only 7.5 meters.

Dog owners their is no offical Dog walk or Poo bag disposal points on site, you just sort of wandered around the empty grass pitches, picking up your dog waste and placing in the nearest dustbins.

Their is a Dog walk facility for the future, its on a steep 45% angle where the bravest sort of slid down to the gate to get into the field that has not been cut for ages as the Wardens have no equipment to cut it, after one camper asked the warden who is responible for the health and safety the warden promptly cordened off the area.

The bottom level site is all grass a lot more service pitches with the same problem as the hard core, its quite a steep hill going down would not want to climb it every time I wanted to visit the Toilets.
This grass site was not part of the original purchase , a farmer sold the land to them, at the moment they cannot get planning to change the grass pitches into hard core
Motorhomes have a problem if they get stuck on a grass pitch as the tractor is quite small, which makes it unable to pull the Motor homes.
Their is a plastic honeycombed matting under the grass which should make the pitches more servicable but with all the rain the pitches are really soggy.

The views across the Derwent Valley you can see from the service pitches behind the toilet block are superb, we managed to get a pitch where we faced the views.

The best directions to the site I found where the ones indicated on the CC web site whether traverlling north or south of the M1 .To get to the site from Belper is quite a climb up so glad that I have a 2.2 diesel engine to pull the van.

The Wardens where very cheerfull bunch, so no complaints their .

Royston, hi.
It sounds like you were not that impressed.

The new site at Poolsbrook CP is totally flat with massive hardstanding pitches, dog walk etc etc but is on the edge of a town that time forgot with no scenery.

I used the un-serviced pitches as i can not be bothered with more hoses, hassle etc.

Out of these 2 new sites I would still pick the Firs for those short weekends away.

You comments about the neighbours may explain the woman who was putting up trellising and green screen netting up very early on the sunday morning using the biggest hammer available. By all acocunts this site had nothing but trouble with stag and hen parties, joy riding etc so you would think that they should be happy a respectable organisation as taken over. Maybe they would have been happier with gypsy's and fly-tipping next door.

cheers.
Watto