We took a trip down to Wiltshire during half term and stayed at the Devizes Camping and Caravanning Club site to test out the Coleman’s Oak Canyon 6 and visit family close by. The campsite is a tree-lined site with 115 pitches, some of which are separated by hedgerows for more privacy.
FINDING THE SITE
The campsite is a 4-mile drive out of Devizes, just off the A361 to Melksham. We used our sat nav with the postcode SN12 6RN, which took us directly to the site without any problems. When you see the Three Magpies public house, turn left onto Sprout Lane, and you will see the entrance to the site on your right.
CHECKING IN
You will find both male and female washrooms in the amenities block, the sluice, laundry (with outdoor drying area), and a family bathroom. The disabled bathroom is situated in the main Reception block at the entrance to the site.
Note that you will need to obtain a key from Reception if you need access to the family bathroom. The family bathroom is unlocked when the main washrooms are being cleaned but only for the toilet, not for showers.
Water Points, Refuse Disposal and Fire Points
The water and fire points were positioned around the site, I only saw two, but I am sure there were more. As you can see from this photograph, it was a very wet trip to Wiltshire. As with all Camping and Caravanning Club sites, the water points are easily visible with a fire safety point and are lit at night.
Play Areas
The play area is a large wooden structure within a larger camping field in the centre of the site. It is right next to the amenities block too.
Ball games are not permitted in this area; however, we did discover a further large playing field next to the dog walking field, which is ideal for playing ball games.
Information Area
Situated in the main Reception building, you will also find a small Information area with notice boards showing current information and leaflets on local attractions. You will also find the Accessible Toilets here too.
Dog Walking Area
There is a huge dog walking area/exercise field next to the large open playing field at the site’s back. The entrance can be found behind the water point.
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. Wifi boosters were situated around the site, so I found the signal to be excellent wherever I went on site. The site cannot guarantee 100% coverage across the site due to its rural location, weather conditions and changing flora. We did find that the signal was quite sporadic.
Ready Camp – NEW for 2019!
New for 2019, Devizes is pleased to unveil their new Ready Camp units, which provide the ideal accommodation for those who are not quite ready to embrace camping fully or not able to erect a tent themselves. The Ready Camp units will comfortably sleep up to 6 people (2 adults and 4 children or 4 adults and 2 children). Inside the Ready Camp units, you will find:
- Double bed
- Triple bunk bed (1 double & 1 single)
- Pull-out bed
- Kitchen/dining/living area & veranda
GENERAL THOUGHTS
NOISE LEVEL
I think this was perhaps one of the quietest sites we have visited, and that’s even with us staying next to the play area.
STAFF/CLEANLINESS
On the few occasions that we spoke to the staff, they were really friendly and helpful, always happy to stop for a chat and help in any way they could, even when it was raining.
LOCAL AREA
I was really looking forward to staying at the Devizes site as it is situated right next to the Avon and Kennet canal with the Caen Hill series of 29 locks. We have seen this before on previous visits to the area, but I had planned to go for a long walk. Sadly the weather was not on our side, and time ran away from us, so we didn’t get to the canal on this visit, but we will be back.
The Devizes site is nestled very close to Devizes, which is a busy market town. It is also well placed for visits to Melksham, Marlborough and further afield Bath or Bristol.
NEARBY ATTRACTIONS
On our numerous visits to Wiltshire, we have been lucky enough to visit some beautiful places, so this list is not in the least bit exhaustive;
- The Hawk Conservancy Trust
- Avebury Stone Circle
- Stonehenge
- Wadsworth’s Brewery
- Lydiard Park
- Longleat
I like the look of the new camp pods. That’s more my sort of camping. I’m not sure pitching a tent would ever appeal to me! I like my home comforts too much!!
Haha yes pitching a tent isn’t for everyone so Ready Camp is a great alternative x
I like the idea of the ready camps, although not as much of an adventure as camping.
The kids would love the locks! They are fascinated by them and we only have a few round here but they’ll watch them for hours!
There is something about locks, isn’t there? They fascinate me too, we will definitely go back and have a walk when the weather is a bit better x
Oo I love the look of the Ready Camp – a bit of luxury and easier for a family who love an adventure but don’t have camping/caravan gear 🙂
They look great, don’t they? We haven’t tried them yet but we may give one a go later this year 🙂
Overall it sounds like a lovely site to stay at. Great that they do have WiFi available as lots of sites don’t. The ready camp looks lovely.
It is lovely, we shall definitely be going back. The wifi is a great new bonus 🙂
I have been to this campsite! I wish the free wifi was available then!
It’s a lovely site, isn’t it? Yes the free wifi is a great new improvement!
Those wooden dens look fab for camping. I’m not into camping at all – but I could be persuaded if it was in one of those.
They look fab, inside they look really comfortable too. I definitely fancy giving one a try 🙂
This looks like a great campsite, I love the look of those locks. I would love to take my kids to those, my husband comes from that area. So maybe a visit next time were there
Definitely worth a visit when you are in the area, you won’t be disappointed.