Chapel Farm Caravan Park, Cumbria

...After looking I came across Chapel Farm Caravan Park in Little Asby. The Hoseasons site had a caravan available for 3 nights at a cost of £165, fairly cheap for the time we were going, there were some swings showing in one of the pictures so we decided to go for it, but first I checked if they had their own website which they did and it also said it had a games room, tennis courts, pool table and laundrette.

I contacted the site directly ...
...for the days we wanted and asked how much it would cost, I received an e mail back saying £35 per night meaning £105 for the 3 nights - a saving of £60. I asked them how far the nearest pub with food was and the nearest restaurant. The pub was 3 miles away and the nearest restaurant 8 miles. So we knew we were out in the middle of nowhere and had to take food wiht us.
I don't know if it was the same caravan that we would have got through Hoseasons ... more

I fancied going away for the weekend but didn't want to go far or spend a fortune, I didn't even want to spend £100 a night for a basic hotel so I searched for guest houses in the lake district as we don't live far from there and the countryside is lovely. I couldn't find any vacancies so I suggested a caravan to my husband, he agreed as we both think it's great for children to be outside and they love it. I search the Hoseasons website and we decided to go on Friday after school and work etc and stay until Monday as the children were off school then.

We wanted a fairly basic site as we were going to take games to play at night and the netball post and maybe the swingball. After looking I came across Chapel Farm Caravan Park in Little Asby. The Hoseasons site had a caravan available for 3 nights at a cost of £165, fairly cheap for the time we were going, there were some swings showing in one of the pictures so we decided to go for it, but first I checked if they had their own website which they did and it also said it had a games room, tennis courts, pool table and laundrette.

I contacted the site directly by e mail and asked if they had any caravans for the days we wanted and asked how much it would cost, I received an e mail back saying £35 per night meaning £105 for the 3 nights - a saving of £60. I asked them how far the nearest pub with food was and the nearest restaurant. The pub was 3 miles away and the nearest restaurant 8 miles. So we knew we were out in the middle of nowhere and had to take food wiht us.
I don't know if it was the same caravan that we would have got through Hoseasons but the next day there was nothing available on the site through them.

The site itself was fairly easy to find we had to come off the M6 at junction 36 and it was about 7 or 8 miles from there. We got directions from AA route planner, although we nearly missed the turning which was about 3 miles away from the park.
Once we had made this turning with only 3 miles to go it was typical country roads - but what I found amazing as we neared the park was the amount of cattle grids which was because cows and sheep were just wandering about. There weren't in a field with a fence they were walking across the road in front of the car.
The next day as we went out I wound the window down and took some pictures of the cows that were very close tho the car (when I had done it though I quickly put the window up and said "drive" to my husband which he found quite funny). I never managed to get a photo of any sheep, as soon as we slowed down and put the window down the sheep turned and ran away.

We drove through the gate of the park and saw a sign saying shop - but it was closed and next to it was a door saying games room - which was closed. I got out of the car and went to the house that was there and they gave me the key and directed me to the caravan. As we drove round we passed the tennis courts which didn't look like they had been used in while, in fact they looked a bit scruffy.

We found the caravan but we couldn't park at the side of it (like you normally do with a caravan) as there was too many bushes and trees. We had to park at the front which was a difficult angle to get the car in.
We opened the door to the caravan and it was like a little vestibule with a door on each side. The door on the left led to the kitchen and lounge which were a good size, the furniture was built in. The kitchen had plenty of cupboards which provided the crockery and drawers for the cutlery, it had a gas hob and oven, a microwave (which we didn't use) a fridge (but no freezer part) and sink.
The lounge part had two couches which can double up as beds if anyone wants to sleep on them, a television and freeview box. It was heated by a gas fire and had a little coffee table. There was also some cupboards and 2 lamps as well as the main light.
If you opened the door on the right as you walked into the caravan the first room you would come to was the bathroom which was a toilet, sink and shower. The next room was a toilet with a sink in - now I was impressed a caravan with two toilets. The main bedroom had a double bed with plenty of cupboards and wardrobe space. The second bedroom was a twin which had the typical thin caravan beds with hardly any room inbetween the two a and a small wardrobe. We had taken the bed guard for the youngest as we knew the bed would be quite thin.

So as caravans go we were quite impressed it was big enough and roomy enough for us. The bedrooms were cold as there was no heating in them but once you are in bed and snuggled down it's not a problem.

We had taken our food with us as we knew there wasn't anything around but we had forgotten to take milk so off i went to the shop the first morning in the rain (yes it was raining which meant we would have to go somewhere). The shop was closed, but I noticed a sign which said the shop was open 9am until 8pm and knock at the house which I did but got no answer. As it was raining we hadn't rushed and by this time it was about 10.30am. So black coffee it was.

As it rained the whole weekend we felt we had to go out in the car and we really were in the middle of nowhere but the views were fantastic and if the weather had been fine it would have been really nice. So the first day we went into Appleby (8 miles away) which is quite a small town but you can get some different things in towns like this and I got a nice top and watch. There is apparently a castle here but we couldn't find it.
On the Sunday we went to Kirky Stephen about 5 miles away but it was very small and most places were closed.

When we came back we saw rabbits and chickens around the park which was nice although my daughter was scared of the chickens and wouldn't walk passed them to get to the caravan.

I would go back again in the summer and hope for dry weather you never know the games room and shop might be open then. Oh I never saw a laundrette but then again I didn't want one.
The site itself could do with a bit of a makeover especially at the front and near the tennis courts. I never saw what the games room looked like as the door was locked and there were no windows .
The little playground would be ok for my youngest in dry weather but a bit boring for my older one as there was only a swiing and slide.

If you want somewhere to stay with loads to do then this site is not the one for you, it would make a nice weekend break if the weather was fine or longer if you are really into walking

There are plenty of walks to do around this place. 

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