Waveney River Centre Reviews

Ok but could be better

Pitches are too small for a campervan and awning. Location is remote. The access roads are really narrow so prohibit 'safe' use of a bike or a walk. There no access for a walk along the river. Says access for kayaks/canoes, which isn't really true because there's no suitable launch point. Shower block has only a couple in use at a time and most taps and shower controls leak. Also, there's no squeegees, so you end up in the previous occupants water. It's dated and needs a really good revamp.

Site's response

Many thanks for your review, Peter. We are sorry to hear that you were disappointed with some aspects of your stay, we welcome all feedback to help us make improvements going forward. This is the first feedback we have received relating to the pitches being too small, therefore we are sorry you found the pitches too small, however we welcome caravans, motorhomes and campervans and guests often put up their awning too. With regards to Kayaks & Canoes, we do in fact have our own slip way for this purpose, this is located next to the ferry stop that takes guests to the other side of the river, which has a beautiful walk along the river through Carlton Marshes nature reserve, taking you into the beautiful village of Oulton Broad. We hope that we can welcome you back again, so that you can experience everything we have to offer at Waveney River Centre. Warm regards, The Waveney Team.

Caravan

Views were beautiful all round. Getting there down very very narrow country lanes with a caravan was hair-raising. No way could two large vehicles pass as there were only two ways in, maybe it could be advised at each entrance. The staff in the reception and bar were very helpful. If you take teenagers, let them know there's no internet coverage for miles but it can be paid for on site. I had a lovely few days.

Site's response

Hi Laura Many thanks for your review, we are so pleased you had a lovely stay with us! :) We look forward to hopefully welcoming you again soon. Warm Regards, The Waveney Team

Our two night stay

We stayed for two nights and was a little disappointed. Our pitch was Heron 4. Quite a heavy slope, I had to use all the ramps I had. Very dark amongst the trees, with lots of unattended pitches free but unavailable when we asked to move, without a good reason why. The electric ferry that takes you 50 yards across the river was £4 return each, but for lodge dwellers it was free.Why? And finally the showers had quite a heavy damp smell to them. This was strange for what looked like new facilities. Sorry, we won't be back.

Site's response

Thank you for taking the time to leave a review, Mark. We are sorry that you were disappointed with some aspects of your stay, although thank you for your feedback, this helps us to make improvements going forward. We are sorry you were unable to move to a Bittern pitch, we understand that these just look like unused empty pitches, however, we are welcoming these very soon. We do have to complete safety checks before being able to open up a pitch, so these have been underway. The safety of guests is of paramount important, therefore it would not be safe to allow guests to use an electric hook-up without the vital tests. However, we are sorry this caused disappointment. Warm regards - The Waveney Team.

Lovely site

We stayed this weekend and loved it! Such a lovely site would come back again.

Great time

We had a great time. Couldn't fault it. Everywhere was clean and well kept. Staff very helpful. Lovely setting. Thank you for all the help that was given to us setting up the internet.

Brilliant

Fantastic site, I grew up in Aldeby and spent all my time there as a kid. Now have kids of my own, so took them there for the weekend. Brilliant clean site, can't wait to come back.

Site's response

Dear David Many thanks for your review, we are so pleased you had a lovely stay with us! :) We look forward to hopefully welcoming you again soon. Warm Regards, The Waveney Team

Great weekend stay!

We have just had a lovely weekend at Waveney River Centre with stunning views of the valley. Shower blocks & toilets were exceptionally clean and tidy at all times. The club house/bar was reasonably priced and the staff were warm & welcoming. The swimming pool was an excellent addition for all the family. A superb location and would definitely stay here again.

Peaceful

Very peaceful with great views of the Waveney River. With access for paddle boarding and kayaking. Lovely meal at the Waveney Inn. Would book again.

View to the river

A wonderful quiet site with great views. Driving to the site as we are quite large was made with caution. Shame that the site seems to want to sell cabins more than take tourers. Swimming pool was a bonus.

Two night get-away

An ideal place to unwind set in beautiful surroundings. We enjoyed just sitting and watch the boats cruise by. A well maintained, clean and tidy site with good facilities. Staff friendly and helpful. Swimming pool a plus for a small fee. On-site pub serving good food. Our peaceful break was spoiled slightly by noisy late arrivals unpacking their car requiring numerous opening and closing of doors and boot and talking too loudly for 2am in the morning. Unthoughtful or just inconsiderate? A failing of some humans, not the site staff. Look forward to additional pitches re-opening as the Herons have overhanging trees and are on quite a slope. We have book-marked this site as one to return to, though maybe not in high season owing to its single track access road.

Very pleasant stay but also disappointing

We first stayed at the Waveney River Centre in June 2021, and had one of our best ever holidays. We were very much looking forward to returning and were in great anticipation of our stay there in June 2024. Unfortunately, due to a takeover, we were very disappointed, and initially wished that we hadn't returned. In 2021, the site was busy and buzzing with campers, caravanners and boat people. We hired one of the day boats that were available at the Waveney River Centre and had a truly magical day out cruising the broads with friends. It was lovely to see so many people enjoying themselves and there was a really happy, friendly atmosphere. It has beautiful views across the river and the marshes and it was a treat to watch the wildlife and also the boats coming in and out of the marina. In 2024, we couldn't hire a day boat and go out on the broads, as they have been removed. The busy marina has become a yard with boats for sale and is very quiet. Now, tents are banned, and the yurts have gone. The site is very quiet, and at one point, there was only one other touring unit on the site, which is odd. There are apparently plans to put lodges where the yurts were. That would block any views from the touring sites of the river and the landscape beyond, basically ruining the touring pitches. The men's toilets are not good - they periodically smelt unpleasant, one toilet was out of order, another toilet pan kept tipping over and in the disabled toilets, the washbasin was propped up by a plank of wood. The lights in the Ladies turned off almost immediately on entering, leaving users in the dark. It all looked very tired and run down. Previously, in the booking details was a clear instruction to use organic toilet fluid, as the septic tank relies on bacteria and is close to the waterways of the broads. Now, the only mention is a small faded sign over the actual emptying point. There were regularly traces of standard blue toilet fluid being used, which is potentially damaging. The emptying area was again very run-down and quite squalid, although there was a hand wash basin there. We had to complain about a car repeatedly being parked in front of us and blocking our view. On the plus side, the staff are pleasant and helpful, the site is kept tidy and well mown, and the pitch facilities work well. The views are still spectacular for now, and the Waveney Inn is okay, although the menu is a bit limited. We love the location, and the road to the site is okay if you have a little patience and are able to reverse your vehicle. We would love to return, but we aren't confident that touring caravans and motorhomes feature in the priorities of the new owners, although staff have assured us that they are there to stay. Sadly, we looked extensively around the area and currently this is the nicest site offering super-pitches.

Lovely view of river

The park is set on river Waveney and has picturesque views. The roads coming in to the park are very narrow and only wide enough for car and caravan. Which is the main reason that we won't be returning. Plus the gas guns that go off at 7am! However the park is in a quiet location with lovely views.

Family stay

We had an enjoyable stay at Waveney River Centre. Staff were very attentive and friendly. Food was fresh and tasty. Site was clean and tidy.

Left early

We left early due to weather, no fault of site. Nice clean site. Unfortunately there was nothing in vicinity to have run out too. The single track road is horrendous, I'm surprised other reviews haven't mentioned as the hedgerow over grown.

Our first time at the Waveney River Centre

Our first time at the Waveney River Centre on recommendation from our daughter who stays in a lodge. Lovely, cared for site. Everything you need on a touring site. Large showers, toilets, washing up room, laundry, freezer, in good order and spotless. A beautiful swimming pool. All the necessary cleaning facilities for disposing of toilet waste, rubbish and water replenishment. Perfect. The weather was terrible, still had a restful time though. Hope to return when the weather improves.

Site's response

Dear Michael, Many thanks for your review, we are so pleased you had a lovely stay with us! :) We look forward to hopefully welcoming you again soon, hopefully with better weather! Warm Regards, The Waveney Team

Beautiful site

Once found, we loved this site. Beautiful surroundings, very friendly helpful staff. Fascinating church just up the road. Convenient for where we wanted to be. Great having restaurant and bar on site. Will definitely be back.

Great stopover

A great location so peaceful down a narrow country lane. Not huge, so not overcrowded and lovely views of the boats and marina, and had the chance to use the pool which was lovely and warm. Toilets were spotless and barely used, as there were mostly larger tourers when we stayed, showers again were all good. Having a bar and restaurant with small shop was a bonus, we didn't eat there as we travelled into Beccles for a takeaway. We did have some drinks. It was so quiet bit of a shame as it lacked a bit of an atmosphere really, but all in all, a great spot and would come back again.

Site's response

Many thanks for the lovely review Heidi. We are so pleased you enjoyed your stay with us! We hope to welcome you again very soon. Warm regards, WRC Team.

Short campervan break

Picturesque campsite with great facilities, very welcoming and a great restaurant. Would recommend.

Quiet, small campsite

Quiet, small campsite perfect for exploring the Broads. We stayed at the campsite for 2 nights with our VW van and tent. My one negative would be that our pitch was a tight squeeze for both van and tent (a standard 4 man-nothing oversized), and although we made it work, a couple of extra feet would have been ideal. It did however provide us with an excellent sunset view! The swimming pool was great for our children, we had to book a slot, but there was plenty of availability. We ate in the onsite restaurant, which had a good kids menu as well as the classic pub favourites. The pub also has a separate games room with pool table and arcade machines, as well as sofas, in case you want a more chilled drink as opposed to a sit down dinner. In terms of location, it's a 15 min drive to Beccles, where there is a big choice of supermarkets. You can also hire Broads boats from there.

Relaxing peaceful stay

We have just returned from a 5 night break at The Waveney River Centre and it was only spoilt by the good, old, British weather! Can't fault the site - it's peaceful, staff are very friendly, the facilities (including the indoor pool) were great and the whole site is very clean, tidy and well maintained. The location is ideal for exploring Beccles, Lowestoft and Great Yarmouth. To be honest, our only negative is the access to the site. The approach roads (lanes) are very tight and not signposted very well. All the routes are uneven single track roads with just a few passing places. That said, once you are there, it's well worth it!

Site's response

Thank you for taking the time to leave your review, Nigel. We are so pleased you had a lovely stay with us! We look to welcoming you back to Waveney River Centre again soon. Warm regards, WRC Team.

Site has changed

We have stayed here many times and were sad to see the changes made by the new owners. There is no longer an option to camp in a tent here which has changed the ambiance of the site. The ferry boat now only crosses at certain times and not on request as before, which makes it a little more stressful when planning a walk across the other side of the river; if you time it wrong, you could find yourself having to grab a taxi ride back to site. The swimming pool has to be booked for a specific time slot; I booked for 10am and it was still busy! The little shop has been replaced with three shelving units in the restaurant. The canoe and boat hire has also gone. We used to love coming here and although our motorhome pitch was good, we probably won't return.

Good for couples

Nice, clean, well kept site. Pool clean, but having to go into the actual water to supervise a 14 year old who can swim better than I can was a bit of a pain. Not informed that the Restaurant/Pub would be closed on the Tues/Wed before arrival, meaning pool tables were not accessible. Very disappointed.

perfect night's get away

we booked a one night get away stay to test out our new roof tent. to start our weekend off we had perfect weather. we were greeted by friendly staff the site and facilities were very clean. we took kayaks so we were able to launch from their slip way. we had an evening meal at the waveney Inn. again the staff were very friendly with a little shop to buy all the essentials. the food was very nice with amazing views. the whole site has amazing views. the toilets and showers were also very clean. the site was very quiet which we enjoyed with a glass of wine or 2 outside our set up. we will certainly stay again

Peaceful and quiet

Lovely and beautiful site. Pitches are a bit small, as in, if you put your awning up, there is no space for your car. The facilities could definitely do with some upgrades or refurbishing as they are getting old and outdated. Overall, lovely and quiet great views over the broads.

Peaceful

Very peaceful and relaxing. Only a small amount of touring pitches, you cannot walk alongside the river bank, you have to get the foot ferry across then you can walk in the marshes. The pub was friendly and food was okay. Did not try the small swimming pool. Toilets were very clean, shower used was not great and had to clean with a mop and bucket to wipe the floor from the previous user. No soap etc. It is very quiet and you will need transport to explore the local area.