# Avoid Salisbury - please



## sallytrafic (Jan 17, 2006)

Visit Salisbury by all means we survive on tourists (and we have Park and Ride) but if you want to pass through please seek an alternative route it will be quicker. Salisbury Park and Ride

I have just followed two motorhomes through town I first of all thought they must be looking for parking but they came in on the A36 (from the SE) they dived into town off the congested 'ring road' and left on the A36 (going W) I was on my bike and overtook them twice and I stopped to buy stamps and post some letters.

First of all its a medieval city and some parts are too small for even largish cars and secondly its 1960's ring road is permanently crowded from 8am to 8pm. The A36 is no longer a trunk route (detrunked some time ago  ) OK if you are going from Romsey to Wilton it still makes sense but not for longer journeys.

Regards Frank

PS If coming to camp at Hudsons field approach from the North on the A345


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## mover (Mar 9, 2006)

*Salisbury Park and Ride*

We tried to use the park and ride at Wilton to go into Salisbury and found that it was not possible to use it with our motorhome because of height barriers and the attendant just shrugged his shoulders when we asked where we could park.
Next day I contacted Salisbury councill and asked them why I could not use the park and ride and they suggested I try the central car park in Salisbury,any one who knows Salisbury will know this is a virtual no no as its normally full and any way I thought the idea was to get vehicles away from town centres.
After a quite heated discussion with the parking executive at the council[jobs worth would have been a better title ] I was told that they were considering making space available at the newest P and R being built on the Downton road at Salisbury for Motorhomes.As it happened I was at Salisbury yesterday and I drove into the new P and R on the Downton road in my Motorhome just to have a looksee and whilst there is a height barrier there ,there is an area on the fringe of the main P and R and a Motorhome was parked there so I guess they were as good as their word due partly I like to think to my protestations and that of others I would have thought.


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## sallytrafic (Jan 17, 2006)

Yes I've seen motorhomes there (and thought that they had similar on all five sites extant and planned) did you notice if the area was covered by CCTV?

If you decide to visit Salisbury and want to go to the central car park note that one of the main entrances directly off the dual carriageway has a low railway bridge about 3m clearance.

I shall start lobbying the council forthwith.

Frank


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## Mikemoss (Sep 5, 2005)

We popped into Salisbury late afternoon of the Wednesday before Easter and found bags of parking in the large coach and car park behind Sainsbury's. Used up two bays but nobody seemed to mind, and at that time of day (about 5 pm) the traffic was pretty light in and out.

Coming back was another story, although the ring road wasn't too bad at all. Salisbury is a beautiful city so it's worth the effort (and sometimes the wait) to get there and park.


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## sallytrafic (Jan 17, 2006)

Mikemoss said:


> We popped into Salisbury late afternoon of the Wednesday before Easter and found bags of parking in the large coach and car park behind Sainsbury's. Used up two bays but nobody seemed to mind, and at that time of day (about 5 pm) the traffic was pretty light in and out.
> 
> Coming back was another story, although the ring road wasn't too bad at all. Salisbury is a beautiful city so it's worth the effort (and sometimes the wait) to get there and park.


Yes I agree well worth a visit it was vans in transit that I was trying to discourage.

Frank


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## sallytrafic (Jan 17, 2006)

*Re: Salisbury Park and Ride*



mover said:


> We tried to use the park and ride at Wilton to go into Salisbury and found that it was not possible to use it with our motorhome because of height barriers and the attendant just shrugged his shoulders when we asked where we could park.
> Next day I contacted Salisbury councill and asked them why I could not use the park and ride and they suggested I try the central car park in Salisbury,any one who knows Salisbury will know this is a virtual no no as its normally full and any way I thought the idea was to get vehicles away from town centres.
> After a quite heated discussion with the parking executive at the council[jobs worth would have been a better title ] I was told that they were considering making space available at the newest P and R being built on the Downton road at Salisbury for Motorhomes.As it happened I was at Salisbury yesterday and I drove into the new P and R on the Downton road in my Motorhome just to have a looksee and whilst there is a height barrier there ,there is an area on the fringe of the main P and R and a Motorhome was parked there so I guess they were as good as their word due partly I like to think to my protestations and that of others I would have thought.


I have sent this email to the council:

On a motorhome internet forum it has been reported that there are height restrictions at at least one of the Park and Ride sites. I have seen a motorhome (and by that I include motorcaravans or campervans call them what you will) at the Britford site but it was reported that it might be outside the protected area. The reason the subject came up at all was that I saw two very large motorhomes struggling through central Salisbury. It has also been reported that the official advice was to use the central car park. You should note that the route to the central carpark goes under a low bridge (or two).

I would have thought that we could use the tourism of motorhome users as much as any other group and that the last place we needed large vehicles would be in the centre.

So can you confirm what the height restriction is, if there are places outside of height restricted areas are they covered by CCTV, and what your policy is on the matter.

Regretably the person described his contact with Salisbury Council as being with a 'JobsWorth'.


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## Pusser (May 9, 2005)

Please also avoid Aylesbury - Unless you are doing research into why Town Councils grant planning permission to build thousands of houses on green belt without any alteration to the whole areas infrastructure, like roads, sewerage and schools etc. Aylesbury is full up so there is no room for anyone else.


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## 96027 (Aug 15, 2005)

Pusser said:


> Please also avoid Aylesbury - Unless you are doing research into why Town Councils grant planning permission to build thousands of houses on green belt without any alteration to the whole areas infrastructure, like roads, sewerage and schools etc. Aylesbury is full up so there is no room for anyone else.


I seem to recall Swindon, where I lived for a few years, suffering a somewhat similar problem!


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## suly (May 21, 2006)

*Salisbury Park and Ride*

Frank

Did you ever receive a reply from Salisbury council re the park & ride height barriers?

We go to Salisbury very often and frankly generally park at Waitrose as the 3 hour limit usually is fine for us, but coming from Marlborough direction that means negotiating the rail bridge (height?). I suppose we could go on to the roundabout and approach from the west, but I would like to know the options before deciding on an elevating roof or high-top.

I'm waiting for a reply from Durham council about their park and rides. Oxford replied very swiftly and positively saying that staff their would lift the barriers (at Redbridge at least) and then let us out again. (we'd need this even for an elevating roof!)

Perhaps we should put together a positive park and ride list and take our business and spending to those towns who provide suitable accommodation.

Thanks
Su


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## Grizzly (May 9, 2005)

I had this from the manager of parking services at Knaresborough yesterday. A very prompt reply to my query.

Quote: The nearest car park which will facilitate your motorhome will be the York place surface level car park,which is located on the A59 as you enter Knaresborough from York.
The car park is approx 7 to 800 m from the centre of the town.I hope you enjoy your visit. Unquote

There is also dedicated MH parking ( 16 bays, free )at Redbridge Park and Ride in Oxford - there is nothing to say you are prohibited from over-nighting there. 

G


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## TonyHunt (Oct 10, 2005)

The whole of our area from Ringwood to the purbecks and south to Bournemouth & Poole is a giant no entry car park every weekend starting friday lunchtimes which carries on from Easter till September every year   Its a loverly place to live the rest of the year. A little tip to anybody contemplating visiting us. Keep off all major roads like the M3 / M27/ A31 / A35. Approach on the minor A roads from the North for example and you stand a chance. Seek out the minor roads when you get here also like we do to move around but dont tell too many :lol: :lol:


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## JohnDough (Mar 3, 2006)

What a pity most councils are not very Motorhome friendly it must deter a lot of people from touring your lovely area. I spent a lot of time there when the kiddies were small and we really enjoyed it staying in a mobile then!!

They obviously do not realise the potential for there local traders that they are literally throwing away.they could take a lot of lessons from there French counterparts.


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## suly (May 21, 2006)

*Park and Ride and town visits*

Well, so far we have a positive for:

Oxford Park and Ride (Redbridge at least) and 
Knaresborough, 'York place surface level car park on A59' (which I'll remember for our Yorkshire trip)

negatives because of too much traffic for :
all of East Dorset on the weekends by the sound of it and look out for Tony on the minor roads
Aylesbury

possibly Swindon (though it's a bit better now and I have seen motorhomes in the Outlet village carpark (north side) if you want to do some shopping or visit the STEAM museum.)

Still no word from Durham, or Salisbury I guess.

Any other park and rides positive or negative? We'll name and praise, or shame, here.


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## Grizzly (May 9, 2005)

Su..see my write up for Abingdon-on-Thames in the Find A Campsite section ( this is also useful for Oxford as there are express buses every 7 minutes from close by)

Somewhere there is a site on the internet that lists several - including Dover and Canterbury. Try putting these into the Search on this site.

An excellent idea to compile a list of User-friendly town parking. Perhaps there could be a separate section on the site ? 

G

PS Just found the list I have kept - I'll PM it to you as we are about to go away. Please do what you like with it.


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## G2EWS (May 1, 2006)

Well 19:00 this evening I will passing through, or more correctly round the so called Salisbury by-pass on my way to the New Forest again.

Hopefully it will be the same as two weeks ago, which was quiet and little traffic.

Frank, look out for the RV passing through.

Chris


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## Guest (Jun 30, 2006)

We used to stop off at Gretna village when we went tent camping in Galloway years ago. At that time there was a height restriction on the car park in the village.

Went up there a few weeks ago (first trip in our motor home) and were pleasantly surprised to find that the height restrictions had been removed.

It's ideal for a brief stop, just off the A74 and A75, local shops and public toilets within about 100 yards of the car park.

On the way back also found that Gretna outlet village also has no height restrictions.

Graham


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## Enodreven (Aug 29, 2005)

There is a P&R on the A439 as you approach Stratford that accepts MH's

Brian


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## Guest (Jul 3, 2006)

Just got back from Scotland where we tried to visit Glasgow yesterday. Aim was to use the P&R at the Kelvin Bridge Subway. Up & down the A82, saw the subway but no sign of a P&R. Eventually found P&R at West Street subway station - it was accessible but we decided we wouldn't even risk leaving a 20p second hand bike there, never mind a £20K motor home.

Called at Morpeth on the way back, car parks easy to find and easy to get into with a MH. We used the one next to the coach park.


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## sallytrafic (Jan 17, 2006)

At last a reply from Salisbury council

I'll reproduce it without any comment at this stage except to say that the Britford site is that approached from the South ie Ringwood the other sites service the A36 and the roads from the A303 to the North:

_Dear Mr Bryant

I refer to your communication regarding facilities for motorhomes at our park and ride sites. This is a subject that I have responded to before following enquiries from motorhome users.

The park & ride sites were part of the Local Transport Plan devised around 2000. Their main purpose was to encourage people using their cars to come to work not to bring them into the city centre. The pricing (less than half that of the all-day parking charge) and the frequency of the bus service is geared to this end. Of course other visitors to Salisbury are encouraged to use the site as well, it's not totally reserved for commuters but these were our primary target customers.

The Beehive site on the Amesbury Road was the first to open. It had a height barrier. There is good reason for this, council officers have long memories and we did not want the site take over by travellers as happened years ago around Stonehenge and has also happened from time to time in car parks along the south coast. A car park taken over by travellers is of no use to the council or it's customers. This does have the effect of stopping oversize vehicles from using the site but, as described, these were not intended to be our main customers.

When the next two sites were planned, at Britford and Wilton, a coach parking area was included at the Britford site. Although primarily designed for coaches this area may be used by oversize vehicles. This area is separate from the car park (which is protected by a height barrier) so if it were to be occupied by travellers the main car park could still be operated. It is covered by CCTV but overnight parking is not encouraged. Any driver arriving at our other park & ride sites would be directed to the Britford site or to our Central car park where there are oversize bays alongside the river bank. One of the routes into Central car park does take you under the railway bridge at the top end of Castle Street but this bridge does accommodate double decker buses.

Caravans are, of course, accommodated at Hudson's field. They may be permitted to use the Britford coach parking area at the discretion of the person on duty.

I hope that this answers your enquiry.

Pat Higgins_

Regards Frank


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## Guest (Jul 18, 2006)

We're off to the Caravan Club site near Great Malvern in a couple of weeks so I got in touch with Worcestershire & Herefordshire councils for general advice and with Powys for Hay on Wye specifically.

In all three cases they were very helpful and responded quickly. There are a few car parks with height restrictions because of traveller problems (or being multi storey) and a few with narrow road access which aren't recommended for MHs but in all cases (I think) there are alternatives which will be useful for us nearby.

When I can get round to it I'm going to set up a web page with the information. For the time being if anyone wants the information please PM me with your e-mail address and I'll send you a .rtf file which you should be able to read in your word processor.

Graham


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## Guest (Jul 19, 2006)

GJH said:


> When I can get round to it I'm going to set up a web page with the information.


Decided - despite factor 50  - that the best course of action this afternoon was to stay in the shade. So, took the opportunity to set up the pages - see separate thread Motorhome Friendly and Unfriendly Parking.

Graham


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## Grizzly (May 9, 2005)

Strike Grantham from your list of places that welcome motorhomes.

Last week I phoned the tourist office from the campsite before we left to ask where we could park while we shopped and looked around the town.

I was told that all their car parks had height barriers and, unless I could find on-street parking somewhere, there was no point in coming in a motorhome. No suggestions were forthcoming as to where I was likely to find onsteet parking. We don't know the town so didn't even attempt to look.

G


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