Back of Beyond Touring Camping & Glamping Park — Hotel in Great Britain

Well, we didn't get a chance to stay here. We looked at the website and thought adults only, and we thought that would be great for us as the last site we were on was full of children screaming and shouting. We like to sit and read and chill out. The bar sounded handy, and it looked good on paper. The dog policy, however, is restricted to 2 dogs per unit and a charge for each per night.

As we have 3 little dogs, I thought it best we call to discuss. This is where it all started to unravel. We were told there were 100 plots, so they have 200 dogs. If we allowed 3, that would be 300 dogs.

The gentleman then went on to say, "Be honest with yourselves. Little dogs bark a lot more than big dogs". This is not always the case as the last site we stayed on had a Labrador that barked for no reason. we had 2 of our dogs with us, and our dogs didn't bark when the Labrador barked.

As a dog owner of some 26 dogs during my life, you learn and understand dog behaviour. One of our dogs is very elderly and will bark at another dog if approached by another dog out of fear. We pick him up, and then he shuts up. The only other times they bark is if you approach the caravan and are male, or when I stop in the car, one of them will bark in the car because he thinks I am leaving. As soon as I get out, he shuts up.

The basics of it are that we were told that if your dogs bark, you'll be asked to leave, i confirmed this with a question. So you remove people for a dog that barks, and the answer was yes. We were left with the decision of whether we wanted to go there under this scenario.

My suggestion is that the owners of this site put no dogs allowed on the site. Then there is no problem however I don't think you'll get many customers. I presume that most people with a caravan, camper, or motorhome have at least one dog.

We may try this site with one dog after a friend said they would take two of our dogs for a week, but we are then relient on other people. I presume that if we actually manage to get on this site, we will enjoy it, and our star rating and review changed. I understand as a business that there is a balance, and that is their balance. But to be asked, if we are honest, I didn't feel it was appropriate. We called as we were outside of their ideal model and therefore clearly demonstrate honesty.

I sincerely hope to be able to review this site under better circumstances. This is not a bashing of your business but to let you and potential guests know.

We have managed to book another adult only site for later in the year without any hangups on the three dogs.

Please reconsider the policy, and when people call, I suggest you don't question their honesty. As you can appreciate, on this occasion, we did not book. We would like to do so in the future.

If you want to discuss this review, provide an email, and we will gladly discuss it with you.

UPDATE: This is a response to your comments. I don't think you quite understand what reviews are about. Reviews can be about any part of your business and any interaction you don't have to stay on your site to write a review.

The interaction we had was a bad experience. I was prepared to discuss it with you, and an apology should have been forthcoming, but clearly, that's not the case with your response. We were going to try your site with just one of our dogs, but I think we will give it a miss on this occasion there are plenty of other sites that don't have an issue we booked another site for two weeks paid for all three dogs and they had no hangups whatsoever. Again, I suggest you rethink your polices and I wish you luck...

Liked: Back of Beyond is a commendable motorhome campsite that offers a solid experience for touring enthusiasts. While it provides excellent facilities and a convenient location, prospective visitors should be aware that it may not always offer the most tranquil environment. Overall, it comes with a strong recommendation for those seeking a well-equipped base to explore the local area, provided they don't mind a sometimes potentially lively atmosphere.

The pitches at Back of Beyond are generally level and offer reasonable spacing, which is a significant plus for motorhome users. This ensures ease of setup and a comfortable immediate vicinity. However, it's worth noting that despite the spacing, the site can experience noise, particularly from neighbouring pitches, especially during social evenings. This might detract from the experience for those prioritising peace and quiet.

The campsite truly excels in its amenity provision. The shower and toilet facilities are consistently excellent, maintained to a high standard of cleanliness, which is a crucial aspect for any touring site. A well-equipped dishwashing area is also available, adding to the convenience. For motorhome specific needs, the site provides fresh water taps, a dedicated Elsan point for chemical waste, and a waste water dump point, all of which are essential and well-maintained. There is also the option for fully serviced pitches.

Back of Beyond offers a pleasant on-site bar, open from 4 pm to 8 pm, which provides a convenient option for an evening drink. The regular presence of food vans most nights is a fantastic bonus, offering diverse dining choices without needing to leave the site. Wi-Fi is available across the campsite, and for those on the 'Three' network, a strong 4G mobile signal was reported, ensuring connectivity during our stay.

The staff at Back of Beyond are consistently friendly and helpful, contributing positively to the overall guest experience. The site itself is very well-maintained, with a clear effort made to ensure a pleasant environment. The commitment to using electric strimmers for grass cutting is a thoughtful touch, demonstrating an awareness of noise reduction for guests.

Considering the quality of the facilities and the range of amenities on offer, Back of Beyond represents value for money. While not the cheapest option, the investment provides access to well-kept pitches and excellent on-site services.

The campsite's location is a significant advantage for nature lovers and walkers. Hurn Forest is just a short walk away, offering extensive opportunities for exploration. Additionally, the campsite boasts a small, exclusive woodland area for customer use and a picturesque small lake (though it's important to note the lake is not accessible for dogs). This provides immediate natural beauty and recreational options directly from the site.

Back of Beyond is a very good option for motorhomers seeking a well-appointed campsite with excellent facilities and convenient access to local natural attractions. Its pros include clean, well-maintained amenities, friendly staff, and the added convenience of an on-site bar and food vans. However, prospective visitors should be prepared for the possibility of a lively atmosphere, particularly regarding enthusiastic neighbourly revelry. Despite this, its overall offering makes it a recommended choice for a comfortable and enjoyable motorhome holiday in the UK.

Disliked: Nothing to...

We booked for 2 nights here, and we ended up only staying the one night due to the staff that lie through their teeth and are very rude. The rules are very restricting. We felt like we were staying in an asylum and felt like if we breathed too heavy or sighed, we would get told off and asked to leave. If you are looking for a ‘dog friendly’ place to stay, this is not it. Dogs are ‘tolerable’ if they are only seen and not heard, I get that it is meant to tranquil, but you have to allow the dog to have the odd bark, not tell them they will be ‘banned’ or be asked to leave the bar area especially when another dog is barking then causing your dog to bark once or twice!! I feel this place is very cliquey, and if you’re not in their regular visitors group, then you are treated like an outcast. I would not recommend this place to anybody, avoid at all costs, especially if you have dogs that even slightly react to a dog barking. We have stayed in various dog friendly places around the UK and have never been spoken to or treated the way we were here, we received a comment from one staff member stating “I don’t know why dog owners so protective of their dogs”. I would suggest that they revisit their business model and say no to dogs’ full stop as they don’t have the tolerance for dogs visiting their touring park. I would like a refund for the one night we didn’t stay and the stress we have endured, so much for a relaxing weekend away with friends.

Update: Thank you for the reply. I expected no less of your response! The lying comment was actually made about the check in lady, who came over to our pod and said she had received complaints about our dog barking but what she didn't realise was she had just checked in our friends and said to them 'argh I'm going to have to sort that out' the lady literally finished checking them in and walked down by our friends car to the pod and said to us 'we have received complaints about your dog barking, you need to sort it out otherwise you'll be banned!' Our friends then told us there were no complaints made as she literally left them and came straight down to us. Yes my dog was stressed at that specific moment as she was approached by an off lead dog (which isn't allowed on your site) and she is currently recovering from cancer treatment so wasn't happy with that approach which I explained to the owner. This is all within being there an hour. So when you asked us to leave the bar area, my reaction was that as we had previously been told this. My dog was not stressed and anxious in the bar, she was actually lying down on the floor before the other dog started barking, which she responded to as some dogs do! So, with this all happening within the first 3 hours being on your site, you can imagine my upset with the unwelcome atmosphere towards us. You might want to find out what your staff are saying to your customers before you respond to all reviews and find out the whole story. I don't think it's very professional of you walking out after saying your piece when I've come to explain to my friends why we can't sit in the bar with them and we were leaving due to the unwelcome response we received. Your response speaks how...