Laleham Camping Club

I was recently asked to take some photos at a relative’s wedding and I decided to enlist the help of my girlfriend, Ewelina. The wedding would take place in Feltham and the reception at Kingston. Perhaps Chertsey would have been a good choice but they are often full at weekends. Wanting to try out somewhere new I made a booking at Laleham Camping Club.

Laleham Camping Club – The Basics

The campsite is an independent site that is run by its members for its members and other campers. As a result it has a slightly different feel about it. Some reviews of the site say that many staying there seem to be regulars and that non members are not always made to feel that welcome. I certainly didn’t feel that during my two night stay, although I did not really make an effort to talk to many people. I did chat to those in the motorhome next to me. They were from Leicester to watch their rugby team in a final at Twickenham. I definitely got the feeling that many staying were regulars and knew each other. I never got the impression that I was not welcome.

The cost of Laleham Camping Club was pretty reasonable. At the time I stayed there was a site fee of £6.00 per night and then an additional charge per person was made of £11.00. The rate per person depends on the number of nights you stay, as high as £12.00 for just one night and as low as £8.00 for 4 nights. How does this compare to Caravan Club sites or Camping and Caravanning Club Sites? Well if there are two of you I feel it compares favourably. For solo travellers it probably looks more expensive.

Laleham Camping Club – Boiler Issue

When I arrived at Laleham Camping Club initial impressions were good. It’s situated right next to the River Thames and it has a very relaxed feeling about it. The pitch I was directed to was grass but drainage seems really good on this campsite. I don’t expect they have problems with motorhomes getting stuck. The facilities are what you would expect, decent showers and toilets that are kept clean and tidy. On the Saturday night when we returned from the wedding Ewelina remarked that the shower was cold. We assumed they had run out of hot water. On Sunday morning it became clear that actually their boiler had broken. I’ve no reason to assume that problems like this are a regular occurrence. For those who need to do laundry there are coin operated machines available.

According to their website it seems Laleham Camping Club likes to organise lots of events. These include Sports Days, Fancy Dress Competitions, Quiz Nights etc. I suppose for regulars who already know each other these social events make sense. I have no idea whether these events are open to non members but I see no reason why not. For those who like peace and quiet you might be reading this thinking that the site is noisy. Well it’s probably noisier than some sites. There are lots of children around and adults chatting outside tents until late at night. Once we closed our motorhome door however we could not hear the noise. We had no trouble getting a good sleep.

Laleham Camping Club – Would I stay again?

Despite the problem with the boiler I would certainly consider staying here again. I have my own shower in the motorhome anyway if needed and I really liked the ‘feel’ of this campsite. It’s not open all year but for a spring or summer weekend close to London it has a lot going for it. Another thing that I liked was that when I booked they seemed really flexible about my departure time. The club sites want you to leave at 12 noon regardless of how busy they are. Laleham Camping Club told me I could leave later in the afternoon if I wanted.