Barton Street
Ashby-cum-Fenby
Waltham
Lincs
DN37 0RU
01472 826183
Website - www.willow-lakes.co.uk
Email - info@willow-lakes.co.uk
Open all year
Current fees - £10 per night inc ehu (Feb. 2013)
Situated just by the A18 in North East Lincolnshire this basic little site is a great place for a chill-out fishing weekend or as a base for exploring further afield. The camping/caravan field itself is just a small part of a much larger area of land currently undergoing development as an equestrian and fishing site which includes holiday cottages and chalet-bungalows. Access from the main road is currently through the stable yard where several horse boxes and various bits of farm paraphernalia are kept so you would be forgiven for wondering if you were in the right place, but once on the site itself you'll find it's a little gem.
Separated from the stable yard on one side by a row of tall conifers and sheltered on the other side by various tall trees and bushes the level field has a dozen hook-up points situated in groups of three and a fresh water tap at each end. Waste bins, grey waste disposal and cdp are all in a small decked area near the entrance, and at the far end of the site is a small fishing lake; on a clear day you can see right across to the Humber estuary from there. The showers and toilets are situated at the lake end of the site, with just one single-occupancy shower/toilet for ladies and the same for men - entry is by a coded key pad which you will be given the number for when booking in. Backing onto the lake are two rows of purpose-built holiday 'cottages' which are all fully furnished and equipped and with a pleasant block-paved terrace overlooking the lake. A rough track behind the site leads down past fenced paddocks to a large and very pleasant fishing lake where there are currently three chalet-bungalows being constructed right by the water's edge. The weather was very grey when I was there but on a sunny summer's day the lake and it's surroundings will be really lovely.
Away from the site itself, about twelve miles south east is the small horse racing town of Market Rasen, and just a five minute drive from the site along the B1203 is Waltham Windmill which is open at weekends and bank holidays from Easter until the end of September; there are several little shops housed in the surrounding buildings, a cafe, Indian restaurant, small garden centre, picnic areas and a miniature railway. Another couple of minutes drive brings you to Waltham village itself where there are shops and takeaways, and the coastal resort of Cleethorpes is five miles further on.
There are only two minor niggles to Willow Lakes, the first one being the proximity to the main road. There is some traffic noise during the day, which could be a problem for some campers, but although the road is an A road it's not a major one so any noise is bearable and you may find it fades into the background after a while; anyone in a caravan probably won't hear it anyway, and there's not much noise at all at night. The second niggle is the lack of a pot washing area; this probably won't affect any caravan dwellers but any campers will need to either use disposable plates and cutlery or have their own pot washing facilities.
Niggles aside Willow Lakes is a nice compact little site in a nice countryside location situated not too far from the coast, and for anyone who likes fishing it would be well worth spending a weekend there. It wasn't initially my choice as I was meeting up with friends who had already booked, but I liked it enough to want to go back there later in the year.
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