|
Bladon Chains Caravan Club Site, Bladon Road, Woodstock, OX20 1PT, Telephone 01993812390
To find site:- From Oxford or Woodstock on the A44 at roundabout
take the A4095 signed for Bladon/Witney.
After 350 metres turn right into minor road and site is on
the left in 200 metres.
Bladon Chains is a member’s only site on the edge of the Blenheim
Palace Estate. The site is generally open from the end of March to
early November, but from the 2019 season the opening has been
extended to New Year to allow members to visit the seasonal
attractions at Blenheim Palace which was the main purpose of our
latest visit. There 92 pitches, about a third are on gravel
hardstandings and the rest on grass. Only the hardstandings were in
use during our stay. The site is divided into two sections either
side of Reception. Pitches are set out along each side of the site
roads leaving plenty of space in the middle so it does not seem
crowded. The hardstanding pitches vary in size and most seem to
require some fore to aft levelling. Some of these pitches are not
over large and have a length limit and as a result reception may
allocate pitches according to length.
Electric points are
convenient to all pitches and rated at 16 amps using CEE17 blue
connectors some of which are of the twist and lock variety. The
electric bollards also have a digital TV hook-up which is free to
use but you must provide your own cable. There is a single toilet
block situated approximately in the middle of the site and includes
a small laundry room and a washing up area which is exposed to the
elements. From the furthest pitches it is quite a walk to the toilet
block. There are a few service points dotted around the site but
again from some pitches these facilities are quite a walk. The
motorhome service point is in front of Reception near the site
entrance. Unfortunately it is of the older type which requires a
heavy drain cover to be lifted. For younger children there is a
playground and a knockabout area for older ones. There is no site
wide WiFi, only a hotspot near the reception area. There are some
seats provided and in bad weather you could use the Information
Room. Mobile data availability varies from network to network and
the time of day. Reception sells milk and newspapers can be ordered.
Mobile food retailers call at the site, see reception for details.
Some pitches closer to the road may experience some traffic noise.
My impression of the site is that it requires a major upgrade. The
site roads are rutted in places. There are not enough hardstandings
and of the existing ones, many of them too small. If winter touring
is going to be encouraged then a fully covered washing up area is
also required.
This site is not far from Blenheim Palace where Club members get a
worthwhile discount on production of their payment receipt. At no
added cost you can convert the entrance fee into an annual pass.
Some events at the Palace demand an additional payment but with the
annual pass these are also discounted.
Blenheim was the birth place
of Winston Churchill and he is buried at Bladon Church which is a
reasonably short walk from the campsite, via a gate in the corner of
the site. The White House pub is near the church so a good place to
stop for a coffee or a pint. Woodstock
is about a mile and a half in walking distance from the site
(alongside the busy A44). There is a good selection of shops, pubs
and restaurants. The
campsite is well served by public transport and there are numerous
bus services from near to the site, details in the Information Room.
Oxford City Centre is half an hour away by bus. For shopping there
is a good small Co-Op supermarket in Woodstock but for a wider
choice of supermarkets you would need to travel to Oxford or
Whitney, details in the Information Room.
|
