We brought our Summer Holidays to a close with a lovely holiday to remember at Canterbury Camping and Caravanning Club Site in Kent. For the first time this summer the weather was properly on our side with every day boasting glorious sunshine, perfect for exploring the Kent coastline and all the great beaches it has to offer.
FINDING THE SITE
Once past Dartford, we followed the A2 into the M2 all the way through to Canterbury. At this point, my Sat Nav took me up a very narrow lane which was a little scary with a trailer in tow when we met oncoming traffic. Once at the site, the staff advised me to use the postcode CT1 1TW which would take me to the Canterbury Golf Club, Bekesbourne Lane was directly opposite the entrance to the Golf Club and the entrance to the campsite is less than 100m into the lane opening.
CHECKING IN
FACILITIES
Amenities Block
In the amenities block, you will find both male and female washrooms, the sluice, laundry, disabled and family bathroom. There is also a large under-cover outdoor pot washing area.
Note, if you need access to the family bathroom then you will need to obtain a key from Reception. The family bathroom is unlocked when the main washrooms are being cleaned but only for use of the toilet, not for showers.
Water Points, Refuse Disposal and Fire Points
If I counted correctly there were 4 water/refuse/fire points and one motorhome service point. They were clearly marked and always kept clean and tidy.
Play Areas
According to the children, the Canterbury site had the best play area of all the sites they have been to so far. It was slightly larger than other sites we have stayed at. As a parent, I would have preferred to see the Play Area fenced off like at other sites as it is next to the road and wooded area. Albie’s only complaint was the lack of a slide.
The floor is not the rubberised safety flooring as it is at other sites. It is a dusty/bark-covered floor so we did find that the children’s clothes and trainers were filthy after playing there which isn’t a problem provided your children haven’t snuck off to the park just as you are about to head out for the day!!
Ball games are not permitted on site.
Dog Walking Area
Wi-fi – NEW for 2019!
This year all club sites will offer free access to the wifi for their guests. The access code was shown on a noticeboard just inside the washroom door. I found the wifi was pretty good first thing in the morning or last thing at night but unstable during the daytime when more campers were using it. I did notice a lot of people would sit on the bench outside the main amenities block where the hub appeared to be positioned so I guess this is where the signal was the best.
Of course, if you don’t fancy sitting on the bench to get the best wifi signal and you happen to be in a caravan then a caravan wifi booster will ensure you get the best signal from the comfort of your van.
Ready Camp
There are six Ready Camp units at Canterbury Camping and Caravanning Club Site which are situated close to the play area. They were all occupied over the Bank Holiday weekend but a few were empty during the week and had been deliberately left open during the day so that you could take a look inside and see if you fancied trying a spot of glamping.
GENERAL THOUGHTS
NOISE LEVEL
For such a large and busy site I would have expected it to have been much noisier than it was. The children only struggled to sleep on our last night as there was a Vitality Blast Cricket match at the Canterbury Cricket Ground which is just 2miles from the site. This all finished by 10.30pm but they had all dropped off before then anyway.
STAFF/CLEANLINESS
The staff we spoke to couldn’t have been more helpful, they were really friendly and approachable with a great sense of humour. The whole site was well maintained and the facilities were very clean indeed.
LOCAL AREA
NEARBY ATTRACTIONS
During our week at Canterbury, we enjoyed visits to:
- Whitstable
- Herne Bay
- Dreamland at Margate
- Broadstairs
- Canterbury
We spent the majority of our time at the beach but in adverse weather, we would have visited:
- Canterbury Cathedral
- St Augustine’s Abbey
- Port Lympne Safari Park
- Dover Castle
Looks like a really nice campground. I think I am sold on the noise level thing, because for me, that would be a real issue and I would worry about noise. We haven’t been camping or caravanning with our kids but I used to as a child. Thanks for sharing
I do hear about noise issues on campsites but I can honestly say it hasn’t affected us at the Club Sites.
It’s lovely that there’s a bus you can catch if you don’t want to walk back after a day out! This is great especially with children.
Yes that was a big benefit, you could obviously catch the bus into town too if you didn’t want to walk but we had children to tire out 😉
It looks lovely there. I adore Canterbury as a town it is such a lovely place. We’ve never stayed with the camping and caravan clubs but I have friends who do and love it.
It is and I am so pleased that we went there. I must admit Canterbury isn’t somewhere that I have ever considered before and just kind of stumbled upon it but I totally fell in love.
That camping and caravan site sounds amazing. The amenities sound great and the playground looks good, although I’m with you on the fencing. It sounds well placed too for exploring Canterbury and the surrounding area too. And I’m glad the weather played ball!
Thank you, we had such a lovely holiday it was a shame it had to end. The campsite is so well placed and cared for, just the fencing and it would be full gold stars.
Looks like a lovely site. My kids would love the play area. The toilets and showers look clean and modern which is always a good start.
Ah the toilet and shower block is a million miles away from those of my childhood camping, and so clean which is a big tick.
This looks like a very modern, clean site with all the amenities you need. I’d give it a go!
It has gone right in there as one of my Top 3 Club sites for sure.
I’ve never been camping but it is something I would love to do with the boys
Definitely pop it on your ‘to do’ list, you’ll love it!
I’ve never been camping before, whether in tents or caravans. This sounds like a nice site to stay at though.
It’s a lovely campsite in a beautiful location.
It sounds like a lovely place to stay and it’s great that it had such a friendly vibe. The location sounds great too.
It is lovely and very well located for touring Kent and for the Dover crossing.