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Reviews of The Hollybush Inn And Campsite
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PERMANENTLY CLOSED
The Hollybush Inn And Campsite
Old Brecon Road
Hay On Wye
Herefordshire (Browse area)
   
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Pitches:
Rating: 
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 No Tents |
 No Caravans |
 No Motorhomes |
 No Campervans |
 No Glamping Units |
 No Statics for Hire |
 No Statics for Sale |
 No Seasonal Pitches |
 No Electric Hookups |
 No Hardstandings |
 No Fully Serviced Pitches |
 Show Full Facilities |
| Who's it for |
 Families Welcome |
 Not Members Only |
 No Rallies |
 Not Naturist Site |
 Dogs Welcome |
 No Dogs Allowed |
 Groups Welcome |
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| Facilities |
 No Toilets |
 No Showers |
 No Washing Up Area |
 No Bathroom |
 No Baby Changing |
 No Laundry |
 No Drinking Water |
 Disabled Friendly |
 No Chemical Disposal |
 No Battery Charging |
 No Gas Exchange |
 No Recycling Facilities |
 No Kitchen Facilities |
 No Freezer / Fridge |
 No Motorhome Point |
 No Wifi Access |
 No Shop |
 No Bar |
 No Restaurant |
| Activities |
 No Playground |
 No TV Room |
 No Games Room |
 No Evening Ents |
 No Fishing |
 No Wild Swimming |
 No Indoor Pool |
 No Outdoor Pool |
 No Horse Riding |
 No Cycle Hire |
 No Golf |
 No Tennis |
 No Beach |
 No Watersports |
 No Boat Launch |
| Other Features |
 No Sea Views |
 Not Working Farm |
 No Campfires Allowed |
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 No Waterside Pitches |
 Public Transport |
 No Dog Walk |
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Reviews:
68 in total, now showing 1 to 10
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| Date of Visit: January 2019 |
Unit: Other |
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| Reviewer: Webmaster |
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 Please note we have been advised that this site has closed, and no longer offers camping, motorhome or caravanning pitches. If you know that this situation has changed in the future, please could you let us know. Many thanks 
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| Date of Visit: August 2015 |
Unit: Tent |
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| Reviewer: 7tfhflower |
1 review from this member |
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This site has the potential to be one of the most beautiful and tranquil sites in the UK. The setting is stunning and lends it self to some great outdoor activities. Its an ecological site and has some wonderful wood land.
However the site is in a very sad state of repair and is beginning to become a little dangerous. I went with a few male friends to have an rough weekend away so wasn't to concerned with the past reviews. However I don't think will return I would never dream of taking my children there. There is a wall made of wine bottles in the center of the camping field, well conceived however now the wall is incomplete and the necks of the bottles are broken, these have now been left on the ground. The rubbish pile is more akin to a scrap yard and is not fenced off more to the point it is not even out of the way. The toilets although functional, have black mold over the crumbling ceiling and 'punch holes' straight through the doors, these have been filled with news paper. Safety fencing around drops is falling down. There is a static section of the site with some residents of questionable integrity, nice folk but.
I like ruffing it, and I love a good basic camp site often with nothing more than a tap and portaloo. But this site is dirty and border line dangerous. Lovely staff though.
If you can cope with out washing and take everything with you its ok for a weekend, don't take children with out visiting it first and don't do more then 2 nights on your initial stay. You need to know what your letting yourself in for.
Good idea for a site very poorly executed. Needs a lot of work.
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| Date of Visit: April 2015 |
Unit: Campervan |
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| Reviewer: Jcjmachin |
2 reviews from this member |
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This was our first trip in our campervan and once we booked it we were a bit worried after reading reviews - however, we were not disappointed with our stay!
The site did need some TLC - we booked a hardstanding pitch which was very very muddy (weather obviously had a lot to answer for!) and the electric hookup points were not all working so we had to trail an extension lead across to the bar/shop. The owner, Barbara, was very accommodating about this and purchased a lead from a local shop and it was positioned safely. The toilets and showers also could have benefitted from some 'doing up' although served their purpose. There was a basic shop with not much food in it, but we did get fresh eggs daily. We visited the bar and had a laugh with one of the staff members over pulling a pint - there were a few glasses used before it was ready!. The area is lovely and we loved being able to walk from our van along the river. There are also peacocks on the site who are friendly and we enjoyed watching them. The restaurant on the site Yak-Y-Da served authentic Nepali and Thai food which was very nice and good value for money although did not serve kids food for fussy children (ie no chips) Great, friendly staff and a beautiful location. We would definitely go back - this site will be very popular once it 'looks' better.
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| Date of Visit: December 2012 |
Unit: Motorhome |
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| Reviewer: Vidmaster |
1 review from this member |
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I booked this site for our 'Groups' New Year bash, 5 motorhomes with others in the B&B. I'll comment only on the campsite and the Inn only. With all the recent rain, we wondered what the site would be like, some of the reviews had not been too complimentary. The site does need to attention to tidy it up and the site facilities are in need of some upkeep. However in a motorhome we were self contained so had no need of the facilities. Wellies were needed but that was really a lot to do with the bad weather. Ref the Inn, there was a singer on Saturday evening and we had a great night. New Years Eve was even better, they put on a really nice buffet. Overall we had a great few days. A memorable New Years Eve
Very welcoming
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| Date of Visit: October 2012 |
Unit: Other |
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| Reviewer: Abssorb |
4 reviews from this member |
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This is my 3rd review of the Hollybush over 6 years. We were in Hay this month and although not camping, we thought we'd pop in to the Hollybush and have a walk around the woodland area.
The location is beautiful and the potential for the site is amazing. It's such a shame! We used to love this place. It now smacks of apathy and degradation.
We used to go to the Hollybush regularly from 2004 onward. I wrote 2 other reviews in these pages in 2006 when it was great (gave 9 stars), and another in 2009 which had seen considerable decline (gave 4 stars), but there was a new manager who was a decent chap trying to turn the site around and had personally made some improvement, but the owners insisted on hiring waifs and strays that would do no work (his words). No sign of him during this visit or evidence of his influence.
The reed bed project for green recycling of waste into the river was a great idea years back, but with lack of maintenance it's a smelly bog now.
There was a nicely made animal enclosure in 2009 which had some rare breed pigs, it was starting to look like it needed some maintenance then, and now it's virtually collapsed and is a complete eyesore.
The run-down static caravans used for staff accommodation (that the manager had said were to go in 2009), are still there, and haven't been moved, cleaned or repaired in the slightest. They're now even scruffier and filthier.
A new thing since 2009 is the rubbish everywhere. An accumulation of beer bottles and other rubbish which has clearly been there months. It's easy to forgive a site's state in a quick visit as being the result of some special event. We had a big do, we're short of staff this week. Etc Etc. That would be the gracious perspective. But the evidence suggests it's merely neglect glossed over by 'out of order' signs.
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| Date of Visit: June 2012 |
Unit: Tent |
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| Reviewer: MrsGlas |
4 reviews from this member |
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We stayed here over the Jubilee weekend last year. All I can say is, don't go there as it will ruin your holiday. When we booked, we asked if we could stay in the wooded area, they said no problem. On arrival, there was no room and it would have been a trek getting gear into the wood let alone the filth we found in there. In fact, there was no room available to camp anywhere. Apart from the neighbouring farmers field which we had to pay extra for! Luckily we could claim the money we paid back from Hollybush. The facilities were abysmal, the toilets filthy and run down, we didn't even contemplate the showers. It's such a shame as the area is beautiful. The pub is the only good thing about the campsite! All I can say is, camp here at your peril!
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| Date of Visit: April 2012 |
Unit: Other |
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| Reviewer: Rsilwal |
1 review from this member |
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My husband and I have just returned from the hollybush inn. We had such a lovely time. We stayed in the b&b and had the cherry room which was lovely, and very clean. The shower room looked like it had recently had a make over and whilst small it was clean and had a great shower.
The staff were on the whole very helpful and really nice. Barbara is a hoot although maybe not to everybody's taste but we loved her. All the guest we encountered were lovely and the local even more so.
The campsite was quiet and looks like it could do with some improvements and not sure if I'd camp. The site is beautiful but maybe a bit ruff around the edges.
There are obviously things that could be improved but I am not sure if I'd want them to be. We didn't go on a busy weekend do not sure what it is like then, but really do t think it deserves the slating it seems to get.
We will definitely be back, infact wish we'd never left. Oh and did I say the breakfast was amazing.
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| Date of Visit: March 2012 |
Unit: Campervan |
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| Reviewer: JenIw |
1 review from this member |
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This should have been an amazing place to stay, on paper it looked amazing, but then it's amazing what a bit of artistic license can do!
I'm no Eco warrior but anyone with any shame would not be able to look around the place and not feel the sadness I did, there were thousands of used bottles just thrown down the embankment into the stream area, there is a skip which is overflowing with filth, the pub is the same it seems it is there front room, the service in the pub was dire, having to go looking for someone to serve us every time we wanted a drink??
There were a couple of nice points, we loved the peacocks and chickens, the site is absolutely gorgeous (or would be in the fit hands) and the live music provided was lovely.
I am appalled that these people have been left to do this sort of damage to the beautiful area, I have been in touch with the environmental health, the council, and even the mayor, and what makes it even worse is that all the people I spoke to knew about the problems, how is it there has been nothing. Done?? The owners should be ashamed of themselves!
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| Date of Visit: September 2011 |
Unit: Motorhome |
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| Reviewer: Andyhumbug |
2 reviews from this member |
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This place is a tip. The bottles thrown over the wall as you enter the carpark are a warning of what standards to expect.
The main block showers were non functional and the temporary ones we were directed to were filthy. The toilets were blocked and overflowing, excrement and toilet paper all over the floor.
My wife informed me the ladies were marginally better. A friend stayed in a teepee which was filthy. He was visited by nocturnal creatures (rats?) the first night and didn't sleep in it after that.
For £14. 00 for two people it was a rip off. Would we return? Never.
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| Date of Visit: June 2011 |
Unit: Tent |
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| Reviewer: Fialko |
4 reviews from this member |
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I am going to be objective and fair in my review and will start with the pro’s of camping at The Hollybush Inn Campsite:
The site has an awesome location in beautiful country side very close to Hay On Wye. The campsite itself is set on the bank of the River Wye and has a small woodland which forms part of the camping area as well as a small lawn area for camping and a larger field toward the back of the site.
Onsite there is a pub, restaurant, small shop, children’s play area, canoe hire, car park, BBQ so with the advertised facilities and idyllic location this should make for a brilliant break away from the stress of modern life!
Unfortunately the reality is very different. With a site that has virtually no rules whatsoever it did seem like one of the wardens just liked having a go at people for the hell of it and was quite rude when he did confront you, although in fairness he did apologise to me when I stood my ground re his chastisement (I am 45 yrs old and neither want or expect to be spoken to like a child).
The woodland area wasn’t suitable for out tent so we had to pitch on the lawn near the shop which we were not really keen on only to find out later that they have a large field at the rear of the site (which I was told on check in we could not go onto) which they open up for the elite chosen few. One other guest near us specifically asked for this field and was told no because it was closed and then stuck in a corner under trees with a gravel / soil / weed hardstanding! We were so annoyed at having to camp near the pub when they had such a great field on site overlooking the river, where the sun shone very late. I don’t know what qualities you need to be part of the elite group allowed onto this field!
The purpose built shower block was ‘temporarily’ out of order for both males and females. Speaking to other regulars it became apparent that the problem with the shower block is actually long term which should be pointed out to people when they book (I specifically stated I had reservation re the showers in my initial contact with The Hollybush Inn.
There were portaloos on site that were disgusting to say the least and open bottomed so you could see everything and obviously not cleaned too often. This could be why we saw adults urinating in the woods and even saw evidence of them being used for another bodily function!
There was an abundance of rubbish everywhere from the front gate to the far end of the site and a plethora of manky old run down caravans that looked like they had been abandoned there. Some were obviously used as staff residences!
The woodland area of the campsite could be great but it’s mainly used for anything goes parties.
All in all it looks like the place is ran by someone who starts a project, half finishes it and then starts another and so on and so on.
We never ate in the bar but trying to spend money on site and support Barbara we did buy a couple of bottles of wine from the bar and paid the expected restaurant / bar price of £12:95 however the wine was the most revolting stuff I have ever tasted and I will say that we were well and truly ripped off with the wine (there are no other words to describe what we paid) the wine was Alpa Premium which retails at around £3:00 per bottle and is well known for being one of the worst wines sold / made (check it out on Google). Less greed and supplying a slightly better bottle would have got you more money the next night, instead we went to the Co-Op in Hay On Wye
Would I go back, NO not under current management but YES if there was a change because the place has so much potential and could be a truly brilliant, relaxing new age retreat for families and couples wanting something less sterile than many of the modern campsites.
We travelled some distance to visit this site wanting to like it having seen Barbara and The Hollybush on a TV show and reading updated reviews truly thought it would have changed and wanted to like it. All I can say is read older reviews as most of them are right and we were very disappointed to say the least.
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