CCC • View topic - Lakeside CC site, Exbridge, Somerset/Devon border

The site is very open with good views to the north and has been recently upgraded with all the pitches now level and more hardstandings. The grass pitches have been dug out removing the clay and hardcore and a sandier soil replaced allowing better drainage. New trees and hedges have been planted and as they mature they will soften the starkness of the site. As the site is one of the CC’s Biodiversity sites, the planting is of native species rather garden shrubs and things, which will be much better for wildlife. Already the hedges are of a good size giving privacy. It has several terraces each improving the views, but also bringing you closer to the road. However it is a country road and despite being an A road wasn’t that busy and was very quiet at night and we were not disturbed. The single toilet block is immaculate, as we have come to expect with CC sites and the showers were very roomy with plenty of room to change and keep things dry. One of the best things, as far as we were concerned, was the dog walk which was a couple of acres of long meadow grasses, with loads of wild flowers, with pathways cut through and an area mown grass for dogs to play on. There was no less then 4 poo bins and the area was as clean as clean could be. So good on all the dog owners there for finally being responsible. Very Happy

Kiddies were also well catered for (no poo bins though Laughing

) with a lovely play park and space to play ball games. We were on a grass pitch (first time for 2 years), very close to the dog walk and at an end of a row with hedging to the front and side giving us a nice private little space. All the pitches are of good size. If on a grass pitch you must centre your van on the pitch marker and have the car on one side of the van and the awning on the other. Which way you choose to point your van is up to you. Apparently this is to do with fire regs. On a hardstanding pitch however you can arrange yourselves how you like so long as everything is on the hardstanding. TV is now ONLY a digital signal and the EHU bollards have aerial sockets. We had difficulty getting a signal even after doing a first time install. The wardens said that if we kept on installing again and again it would all suddenly appear with a good signal. We couldn’t seem to get this and gave up in the end and had a tv free weekend (I had recorded everything on the sky box just in case) Smile

. I don’t think digital is progress really. Not sure how satellite would fair as there were some very high trees on the southern boundary extending a long way to the east. The warden and his wife were very friendly and helpful and worked hard. They had an extra assistant helping them for a few days, otherwise it was just the two of them. For this reason the office is closed during the morning whist all the cleaning is going on re-opening at 12.30. They instruct that no vans to arrive before 1pm. There is a nearby pub, by the river, which can be reached by going through a gate into private land with a permissive path through some recently developed lakes and a couple of chalets. Dulverton is within a few miles which is a very pleasant small town with good shops. We took a look at the CC site there which is within the town boundary. It seems quite strange to have a caravan site so close to a town, but it seems quiet and on the evening we looked only the bubbling of the river could be heard.
Although we there only a few days, we liked the site and the area and will visit again. Dunster, Tarr Steps and Wimbleball Lake were the tourist attractions we took in and we recommend them.