Nikki Leighton heads off camping when she takes her two dogs to a park in Cambridgeshire that comes with its own fishing lake
Entrance and Fields
We were looking for a place to visit that catered for touring and non-touring so that we could enjoy a trip away with family. Having visiting other Tranquil Parks’ sites, we recognised that this site would also be of a high standard. On arrival at the site we were greeted by the friendly Mickie, who made our check-in seamless. We received a booklet which gave us information on the site’s amenities, including fishing, the one-stop shop and an on-site cafe. Fishing is included in the pitch fee for Waterside which meant that we could fish directly from our pitch from 7am until after dusk or 9:30pm. The only stipulation to the fishing is that reception staff need to see any landing nets dipped before issuing a fishing permit, which needs to be obtained before setting up to fish. The fish in the lake consist mostly of mirror and common carp weighing in at a maximum of 7lb. If you want bigger specimens, The Pit boasts a greater variety of fish weighing up to 27lb, for an additional fee. Other than the main caravan park there are three other areas that you can choose from on site. ‘The Paddock’ has a mix of grass and hardstanding pitches, and also has a designated camping corner, suitable for tents up to 6x4m. Woodside is smaller and more private, accommodating six fully serviced pitches for motorhomes, caravans and trailer tents, and has direct access to the woodland walk. Finally, there is Waterside where we had one of 20 fully serviced pitches surrounding a lake, inclusive of its own swim for the duration of our stay. Unlike most touring pitches, this set up was different in that we were able to position our caravan nose in first to allow us the pleasure of taking in the views of the lake while enjoying a cup of tea or coffee in the morning. The site also has six luxury self-catering lodges with hot tubs. Three have private gardens, ideal if you have dogs staying with you, which we found advantageous while spending time with family at their lodge. There are a mix of one- and two-bed lodges, which are all dog friendly and also offer an optional log burner for the cooler months. The one-stop shop within reception supplies locally produced jams and preserves as well as your everyday essentials. It offers a variety of fishing bait, light tackle and other supplies should you get stuck for anything during your stay. It also sells an array of dog treats, food, toys, poo bags and even dog ice cream. A booklet also provided details of three circular walks ranging between 3.2 and 4.9 miles directly from the site into Doddington.
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