Boat Lane Caravan and Camping Site Reviews

Not quite as expected

I chose this site for its location, not far from home, near a river walk for the dog, walking distance to the pub and café/restaurant 5 mins by car. It is a huge site and I loved the relaxed way we could park where we wanted and face any direction. It was indeed close to a pub and the walk along the Trent was nice. The lady who seemed to be running the place was very friendly and welcoming. However, the toilet and shower block was very disappointing. Whilst there was evidence of trying to keep everything clean and tidy, the quality of the building and finishes was extremely shoddy. The building itself looked thrown together. Warped toilet walls and tiny shower cubicles with mouldy grout and cracked tiles. The tin roof looked extremely dodgy and I would put money on it leaking in times of rain which, would explain the warped plywood walls. The showers themselves were electric and just about adequate. We came in the middle of a heat wave so luckily didn't need them to be too hot. My main complaint about this place though was the cost. I'm happy to put up with a bit of rustic charm and I like a site that is not all singing and dancing. However, the cost was not far off what I would pay for a C&MH or CCC site but the quality of facilities was definitely not on par. Would I go back? Probably not which is a shame because it is a nice spot with huge potential. There is no way the 4 toilets and 4 showers (per gender) would cope with a full site. I think that the owner needs to invest a little bit of money and a lot of TLC into the facilities block to be charging the prices they do.

Lovely place to stay

Had a lovely 2 night stay here. Would certainly return. Not masses for the kids to do but they had a lovely time nevertheless.

Used for backpacking overnight stay

Walked to the site and found signage and checking in easy. Was using the non-electric field and found somewhere to pitch a tent without a problem. Showers and wash facilities were adequate although the site was busy on an August Bank Holiday weekend. Everything basic for me and good value for my needs. Pub nearby for some food, couldn't find a shop in the morning, rail station 20 mins away, bus 40 mins. All in all a useful location.

Just what was required

Firstly want to explain 4* facilities, others would perhaps mark down as they are undoubtedly basic compared to say big branded sites….however I think they're spot on, clean at all times of day everything you needed available. Nice back to nature and back to basics site, amazing value. Non electric camp fields spanned two sizeable fields so never on top of each other and any noise which to a degree is expected at times was far enough away to not cause issue. Every other visitor looked happy and enjoying their stay too…

Camp stay

Spacious campsite with basic facilities. Free hot water and a handy kitchen area. Our pitch was a little uneven but did the job. Picnic tables dotted around were a good addition. Generally quiet and within easy reach of lots of attractions. No play area for kids except tree swing. Waggon and Horse pub within walking distance with lovely wood-fired pizzas and free Wi-Fi.

Basic facility

Ok for 1 night stay. Some nice walks. Nothing much to do locally if weather is bad.

Lovely campsite

Had a lovely stay, only for the one night, but a very nice campsite with clean washing facilities.

Lovely and very tranquil

This was an absolutely lovely site for a camping stay. The facilities were remarkable and clean. They had a fridge and freezer that you could use free of charge also. The campsite wasn't too busy either, which was a bonus.

Alright

Alright but we felt it was quite expensive. The shower and toiled block is run down, basically a converted barn. The shower cubicles are tiny and the locks on toilet doors didn't work. No fire pits unless you hired theirs and brought their wood. They also charged extra for an extra car, awning and dog. The site was clean and located just off the river Trent with walking distance to the village pub that does amazing pizzas. In summary, I wouldn't go back unless they sorted the toilet and shower block out.

Site's response

Hi, we are sorry you did not enjoy your stay in May. We are aware that the shower block is rather dated and this is going to be looked into. We do not stipulate that you have to rent a fire pit and purchase our logs as many of our customers do choose to bring their own. The added extras as far as dogs, awnings extra cars etc are stated at the time of booking.

Half term trip

Lovely little campsite. Nice and quiet. Perfect for a few nights away exploring the Nottingham area.

Disappointed

Stayed 3 nights myself, husband and 2 grandchildren. The play area was one of the reasons I booked with my grandchildren, but all we found were 2 old swings tied to a tree! The Coffee pod wasn't open either. It looked like the river was actually connected to site, but it wasn't, and we walked through overgrown field to try and find it. After being nettled several times, we gave up. Toilet was filthy and the shower we wouldn't even attempt to use. Extremely disappointed, mostly for my grandchildren.

Site's response

We are sorry you did not enjoy your stay, Jayne. Unfortunately, we can't rectify issues if they are not bought to our attention immediately. Our toilets and showers are cleaned regularly and we apologise if you had to use them during a time there was heavy footfall. The footpath to the River Trent is through fields and farmland and it is a right of way, which all the local walkers and dog walkers use. However the alternative route was down through Boat Lane, so there is a choice of access to the Trent and we do say it is a 10 min walk away. The coffee pod is not in use at the moment, which is why it is backed up against a wall in an area that is not accessed by the campers on site. Also please note that we do not advertise this as being available. We are a rustic country site, and there are as you say, some old-fashioned swings on the most amazing oak tree. I am sorry your grandchildren were disappointed,

First time van dweller

Lovely, quiet, scenic location. Very friendly, knowledgeable and welcoming staff.

Location is lovely

The staff are mega attentive and helpful but they can only work with what's given to them. Washrooms were very dated and cramped and I felt they were in need of a refit. Fresh water facilities were plentiful but they were leaking really badly.

First camp of the year

Just got home from a little one night stay with my misses and 2 dogs to get all the equipment out. First time at this site and it's perfect if you want a little night or 2 away. Cheaply priced, everything you need, large, clean shower block - definitely can't complain about it! The owner was welcoming and friendly and pointed me in the right direction of the local pubs. Friendly other campers, quiet at night and the biggest bonus the site and local pubs are very dog friendly!

Lovely place

We go camping a lot and this was a new site to try. A lovely campsite with lots of places around you for nice walks. Will be back again.

Excellent stay

Very nice, clean and peaceful site.

Close to the River Trent

Bit more expensive than some sites, but good location, close to the river Trent. Very clean with good field lighting. Dog friendly and good dog walks. Great local pub (the Waggon) with wood fired pizza and lovely wine choices. The campsite was quiet as coming to the end of their season. Overall, would recommend. Thank you.

Pleasant October weekend

Very polite and respectful.

Warm and very clean toilet and shower block

Very quiet this time of year. Quirky toilet and shower block that was warm and very clean. Grass was firm and well drained, despite the heavy rain. Plenty of pubs that do food nearby, The Waggon & Horses is within walking distance.

Very run down and dirty facilities

Facilities are very basic but dirty. Didn't get "cleaned" until Wednesday, which consisted of emptying bins and putting bleach down the toilet. For the price per person, per night and then £3 per dog pet night (I have 2), I thought it was far too expensive. Had to pick up after other people's dogs around my tent too. Kids were not watched. They were playing hide and seek, tripping over my guy lines and banging on the side of my friends caravan. It's a free for all. You are expected to know that the office isn't being used and to use the caravan/chalet where the warden lives. Never ever again, far too expensive for dated and dirty facilities.

Couple and dog

Absolutely fantastic location and very relaxed about our dog. However, the facilities are very small, dirty and are in need of some updating. The showers we used flooded when we used them. However, we had a lovely weekend walking as the location of the campsite is so good!

Location is great, facilities are not

Our family's annual camping trip. The area was big. We were one of many large groups and managed to get all together. Although we paid for 4 pitches, we ended up all on 2 pitches. A lot of groups were placed like that. It was okay for us, but not ideal as some of our party were sharing the pitch with another group. There's only 3 toilets and 3 shower blocks per gender. There ended up being queues due to the volume of people and not enough toilets. I think they need to look at adding more facilities going forward as this was our main issue. We took the kids to the river for fishing, but it seemed to me that it was private fishing only. Make sure you keep your cars next to your tents. We were asked to park them elsewhere and our spare wheel was stolen. We had a great weekend, minus the above, but wouldn't go back to this site unless it improved and added more facilities.

Good facilities and plenty of space

We only stayed for one night, but it is a good site and you could stay longer for sure. We had a motorhome but there was a good mix of tents and camper vans. The site is clean and looked after. The toilet block is a bit dated and you can see through the edges of the toilet doors and shower doors, but they are kept clean. Just a word of warning, they do not provide toilet rolls or hand towels in the toilet block, so remember to take your loo roll with you. I would definitely recommend for a short break.

Poor toilet and shower facilities

The location was great but the toilet and shower facilities are in serious need of refurbishment. Also, you are expected to pay the balance you owe in cash.

Nice few nights away at this family friendly campsite

Lovely little campsite within walking distance to the River Trent. Perfect stay for a couple of nights away with the kids.