Wales and Southern England in July. (Do I need to pre book)

nailer8

Going to the UK in July with the family. Our first trip to the UK in the MH.
We usually like to keep our trips flexible and move from site to site as we wish however I've never traveled during peak school holidays season before. Are places likely to be booked up?

Also any recommendations for good family friendly sites with stuff for toddlers (and dads) would be very welcome.

Betsy Og

Hobourne Bashley in Dorset is lovely, nice part of the world, on the edge of New Forest. Mill Farm near Bridgewater in Somerset is a lively spot. Both of those sites would have the cabaret bar things, though neither are huge sites.

Tenby, very near the Pembroke port in South Wales is a lovely little seaside town. Further up the Welsh Coast you have Port Merion - if you recall the series The Prisoner (1960's), it was filmed there, worth a look.

If you have any other specifics it would help - which ferry ports etc. Also, Wales & South of England are quite big, so I think you should pick a region and stick to it - trying to 'do it all' would just be a transportation ordeal. We've had separate holidays in Dorset, Cornwall, Yorkshire and there's enough in any of those for a holiday. Somerset is lovely and can be enjoyed en route, & you can see different bits of Wales/England en route.

SeamusG97

If you are taking Betsy Og's advice and heading south, The New Forest is not far from Dorset and is very pretty. ( Almost all of the UK is beautiful and underrated in my opinion).
Brockenhurst is s pretty small townon the edge of the new Forest. It has a campsite with the feel of a bygone era about it. Cattle are allowed to graze in the village green. Nearby Lyndhurst is nice as well.

Heading west, Dorset, Devon, Somerset and Cornwall are beautiful, especially in the summertime. Clovelly in north Devon is a real curiosity - a small village with no wheeled traffic due to the steepmess of the streets. (Need to pay to get in though). Cider to be sampled in Somerset.

Copper mines to be seen in Cornwall - you're spoiled for choice. Don't know much about camping there as I've only been there in the car or bike.

Getting back to Wales, Brecon Beacon is a national park and there are lots of pretty villages to explore in the area. There's a nice campsite in Brecon Village that was very reasonable when I stayed there last year. It's an easy drive from Pembroke Dock.
In my limited experience the good places tend to get booked.

Here's two links that you might find useful:

http://www.caravanclub.co.uk/caravanclubapps/applications/maps/searchmap.aspx?Type=CS It gives campsites only

This is a better one but you need to register with them first - it's free. It gives campsites plus other options as well.

http://www.motorhomefacts.com/modules.php?name=Campsites&file=map

All this typing has planted the idea in my head of taking Mrs SeamusG97 and the kids to Wales for the May bank holiday weekend with the car and a couple of tents...Off now to check the sailings..

Benbecul97

More details here from 2 years ago
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=90386443

nailer8

Thanks for all the tips and advice.

We are sailing in and out of Fishguard with Stena.
We arrive & leave middle of the day so will be able to do a bit of a drive to/from the ferry, wont need to camp in Fishguard or near it.

Don't mind driving, i'm a kitesurfer so often drive 5h on a saturday to find wind and 5h home again sunday. That said on a two week family trip 4/5 stops is enough.

Definitely want to give a couple of days surfing around the cornwall coast.