Riverside Caravan Park can be found about a mile out of the centre of Stratford, itself, and is situated right on the banks of the River Avon. The site takes all types of caravans, motorhomes and folding campers, and also provides it’s own glamping pods, wooden lodges and static caravans, as well as having a separate residential park homes area. It does not accommodate tents or trailer tents.
The site has approximately 100 touring pitches, all with electric hookup. A small number of river side pitches are, also, available, at a small premium. The pitches are set out over two or three main areas, and are not segregated in any way, from each other, although spacing between pitches was more than adequate.
Facilities
The site has one, well maintained, shower & toilet block.
This contains all major amenities, you would expect, including fresh water, grey water disposal, chemical toilet emptying point and motorhome emptying point.
There is a laundry room, and washing up facilities, as you would expect, with a site of this quality.
The jewel in the crown for this site is the on site bar / restaurant, which also provides conference and wedding / private function facilities.
Below this is a themed children’s play area, and crazy golf course.
The site, also, provides a water taxi to the centre of Stratford.
Not only does this perform an essential function, it is, actually, an attraction in its own right, and is definitely recommended.
Site Review
The site is situated about a mile out of Stratford, on the Tiddington Road, just before you get to the village of Tiddington, itself. It is approached via a long driveway, at the end of which is the main reception building. We arrived a little late, so we pulled up to the late arrivals area, and were shown to our pitch by a warden, and asked to pop in to reception the next day, to book in, properly, and pay the balance of our account.
We paid a little extra for a river side pitch, and I have to say, it was well worth it. The location was gorgeous. Every pitch we saw appeared to be very level, and all included their own electric hookup.
Just 5 minutes walk from the site entrance is the village of Tiddington, which incorporates a post office, convenience store, pub, Chinese and Indian restaurants (both offering a takeaway service) and a tapas bar. I can’t comment on the quality of these, as, in the three days we were at the site, we never had the need to wander outside its perimeter (other than the daily river taxi ride into Stratford).
The toilet / washroom facilities are a little dated in terms of decor, and could probably do with a bit of an update, from that perspective, however, they were clean, well maintained, and feature under floor heating, for added comfort. Many of the showers were in separate rooms, with their own wash basin, chair, etc, so everything you need to get ready for a day or night out, in one convenient place. One shower room even had a toilet in there, as opposed to a sink, which was a little unusual, but still plenty of space in there. There is, also, a separate disabled washroom, with easy access for those with their own RADAR key.
On the edge of the site, and adjacent to the River Avon is the Riverside Bar, Restaurant & Function Rooms. This is a very new addition to the park, and, at the time of writing, is still not showing on Google Maps.
It is a very contemporary design, and its elevated position, whilst designed to avoid flooding, also provides an excellent vantage point to relax with a drink, and enjoy the view.
Below the building is the crazy golf course, and, to the side, the themed children’s play area. A few feet from the building is the jetty, which is used by the site run river taxi service. This service runs from 10am until 5.20pm and, at ÂŁ2 per person, is the ideal way to make your way into Stratford, itself. There are two river taxis (three at peak times) running at 20 – 30 minute intervals. The journey is 10 – 15 minutes long, and the taxi can carry up to 6 passengers (including dogs, who are a common sight on there).
Stratford, itself, is a great day out, with shops, bars and restaurants, and, of course, the many and varied tourist attractions, both Shakespeare oriented and others. Only living 12 miles from the town, we didn’t make too much of the attractions, but we still travelled in, daily, on the water taxi, for something to eat, and to stock up on supplies from the shops.
On of the many reasons for choosing this site (and one of the many reasons we will be returning) was the Riverside Bar & Restaurant. It has to be said, the menu was not the most imaginative in the world, especially when you consider the quality of the surroundings, but there are more than enough options to choose from, and the quality of both the food and the service, when we were there, was excellent. To check out the current menu and specials menus, take a look here.
Canine visitors to the site are, also, well catered for. Dogs are welcome (up to 2 per pitch), there is a dedicated walking area, and plenty of poop bins / poop bag dispensers dotted around the site. When we were there, there was one dog to our right, two to our left, and two cats on the pitch behind. As mentioned above, well behaved dogs are, also, welcomed on the river taxi, as well.
Conclusion
It has to be said; Riverside is now my new favourite site, and I’m extremely pleased it is only 12 miles away, as I’m sure we will be returning on a reasonably regular basis. The site is clean, well maintained, and the both the location and the facilities make it a really outstanding place to take a break.
Washroom facilities, whilst a little dated, are of a reasonably high standard, and more than adequate for purpose. The Riverside Bar and Restaurant means you don’t have to venture too far, for something decent to eat, but, if you do decide to wander off site, then both Tiddington and Stratford Upon Avon are just a few minutes away on foot or by water taxi. If I’m honest, I’m struggling to find anything negative to say about this site. When we stayed there, the cost, for two of us, on a riverside pitch, with no awning (an additional cost of ÂŁ2.50 per night) it came to ÂŁ26 per night, which is far from being the most expensive site I have, ever, stayed on.
If you want to check out the main Riverside Caravan Park web site, take a look here.
To take a look at a quick promotional video of the site, click here.