Site Details
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Rivendale Touring Caravan & Leisure
Buxton Road
Alsop-En-Le-Dale
Ashbourne
Derbyshire
DE6 1QU
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Independent ReviewsEach review represents the opinions of its author. The webmaster cannot confirm its veracity. As with all such information, you must judge for yourself whether you wish to use this review as the basis for any decision you may make.
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Author: Nick Porter
Total 41 reviews (list)
generally considered accurate, tending to pessimistic |
Last Visit: June 2001 |
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This review is rather old. Treat it with care.
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over two thirds of people who voted thought this review was pessimistic
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Rivendale is a relatively new site, situated in a disused quarry, and surrounded for about 180 degees on the northeast and southeast sides by the quarry walls. Unfortunately, the prevailing wind is from the west, so it doesn't provide the shelter you might expect.
The ground is stony, but there are a variety of pitches: all stone, all grass, and a mixture. See the photos for examples of the pitches, which were quite variable in size and style. Most are marked out by rows of bushes, but these have not yet grown to a size where they give any shade, shelter or privacy.
There is a single block containing toilets, showers (free), laundry sinks and washing machines, and two dishwashing sinks outside. Strangely, the facilities are locked, and each unit is given a key. This can be awkward when one of you is in the shower, and someone else wants the toilet. I never asked them who or what they were trying to protect against.
Adjacent to the toilet block is a patch of grass for ball games, and a small playground with clambering equipment.
Small shop on site, rather inadequately stocked in my opinion, and it always seemed to be closed just when we needed it. There's also a bar and tea room, but we didn't try either.
Access to the Tissington Trail (a disused railway, used for cycling and walking) is just a couple of hundred meters away.
Note the grid reference given in the Camping and Caravanning Club's Big Sites Book is wrong: the correct reference is shown here.
©Copyright Nick Porter
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Author: Sarah
This is the only review by this author |
Last Visit: August 2001 |
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This review is rather old. Treat it with care.
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I stopped at this campsite in August 2001, and am stopping again in May 2003. I think the review above is quite harsh. The site was exactly right for everything we needed. I would recommend it to anyone.
©Copyright Sarah and Nick Porter
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Author: Tim Pace
Total 2 reviews (list)
generally considered accurate, tending to pessimistic |
Last Visit: August 2002 |
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This review is rather old. Treat it with care.
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Bar is very good they know how to keep a pint !!!. There is a Lord Of The Rings connection the name Rivendale and guess what ... the bar is called the Prancing Poney. Shop is indeed poor. Did not however try food, but I was told its good.
©Copyright Tim Pace and Nick Porter
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Author: Mole
This is the only review by this author |
Last Visit: October 2002 |
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This review is rather old. Treat it with care.
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Yup, must agree that the bar is very friendly and the beer is very good. Will admit that the shop is not so well stocked, but it had whatever we needed and at a not too bad price, and Matlock is only 15 mins drive away. I found that the toilet facilities were very good and very clean, and you can have more than one key. I think the reason they do this is to stop non-customers from using the facilities. They do keep the numbers down, so it never feels overcrowded. We all loved the campsite, and are now going back again for a third time.
©Copyright Mole and Nick Porter
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Author: Mrs J Banner
This is the only review by this author |
Last Visit: April 2003 |
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This review is rather old. Treat it with care.
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A site with lots of potential. We found the facilities immaculately clean and only having one key to them did not pose a problem. The Prancing Pony Pub is small and friendly and serves both a good pint and excellent food. The shop is not very big and only supplies the bare necessities, but overall, this park is one we shall return to, not only for it's peaceful setting and numerous birds, but because we were made to feel welcome.
©Copyright Mrs J Banner and Nick Porter
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Author: Tania Bagnall
This is the only review by this author |
Last Visit: June 2003 |
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This review is rather old. Treat it with care.
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We were impressed. Fabulous under-floor heated loos, excellent bar with a very friendly manager, a wide range of different pitch surfaces, sunny sheltered pitching area - and the best wild flower display we have ever seen. True the shop is limited. The key deposit can be a pain if you want to leave before 9 a.m. - we were told the system is to keep out people from off site who camp on the opposite side of the road when the 4wd is on. We found it busy at weekends but have been told it is very quiet mid-week. Your reviewer was obviously out of sorts!
©Copyright Tania Bagnall and Nick Porter
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Author: Chris Purcell
This is the only review by this author |
Last Visit: August 2003 |
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This review is rather old. Treat it with care.
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We stayed at this site the first week in August. The site is well kept and the toilet block is immaculate - the only problem with the toilet block was that there were only two windows in the ladies section, one was nailed shut and the other had window locks keeping it shut. Bearing in mind that that week in August brought us some of the hottest weather this country has had made showering unbearable.
Also, the games room is a bit of a con, it is in the bar, and the bar is only open from 6:30 pm - also your child has to have a parent with them at all times (due to it being in the bar) - method in their madness here, I think.
Lastly, we were unlucky to get one of the smallest all-grass pitches on the site (so small our caravan would not fit between the pitch lines) resulting in us spilling in to next doors pitches causing in my opinion a fire risk.
©Copyright Chris Purcell and Nick Porter
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Author: Anon
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Last Visit: May 2004 |
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This review is rather old. Treat it with care.
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We first visited the site in 2001 and having returned again we found it had matured, but was still quiet and peaceful despite being fully booked, the facilities were very clean and staff friendly. It is an excellent place to walk from.
©Copyright Anon and Nick Porter
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Author: John Luckett
This is the only review by this author |
Last Visit: August 2004 |
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Remember that people are always more prepared to write and complain than they are to praise good service.
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A group of us stayed at Rivendale for a weekend in August 2004 and my advice to other campers is do not go to this site if you have children. My 9 year old son and some other boys from the campsite were sitting outside the reception area which is close to the camp Warden's lodgings. It appears that they were being noisy (like children usually are) but the Warden came out of his house, cuffed one of the boys around the head and grabbed my (very small for his age) 9 year old son by the scruff of the neck and told them all to 'clear off'. When I raised this matter with the Warden's wife at reception she started shouting at me about uncontrollable children and parental responsibility. I told her that even if they were doing what she said (of which I was not convinced), that did not give her husband the right to assault a child. Her response was to say that it was my son's word against her husband's. So, not only did a camp Warden assault 2 children in the heat of the moment, but in the cold light of day, the view of the camp site was that it was an acceptable act - and I was challenged to prove it.
©Copyright John Luckett and Nick Porter
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Author: Nathalie Smart
This is the only review by this author |
Last Visit: July 2005 |
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Remember that people are always more prepared to write and complain than they are to praise good service.
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I stayed here with a group of friends and despite booking and paying 3 months before going we were placed in the overspill field without warning. Before arrival we were sent a receipt with a note to arrive before 7pm in order to get shower block key - fine. On arrival we were given a slip saying we must not use the main showers block if we do so we will be ordered off the site. So we had to use the small block on the overspill field.
I say small block I mean a portakabin, with a door without a lock and 2 showers with curtains - I will leave it to your imagination what happens when someone innocently opens the door on a windy day!! These were not heated as advertised and the water pressure was non-existent and lukewarm even on the highest setting.
The toilets were just as bad 3 toilets for whole site with 1 wash basin, no paper towels or anywhere to dry hands.
Outside these toilet blocks was a hole in the ground about 10metres by 5 metres with a kind of fence around it but no lighting to warn you in the night.
The overspill park is next to the road so it was lovely at 6pm to be woken by lorry drivers beeping their horns as they passed, I'm not sure why they do it but we saw one laughing as they passed!!!! I'm sure it would be funny if you were in the lorry!!!
What I ask is what have the owners done to the locals to make them act like this? If they treat the locals like the campers I understand.
I can certainly say I will not be going back there!!!! In total we paid £97.00 for 2 nights and it certainly wasn’t worth this
Response from the site management:
Nathalie Smart's description is totally inaccurate and libellous. Facts:-
Bookings are made by payment 28 days prior to arrival.
Every pitch has a unique computer address, which is allocated at the time of booking. The cost of a pitch in the pitching area is greater than that in the field to reflect the better facilities. The computer booking system does not allow a switch between the areas-because they are different prices. N Smart (rightly or wrongly) was booked onto the "overspill field" from the outset.
The camping field is 10 acres of wild-flower meadow where campers are free to choose their spot; Ms Smart (for reasons we cannot fathom) chose to pitch next to the main road.
The showers were at mains pressure, being of the instantaneous electrical type unaffected by the volume of use. There are 6 toilets, 6 basins and 2 showers available for the Ladies in the overspill field - the men have their own facilities. The basic cost of one night for 2 people on the meadow is £9.50; unless there were dozens of people in the tent the figure given is pure fantasy.
©Copyright Nathalie Smart and Nick Porter
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Author: Maggie Oldknow
Total 3 reviews (list)
Too few votes to judge accuracy |
Last Visit: November 2005 |
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My hubby and myself have just returned from our third stay at Rivendale, the wardens were as usual, very helpful and friendly, due to the extreme weather we had suffered prior to our visit the pitch that we had been allocated was rather muddy (due to the previous inconsiderate occupier, who had obviously been driving on and off the grass quite a lot!!)I returned to the office and asked if it was possible to be given the one next door," No problem, if it's available " after checking the 'puter, we were allocated next door, and the lovely lady said she would get someone up to have a look at it,
We had yet another enjoyable stay there and even managed to try out our new satellite system !! it is great for walking dogs and Ashbourne is a fantastic market town, looking forward to another visit in the next couple of weeks.
©Copyright Maggie Oldknow and Nick Porter
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Author: Anon
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Last Visit: July 2007 |
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We have just had a lovely weeks stay camping on the 'overspill site'. The site was lovely, clean and welcoming. Close to many beautiful towns and villages in particular our children mostly enjoyed 'Heights Of Abraham' and 'Alton Towers' which is only around 30 minutes away. Luckily we had read reviews before coming to Rivendale camp site, and packed our swimsuits to shower in to cover our modesty. It seems such a shame that campers from the quarry side of the camp who had heated facilities still needed to use our basic facilities which we only had 2 showers, 3 toilets and 2 basins in each of the mens and womens porta-cabins, but we could not use their facilities as you needed a key. Would most definitely come again.
©Copyright Anon and Nick Porter
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Author: Tim B
This is the only review by this author |
Last Visit: June 2008 |
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Remember that people are always more prepared to write and complain than they are to praise good service.
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over three quarters of people who voted thought this review was pessimistic
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What a shame this beautiful location is spoiled by the owners of the Rivendale camp site. On our stay, they were erratic to say the least. Despite a warm welcome at Reception, we were later threatened with physical violence, in front of several witnesses. This was denied just a few minutes later, to the incredulity of the witnesses. The owners also stated that several of our party would have to leave the camp site early, then changed their minds the next day. This level of customer service would leave Basil Fawlty blushing.
©Copyright Tim B and Nick Porter
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Author: Sheila & John Ward
This is the only review by this author |
Last Visit: June 2008 |
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Have just returned from a 3 night stay on the overspill field which was right next to the busy main road. Only pitch available to us on arrival Friday was overgrown & bumpy. Good views from parts of the field. Site full on arrival but empty by the time we left on Monday. Portakabin showers & toilets basic but clean. Didn't find staff too helpful when we asked for areas to walk dogs - brochure said there were several wooded areas on or near the site but were only told of one small area which we couldn't find. Didn't use the bar as we arrived too late. We would use this site again but make sure we had a pitch on the main site which seemed to be a lot quieter. Lovely location and handy for touring around.
©Copyright Sheila & John Ward and Nick Porter
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Author: Kay Walton
This is the only review by this author |
Last Visit: July 2008 |
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Remember that people are always more prepared to write and complain than they are to praise good service.
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Just returned from here (July 2008)
Very noisy campsite. Children playing out until 10.30pm. Pitches very small, only 3 feet away from each other and backwards way on. You have to turn your caravan around to be able to put up the awning as grass verge is at the wrong side of your given pitch (very strange, never experienced anything like this before).
Shop on site did not stock very much at all- no milk, bread, newspapers etc.
staff not very friendly - couldn't care less if you were there or not.
Sorry, but we will not be back!!
©Copyright Kay Walton and Nick Porter
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