Kestrel Lodge Campsite

Not happy

All of the facilities are extremely far away from pitches. Cars cannot be parked next to tent, which means a lot of time is spent walking to and from. Toilets were not clean and were infested with flies. Was not informed of the chickens that roam freely around the site when my partner has an allergy to feathers and so we had to be very cautious as they came very close to us. Honesty shop only takes cash and all cash machines are 25 mins away, meaning we had to travel to other shops which again, are all at least 30 mins away. This led to an increased amount of money spent on fuel going to and from shops to buy things. The bins were disgusting and I felt as though I was in the way as the maintenance team were trimming the grass extremely close to our pitch. The grass was very damp and this only got worse throughout the stay as the grass was walked on more and more. Showers also took extremely long to heat up. For the price of this, I am not happy.

Site's response

Thank you for taking the time to leave a review. We’re sorry to hear that you were unhappy with your stay, but we do feel some of the points raised need clarification. Kestrel Lodge Campsite is a small, back-to-basics campsite, and there is only a short walk from the pitches to the facilities. We have a number of pitches closer to the facilities, and you were given the option to choose your preferred area when you arrived. You initially chose an area because it was drier underfoot, but then asked to move the following day because it was windy. The pitch you chose to move to was actually one of the furthest pitches from the facilities, so we are a little surprised that the distance became such an issue when you had chosen that pitch yourself. We clearly advertise that cars are parked separately from the tent pitches, although you can drive close to your pitch to drop off and collect equipment. This is also explained in our pre-arrival information. During your stay, you were able to pitch next to your car, which may also explain why you chose to drive to the facilities. Had you preferred to be closer to the facilities, there were other pitches available to you. Our honesty shop is also advertised as cash-only, including in our pre-arrival information. It is a small shop intended mainly for emergency essentials if guests have forgotten something, rather than a replacement for a supermarket shop. The nearest supermarket is around 15 minutes away and has a cash machine, and this information is also displayed on our information board at reception. We are always happy to advise guests on local facilities if they ask. We’re sorry you felt the toilet facilities were not clean. They are thoroughly cleaned every morning, with checks carried out throughout the day. We also received several positive comments from other guests during your stay regarding the cleanliness. Unfortunately, flies, spiders and midges can be an ongoing issue in the countryside, particularly when windows are opened. We close the windows in the evening to help prevent insects being attracted by the lights, although guests understandably open them while showering to improve ventilation. We wipe down the walls and ceilings every morning and do our best to keep this under control. If you had raised this with us during your stay, we would have been more than happy to investigate and address any specific concerns. We’re also surprised by the comment regarding the chickens. Our free-roaming chickens are mentioned in our listing and are a much-loved feature of the campsite, something that is also regularly mentioned positively in our reviews. We spoke to you and saw you each day during your stay, so we wish you had mentioned your partner's allergy to us. We cannot make alternative arrangements or help with concerns that we aren't made aware of. Regarding the grass cutting, neither of us mowed the grass around your tent during your stay. In fact, as you mentioned, the ground was too wet in field to mow, so we mowed the track edges that were looking untidy. But no where near your tent. You had however chosen to pitch next to a fence and gate that we were in the process of repairing. We spoke to you about this and explained that the red tape and tools were there because we needed to carry out the repair work. Despite this, you chose to remain in that area, and we deliberately postponed the work while you were there so as not to disturb you. We certainly did not mow extremely close to your tent. The ground was unfortunately very damp during your stay due to the weather. We did advise you where the driest areas were, but when we have wet weather, the ground will inevitably become softer as it is walked on. We’re sorry that the showers took longer than you expected to heat up, and again, this is something we could have looked into had you mentioned it to us at the time. There are only two of us running Kestrel Lodge, and we do everything ourselves, from cleaning and maintenance to looking after our guests. We genuinely want people to enjoy their stay, and if something isn't right, we always encourage guests to come and speak to us so that we have the opportunity to put it right. You stayed for the full three days and spoke to us throughout your stay without raising any of these concerns. We are therefore disappointed to hear them for the first time in a review, as we could have addressed many of these issues at the time and potentially made your stay much more comfortable. We’re sorry Kestrel Lodge Campsite wasn’t the right fit for you. We do appreciate that our quiet, simple, back-to-basics approach will not suit everyone, but we do our best to be clear about what we offer before guests arrive.

Friendly site

Friendly helpful staff Amenities were clean and well maintained View was fantastic from pitch 1

Location is amazing

This is a difficult one - location is brilliant and ability to walk from site on a myriad of different walks is a real treat. Unfortunately, facilities-wise it is basic and tired. Showers need a good scrub in the corners, but toilets are clean. It's a dog friendly site, but roaming chickens could make it a challenge for a pooch with a poultry preference! Honesty shop could benefit from a few pints of fresh milk rather than UHT as nearest shop is 20 mins away.

Site's response

Thank you for taking the time to leave a review. We’re really pleased you enjoyed our location and the fantastic walks right from the site. We’re sorry you felt the facilities were basic and tired. We do advertise Kestrel Lodge as a back-to-basics campsite, but we do offer a few more facilities than you might find at some smaller pop-up sites, including toilets, showers, washing facilities, phone charging lockers, an honesty shop and a covered seating area. That said, we appreciate they’re not hotel-standard, and we’re sorry they didn’t meet your expectations on this occasion. Our facilities are thoroughly cleaned every day, including scrubbing the shower floors, with additional checks throughout the day. We don’t, however, go in after every individual shower, so unfortunately they can occasionally be left untidy between cleans. We’re also carrying out our usual winter maintenance shortly, including fresh grouting, resealing and painting, to keep everything looking fresh after a busy season. We do wish you’d mentioned anything you weren’t happy with while you were here, as we would always have been happy to take a look and put things right where possible. As for the fresh milk — we completely agree it would be great to have! We actually tried stocking it this summer, but unfortunately a lot went to waste as most guests had already done their main shopping. We do stock a few fresh essentials such as bacon, eggs and bread, alongside long-life milk as an alternative. We’re glad you enjoyed the location, and we hope the free-roaming chickens haven’t put you (or your four-legged friend!) off a return visit! 🐔🐾