New Mills Marina

We use many CL sites and so arriving at this site was something of a change. The norm is a variation on a field/garden whereas this is a working marina. A stones throw from the local town, I expected some level of noise, but I couldn't have been more wrong. This is one of the most peaceful CL sites we have been to. The view from our window was of a selection of narrowboats and green hills in the distance. There was plenty of walking from the site and New Mills has a few pubs and eateries.  The shower facilities here are second to non and cleaned regularly during the day. Used by the narrowboat owners too, all a friendly bunch. The owner of the site was there to greet us and very helpful during our stay. I think this will become a regular for us, even our 12 year old daughter was impressed.

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This site is wonderful. Although work is still in progress and can be noisy, it will be beautiful when completed (we had plenty of apologies from the warden and contractors during our stay). There are two new bathrooms for the 5 vans to share, access to the site is very easy and the welcome very warm and friendly. If you want to be active there are plenty of walks along the canal as well as a circular walk taking in the Torrs Park in New Mills centre (highly recommended), plus the train station is very close with connections to Manchester if you want retail therapy. If you want to relax there is plenty of activity on the canal and towpath so you can people watch all day and not be bored. There is a security gate at the entrance and as previously mentioned the towpath is on the other side of the canal so the site feels secure and exclusive. Finally, the views across to Kinder Scout and the Northern Peaks are stunning. All in all a great place to stay - but don't tell everyone as there won't be room when we want to return - and we will be returning!!

I have only marked down the peace and tranquility as the work is ongoing!

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The access to the site is good and well sign posted.  It is lovely to see the hills and be beside the canal. There is not any direct access to the canal to walk along it. This is good from the security point of view but for walking the dog you need to leave the site walk along the street for a couple of hundred yards and then make your way back to it from the other side. This is the nearest place to walk your dog; there is not a dog walk on site.

It was far from peaceful during our stay.Although we were aware there was some work at the site still to be completed we did not expect it to start at 6.45am! Outside our caravan there was a HGV driving over the stone chippings going back and forth for a couple of hours. The following day at the same time we were listening to a digger. We feel this is totally unacceptable. There is also a generator/cooling system that starts up and hums from 6.45am in an industrial unit on the other side of the canal on weekday mornings.

The site facilities are of a good standard, although some people were finding it difficult to lift the toilet sachet up to the height required in order to empty it. The waste water disposal leaves a bit to be desired. If the site is full (5 vans) then it is very cramped. We had 5 there when we were staying and it was fortunate that not everybody had an awning – the spacing would not have been adequate if they did.

The location is excellent for exploring the Peaks; we walked up Kinder Scout, starting just north of Hayfield. Nearby there are some National Trust properties, we enjoyed Lyme Park and Quarry Bank.

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A lovely greeting from the caretaker who spent his time explaining the workings of the C.L. set the tone for our stay. We expected to pay £15 a night but this was reduced as we stayed for a week and only paid for five. The site is on the outskirts of the town, right alongside the High Peak Canal and in the shadow of the Swizzels factory and other industrial buildings, none of which detracts from the C.L.  In fact this adds to the charm of site especially for those interested in industrial archaeology. Naturally being situated where it is there is some road and factory noise. All hard standing but easy to peg into, modern clean shower block with hot water, barbecue points, stone picnic tables, casual seating, views of the peaks, free wifi , and security gates puts this C.L. in competition with more expensive commercial sites we have stayed on. There are two self catering flats on site. The canal offers good walking or cycling, there are takeaways and a convenience store within minutes of the site, as are a rail station with access to Manchester or Buxton and a bus service.      This is a new site, a work in progress but already with fantastic appeal. In years to come this will be jewel in the C.L. network's crown.

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