# North Devon Motorhome Stopovers



## Pard (May 1, 2005)

It's been mentioned elsewhere on MHF but Torridge District Council has introduced a motorhome stopover facility in car parks at Bideford, Appledore, Torrington, Holsworthy and Westward Ho! We've just returned from two nights away - chilly but wonderfully bright and sunny by day.

It costs £5.00 per night, 6:00pm to 10:00am, maximum 2 nights' stay.

We stopped one night in Bideford at the Riverbank car park, alongside the R. Torridge but out of sight of it in the more sheltered overflow section, taking an evening stroll into town, and (after paying an extra morning's parking £2.00 for up to 4 hours) spent the morning ambling around in the town. We reckon we spent about £25-£30 in the town shops and cafes.

The second night we spent at Torrington, where the town centre car park is in an elevated position with a wonderful view. There's rather less to do in Torrington itself, but we quite like the old town anyway, and visit it from time to time. Here we spent another £25.

On the way home we stopped at Holsworthy, checked out the car park there, and spent time in the town. Although it's not the most exciting of visitor destinations, it's en route if you, like us, sometimes use meandering roads when travelling east-west or west-east. So we might try the car park overnight sometime. Even here we managed to part with £15 or so today. 

I really hope this initiative takes off, but it will only work if other motorhomers use it, play by the rules, and spend some cash in the local shops.

I'm adding them to MHF's Friendly Motorhome Stopovers and so hopefully they'll appear there shortly.


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## Bazbro (May 9, 2005)

Thanks for this, Pard. Are these just "£5-a-night car parks" or are they supplying a bit more for a fiver (security/water/emptying, etc)? I noticed the skid marks in the foreground of your photo, so I'm a bit concerned about "the lads" performing late at night.

Any overnight haven is to be welcomed, particularly when it's officialdom that seems to be recognising our problem, but just charging 5 quid for a parking place in an insecure public car park isn't sufficient. But it's a start.


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## hogan (Oct 31, 2006)

Ah! Memories I used to live at Bideford before moving to Spain can't wait to get back.
No services provided just a car park but the police do patrol at times.


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## Pard (May 1, 2005)

As Hogan remarks, it is just a car park, and some might feel it's costly enough at £5.00. However, being realistic, I can't see many British local authorities being bothered to help us out for less than that - they do have some initial outlays to make. In this case that seemed to be new or redesigned machines with the facility to make a designated motorhomes payment, and new signboards. If enough folk use the stopover, it could just be that there would be a case to improve facilities, but if no one does, well, we'd have no case to argue. The days when local government could implement initiatives with risks attached have generally long gone - there has to be a pretty good prospect for an appropriate financial return.

I suspect that the Bideford facility could be used fairly often when better known, but Torrington's and Holsworthy's might struggle to be justified. Don't know about Appledore. The attendant at Torrington appeared in the morning to ask what I thought of it - I think we were the first to use it that he'd encountered!

As regards the skid marks, I noted those too, but there was no evidence on the Easter week Friday night we've just spent there - all was peaceful [as indeed it had been in Bideford on the Thursday]. I could see no real evidence of silly boys' handbrake-turn games. Skid marks can be created in empty car-parks in the daytime as well as at night. Having said that, two young lads on motorcycles with L plates came into the park, sat and chatted a while, road in a few circles and left. So it's always possible that it could get noisier as the weather improves (assumptions, assumptions???). On the other hand, the French aires aren't always left un-visited by kids on their putt-putt bikes.

Personally I think the legal stopover is more useful in the winter months, when most campsites shut up shop, and CLs which remain open can be too soft to park on, and one isn't likely to want to sit outside. Also the opportunity to park within a community, rather than a few miles from it, is appealing.


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## Pard (May 1, 2005)

One further curiosity, probably arising from consulting caravan clubs or health and safety, is that motorhomes must be parked 6m apart. It's a sensible requirement but unenforceable, I'd have thought. We parked at Bideford in a totally empty area, but within 20 minutes a Hungarian coach had come to park overnight - about 4m away. 

How does one prevent any vehicle parking overnight in the same area, which at present they can do, choosing a slot too close? Maybe if the scheme works, they'll mark out some motorhome spaces for us...


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## Bazbro (May 9, 2005)

This is excellent, Pard. A good start.

My only fears are "undesirables" using these facilities and getting them a bad name locally; having nowhere to dispose of rubbish and it being just left (by the unthinking minority); surreptitious waste emptying because no facility is provided, etc. We all know how to behave, but there are some who don't unless clear "signposts" as to what they should be doing are given.

Yes, an excellent start. Thanks.


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## Pard (May 1, 2005)

Hi Bazbro

There are recycling bins on the Torrington site, but no large waste bins at present. There are also toilets very nearby at Bideford, Torrington and Holsworthy (don't know about the others), but I think they are probably all daytime only.


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## Bazbro (May 9, 2005)

That's good, Pard. But it's just a start. Well done Torridge DC - let's hope this proves a success and many, many more Councils follow suit


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## PoohOnHoney (Nov 22, 2012)

We live in Bideford and if we arrive home late from a trip it's too dodgy getting the MH into our drive, so this helps us too (better than a lay-by, though there are some good ones nearby). 

We talked to one of the Traffic Wardens (is there a more PC title now?) just before the new MH stopovers were implemented. It's the Traffic Wardens who proposed this and were surprised when the bosses listened. Good on them!

In Bideford, we think the best spot is beside the river next to the boat launch slipway (that is right at the far end). In Appledore the Churchfields car park has toilets and a full set of recycling bins, plenty of restaurants on the Quay including at least one which is of very good quality; beware a northerly gale in the car park though - you will rock!


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## Pard (May 1, 2005)

Hi PoohOnHoney

I looked at that area, and might have been tempted for the view, but for two things - it's next to the skateboard ramps which were in use, thump, thump, and the icy breeze heading up the Torridge from which we were sheltered in the overflow park! The marked-out spaces are a bit narrow and short too, but as the area was empty, I guess it wouldn't have mattered too much!

Nice to know about Appledore though - sounds like a future possible.


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