The Firs Club Campsite

Rated 5 of 5

Overall rating

Rated 5 of 5

Peace and quiet

Rated 5 of 5

Facilities and cleanliness

Rated 5 of 5

Location

Rated 4 of 5

Good for families

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Rated 4 of 5

Rated 5 of 5

Peace and quiet

Rated 5 of 5

Facilities and cleanliness

Rated 5 of 5

Location

Rated 3 of 5

Good for families

The Firs, first class.

This was our first visit to the Firs, it’s a little gem. Yes some of the pitches are a bit small, which can make getting on to your pitch a bit difficult when there’s a large Motorhome on the pitch opposite overhanging the road, but once you’re in it’s all good. The wardens have worked their socks off making this a very pleasant place to stay, there are flowering plants everywhere, the grass is kept neat and tidy, and the facilities block is a credit to them. The quirky bird tables and bunting made us smile and yes we did tell the wardens we love their work. Do make sure you follow the clubs directions to site, we saw one caravan turn up the VERY steep hill from Ambergate which definitely isn’t suitable for towing up. Would we recommend this site, yes definitely if you want to get away from the honeypot sites but still be within easy driving distance of the rest of the Peaks.

DerekAndSusan

Caravanner from Wiltshire

Reviewed on 22/06/2021 17:36

30 reviews

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Rated 4 of 5

Rated 3 of 5

Peace and quiet

Rated 5 of 5

Facilities and cleanliness

Rated 3 of 5

Location

Rated 1 of 5

Good for families

Well presented site with clean facilities

As others have said it’s a well presented site with good clean facilities but due to the layout, it’s a bit tight in places. There are really only half a dozen pitches that have any view over the surrounding countryside but it was nice looking towards the trees and we did get the evening sun on the pitch and saw the sunsets too. We had read the reviews about road noise from pitches 1-4 but as we were booked on a serviced pitch that wasn’t an issue for us however we chose pitch no 65 on the lower level and despite the tall trees between the site and the road and railway line there was a lot of noise from the trains including during the night. As someone else has said some of the service posts are a long way from the caravan inlets which is why we chose pitch 65 instead of 66 (which had also been available) as we only had one length of hose - we have since purchased an extension hose in case we encounter this situation somewhere else. Due to the lack of play area there isn’t anything for children however on our last day there were a number of children whizzing down the slopes on their scooters. The enjoyed our stay and visited lots of places locally including Dovedale, Carsington Water reservoir, Belper Park Local Nature Reserve, Belper Memorial Gardens, Shipley Country Park, Ilam Park and Elvaston Castle Country Park - all within half and hour’s drive from the site. We didn’t try any of the local pubs but did have a great Indian delivered to the site by Elaichi (cash on delivery). The wardens were friendly too. The dog walk area wasn’t too big but nice and flat and great for throwing a ball and burning up some energy! Do follow the directions on the CAMC site info though due to narrow roads - don’t just go by the Get directions bit as this doesn’t factor in the unsuitable roads - I realised in time!

Liz from the Wirral

Caravanner

Reviewed on 14/06/2021 14:41

9 reviews

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Rated 4 of 5

Rated 5 of 5

Peace and quiet

Rated 5 of 5

Facilities and cleanliness

Rated 5 of 5

Location

Rated 3 of 5

Good for families

Another Good Weekend

This was our first stay at The Firs for a good number of years but the return visit did not disappoint and was made so much better by the good weather. The wardens are friendly and very helpful and keep the site clean and tidy at all times. As others have stated in their reviews some of the pitches are a little tight as far as access is concerned but with a little common sense from all concerned it is manageable, remember it’s a small site that has to try to accommodate different sized outfits so that everyone can enjoy their stay. This results in members having to make compromises to enable all to benefit from this little gem. This Firs is a great location for exploring the surrounding area so much to see and do it’s impossible to cram it all in during several visits. The only fly in the ointment during the weekend stay was a number of selfish ‘members’ who chose to ignore the toilet block regulations put in place due to the current pandemic situation. Please show consideration to your fellow man, and remember if a site becomes a point of infection then it will be shut down resulting in its removal from use for everyone. Three people in the facility at a time means exactly what it says, three, not three in the facilities and two waiting inside pacing up and down. Rant over. Overall though The Firs is great for couples not so good for families with young children as there is no play area but there are many places to visit for those with younger families who will enjoy what Derbyshire and the surrounding areas have to offer.

Victor1155

Caravanner from Lincolnshire

Reviewed on 10/06/2021 11:23

2 reviews

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Rated 4 of 5

Rated 5 of 5

Peace and quiet

Rated 5 of 5

Facilities and cleanliness

Rated 4 of 5

Location

Rated 5 of 5

Good for families

Wonderful site

Wow! What a surprise this site is. From the most helpful and friendly wardens to the beautiful views around the site not to mention the immaculately clean facilities and pitches, this is truly a lovely spot. We walked across the colourful fields full of wild flowers to Belper a number of times. Our dogs were able to be off the leads in the main. There is a short roadside walk from the site before you reach footpaths. We will definitely return. A big thank you to the wardens for making our stay so enjoyable.

rebeccarnold

Motorhomer

Reviewed on 09/06/2021 13:19

1 review

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Rated 4 of 5

Rated 5 of 5

Peace and quiet

Rated 5 of 5

Facilities and cleanliness

Rated 5 of 5

Location

Rated 4 of 5

Good for families

Lovely site but small

Second stay at the Firs and it's a good base to visit the area. I would recommend The Firs. The site is narrow and if you have one of the sloping serviced pitches it can be tight to manoeuvre. The water and electric was some distance from the actual pitch and we had to buy an extension for the aqua roll system. Good TV and Wi fi reception. The site is not really suitable for children. Unfortunately, a fellow member did not park correctly on the pitch opposite and due to the size of the road we have difficulty getting the car back on. If you have a large vehicle you may struggle and some of the pitches are not situated in good positions.

lupuslooney

Caravanner from Lincolnshire

Reviewed on 01/06/2021 22:13

21 reviews

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Rated 4 of 5

Rated 5 of 5

Peace and quiet

Rated 5 of 5

Facilities and cleanliness

Rated 5 of 5

Location

Rated 3 of 5

Good for families

Really worth a visit

We love Derbyshire and the Peak District and have only driven through Belper, and all I remembered was the old run down mill and never fancied staying, but looking for a BH weekend getaway within 2 months of staying in the club is almost impossible to get into nowadays, so decided to give the Firs a shot and it definitely did not disappoint, the site is based around the shower block and then another section further down...it’s nicer on the terraced section and the views are a lovely surprise. The wardens are lovely 😊 and the little touches around the site which give it personality did not go unnoticed we did the walk into Belper, and its a great little centre and then did a fab walk from Ambergate the following day. We had a lovely Indian takeaway from Alechi and would definitely recommend. I preferred this site to the big whoppers, and would definitely return and Thank You for my hubby’s birthday message!! 😆 PS it’s immaculate and you can tell that the wardens are very proud of their little patch and we felt very Covid safe...keep up the good work 👏🏻👏🏻

7 reviews

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Rated 4 of 5

Rated 4 of 5

Peace and quiet

Rated 5 of 5

Facilities and cleanliness

Rated 4 of 5

Location

Rated 3 of 5

Good for families

Pleasantly Surprised

We arrived and were greeted by the wardens, check in was friendly and efficient. I have visited Derbyshire numerous times but never the Belper area so was pleasantly surprised at the stunning views from the site. We pitched on the lower tier for the views however the upper tier was sunnier and nearer the toilet block. The pitches were mainly level and hardstanding so you may need rock pegs to pitch an awning. The toilet block was immaculate, in fact the whole site was very well cared for and tidy. There is a bus stop just outside of the site, although we didn't use it. The wardens suggested a walking route to Belper which was mainly off road but we ran out of time to try it. The site is ideal for exploring the peak district, although you need to drive. We didn't take our bikes but it seems there are cycle routes near by, although as the site is on a hill when you cycle back to the site, there will be a long uphill from virtually every direction. Belper is a lovely town with an Aldi and Morrisons and plenty of independent shops on the High Street. We enjoyed our 2.night stay here, my parents spent their first 2 nights in their new to them camper van. After the first night we needed to buy a fan heater, it was extremely cold. The dog walk area is a lovely little field where dogs are allowed off lead. We didn't didn't find any longer off road walks from the site. We would return, the wardens work hard to ensure it is a clean and welcoming site and the location is good for exploring.

michaelaforty

Motorhomer

Reviewed on 22/04/2021 06:43

2 reviews

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Rated 4 of 5

Rated 5 of 5

Peace and quiet

Rated 5 of 5

Facilities and cleanliness

Rated 5 of 5

Location

Rated 2 of 5

Good for families

Excellent Club site

What a lovely Club site - easy to get to, well placed for the countryside, good walks, good pubs, close to Belper for provisions. The wardens were absolutely excellent - advising us which pitches had the best views (which were really good) and telling us to park forwards to get the best outlook. The toilets were immaculate. We’ll definitely be coming back here. A lovely, little site - the best Club site we’ve stayed at. It even has 2 separate toilets open 24 hours a day to cover cleaning in the main block and COVID restrictions. Absolutely great. Don’t all come at once because we want to come back again!

A J Reid

Caravanner

Reviewed on 29/10/2020 20:54

1 review

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Rated 4 of 5

Rated 5 of 5

Peace and quiet

Rated 5 of 5

Facilities and cleanliness

Rated 5 of 5

Location

Rated 5 of 5

Good for families

Excellent, clean and welcoming staff

We stayed for four nights from 15th October. A great welcome and a choice of pitches. The facilities were spotless and regularly monitored, the Covid 'band' system worked well although some visitors seemed to choose not to use it. Difficult to police really I guess, not the site's fault. Great location for attractions, Matlock bath, Heights of Abraham and Gullivers land etc. More on offer than we had time for. Nearest town is Belper, a nice place with great local shops and main stores. The nearest pub is the Spanker inn, not a long walk there, but down quite a big hill so the walk back needs thinking about. We will come back for longer and do more walks I think.

1 review

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Rated 4 of 5

Rated 4 of 5

Peace and quiet

Rated 5 of 5

Facilities and cleanliness

Rated 5 of 5

Location

Rated 5 of 5

Good for families

Great break at a very good site

Stayed at the site for 4 nights early September. The wardens Angie and Les were very friendly, warming and helpful. We were given a selection of local walks, between 4-6 miles by Angie, they were easily manageable. The only issue being no footpath from outside the site towards Ambergate, on what was a busy fast road. But once into the walks they were great especially one along the cannal. Views from the site, especially from the picnic area are to die for. The Spanker Inn at Heage, a 10 minute walk was well worth a visit, the food was good, plenty, and unreasonably priced. The staff were very friendly and helpful. Very dog friendly. Covid rules were in place and adhered to. Will be back.

Mel Rand

Motorhomer

Reviewed on 28/09/2020 14:54

4 reviews

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