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Reviews of The Knockerdown Inn

Campsite Search > UK > Central England > Peak District & Derbyshire > Ashbourne > The Knockerdown Inn > Reviews

The Knockerdown Inn
Carsington Water
Ashbourne
Derbyshire   (Browse area)
DE6 1NQ
Tel: 01629 540209
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Pitches: 10
Open: 01/01/2024 to 01/01/2024
           01/03/2025 to 30/09/2025

Rating: Average Review Score: 6/10 from 35 Reviews
                6/10 from 35 Reviews

 Tent Pitches   Caravan Pitches   Motorhome Pitches   Small Campervans 
 Glamping Units   No Statics for Hire   No Statics for Sale   Seasonal Pitches 
 Electric Hookups   No Hardstandings   No Fully Serviced Pitches   Show Full Facilities
Who's it for
 Families Welcome   Not Members Only   Rallies Welcome   Not Naturist Site 
 Dogs Welcome   No Dogs Allowed   Groups Welcome   Motorbikers Welcome 
Facilities
 Toilet Facilities   Hot Showers   Washing Up   No Bathroom 
 Baby Changing Facilities   No Laundry   Drinking Water   Disabled Friendly 
 Chemical Disposal   No Battery Charging   No Gas Exchange   Recycling Facilities 
 No Kitchen Facilities   No Freezer / Fridge   No Motorhome Point   Wifi Access 
 Shop <1 mile   Bar On Site   Restaurant or Cafe or Takeaway On Site 
Activities
 Kids Playground   No TV Room   No Games Room   No Evening Ents 
 No Fishing   No Wild Swimming   No Indoor Pool   No Outdoor Pool 
 No Horse Riding   Cycle Hire <1 mile   No Golf   No Tennis 
 No Beach   Watersports <1 mile   No Boat Launch 
Other Features
 No Sea Views   Not Working Farm   No Campfires Allowed 
 No Waterside Pitches   Public Transport <1 mile  Offroad Dog Walk On Site or Direct Access 

Reviews:  35 in total, now showing 11 to 20                 Previous 10          Next 10
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Date of Visit: September 2016 Unit:  Tent
Reviewer: Nevamissatrip 2 reviews from this member

 Stayed here for 2 nights in the last weekend of September. Arrived to find a really lush lawn for our tent.

We were given a map and we made our way to our pitch. Plenty of room for our 5 man tent although only two of us in it. We paid £6 for the tent and £3 each person. £1 for the shower which was by a token.

Lots of animals around infact a small farm. A Lama, goats, a donkey, geese, an old owl ( no he didn't wake us up ) and chickens.

The toilets are porta cabins which were spotless, 3 ladies and 3 men's with wash hand basins ( hot and cold water a plenty)

There were 4 showers all with coin operated doors £1 for a token from the pub, I think we were the only ones who used them as they were always clean and dry when ever we went in. The showers were lovely and hot and for as long as you like.

There is a socket for a hairdryer or other appliance in the ladies toilet ( not sure about the men's I didn't go in ! )

There is a washing up room with plenty of hot water, bowls and a dish drainer.

There are flowers everywhere and I must say for what we paid it must be one of the best sites I have been to. Wouldn't hesitate to go again.

We also ate in the Knockerdown Inn which is attached to the site, a very busy place but we soon found a table, the food was good as was the atmosphere and the staff very welcoming and attentive. 


Date of Visit: June 2013 Unit:  Touring Caravan
Reviewer: Shaster19 2 reviews from this member

 Me my hubby and the dog just had a lovely weekend at The Knockerdown Inn near carsington waters stopped Saturday-Monday. The good points are the site is clean and tidy with easy access, child friendly with nice views.

The only negative points are no electric and the showers in the portable blocks are nice but think a £1 for a shower a bit much also the site can be very crowded as the pitches are very close to each other. 


Date of Visit: May 2012 Unit:  Trailer Tent
Reviewer: Goldgraham 3 reviews from this member

 This is the first time we had used a small campsite so some of the reviews were slightly worrying - so I was pleasantly surprised.

We booked on a Friday night and got a pitch on the Saturday. Booking in I was concerned I would have manoeuvring problems for our allocated pitch, but the diagram of the field is not to scale and so there was adequate room.

The pitches are quite small but there was plenty of room for our large trailer tent on a well kept grass pitch and for £11 I wasn't complaining. We parked next to the trailer but could have parked in the car park if we had wanted to leave room for the awning.

The showers now require a £1 token which you can purchase any time the bar is open. The loos and wash basins are bijoux but very clean with plenty of soap and paper - only cold water. The single washing up sink didn't seem to be a problem and the site was full.

The location is superb, you can bike from here round Carsington Water and it's easy to link onto the old railway line cycle tracks using quiet country roads. Walking is equally good. The old railway lines provide generally flat routes but the area is quite hilly if you are not a regular cyclist. The Miners Arms at Carsington is cheaper for bike hire than the Visitor Centre.

I didn't try the pub, we walked over to the Red Lion at Hognaston it's a pleasant 25 minute walk over the fields, there is a side gate from the campsite and the path then crosses the Pudding Room campsite next door.

The path is reasonably easy to follow with Carsington Water on your left and a line of pylons on your right. When you reach the path by the houses turn left and follow the path until it reaches the road, the Red Lion is down the hill.

Beer at the Red Lion was excellent and the landlord seemed to pay equal attention to the quality of the coffees he was making. The menu was more interesting (and more expensive) than the Knockerdown.

We will be using this campsite again, it's only a first impression but we reckon this was the best of the 3 sites in the immediate vicinity. Next time we'll try the coffee and cake at the Pudding Room. 


Date of Visit: August 2011 Unit:  Tent
Reviewer: Leona+briony 3 reviews from this member

 We stayed here for a weekend, arriving Friday mid-afternoon, at the same time as several other people. However, we were quickly sorted, and given directions to our pitch.

The pitches are very small and crowded: Our very average 4-berth tent completely filled our pitch. We noticed that elsewhere, guy ropes from adjacent pitches overlapped. No electric hookup is available.

The site has approx 30 pitches, and was completely booked up for the weekend, with several extra tents pitched in the middle of the field.

The facilities are very basic, and totally inadequate for a site of this size: small portable cabin toilets which were very cramped and 3 (i think) showers in a separate portable cabin. You had to buy a token from the pub to use the showers. There is only 1 washing up sink.

By the Saturday evening, the smell around the toilet/shower/washing up area was disgusting. I think it was from the chemical toilet disposal point. We were very glad that our pitch was well away from here. I was also glad that we didn't have the pitch right behind the bins & recycling point.

Our pitch was at the top of the field, which is the most level part of the site, but right next to the overflow car-park, which was quite disruptive at pub closing time. It was also quite close to the road which was busy and noisy, particularly on the Friday night.

We didn't try the pub, so can't comment on the quality of their food or drinks.

There is a play area which the kids enjoyed when it wasn't too crowded. There was limited space elsewhere for ball games etc. (mainly the overflow car-park when it wasn't full of cars).

The views are nice, and it is a short walk (off road, though you have to cross it twice, and is not well signposted from the campsite) down to Carsington Water visitor centre.

I've had worse campsites, but this one could be so much better with fewer pitches spaced further apart, and adequate facilities to suit the number of pitches. 
Management response: Please note we have been advised that this site is under new ownership from 2023. Older reviews refer to the previous management.


Date of Visit: July 2011 Unit:  Tent
Reviewer: Flowerybap 6 reviews from this member

 This campsite is great if you don't mind basic facilities and slightly confusing owners. The staff seemed disorganised and overworked and the owner chased us for money on a couple of occasions even though we had no idea how much it was supposed to be as we kept being charged different rates.

But anyway, had a great week here and met some lovely people. As it's a small family orientated campsite it's very easy to make friends. It's a short walk down to the reservoir which is fantastic for all ages as well as being pram and wheelchair friendly. We hired bikes down there which were really good value and the playground and visitors centre are fantastic.

The site could do with more showers, more sinks, bigger toilets and the pub needs to get more staff. It would also be nice to have somewhere to wash children as the toilets were too cramped and there was only one potwashing sink.

But due to location and lovely goats on site we will definitely be returning. 

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Date of Visit: April 2011 Unit:  Motorhome
Reviewer: Minniemoose 12 reviews from this member

 Booked for 3 nights over the bank holiday weekend, a group of 3 families, 1 family in a motorhome and 2 families in tents.

Booked in just before 12 and was told only motor homes and caravans at the top of the field and tents down the bottom, therefore we were separated from our group straight away.

Pitched up next to the hedge in between 2 other caravans, when we returned from a walk down to Carsington water someone had squeezed in between us and the other caravan with their tent, they also had 2 gazebos and another 4 tents, that they wedged in the small space in between us and the other caravan, at one stage a member of this party parked right in front of our motorhome making it impossible to get out.

We were very annoyed at this as we had been specifically told that our family members in tents could not pitch by us and had to go to the other end of the field, yet this group of campers turned up later and pitched exactly where they wanted without any consideration for others and also causing a fire risk by being so close, bearing in mind they decided to have a grate inside one of the tents and light a fire on the evening!.

We did report this to the lady who was running the campsite but she said she couldn’t control where people pitched their tents, surprising really given she told us exactly where to pitch our motorhome and tents when we booked in earlier on in the day. It was a shame this put a dampener on the weekend and therefore we would not return as the family were split up so lost the atmosphere of a camping trip together !

On the plus side it is only a stone’s throw from Carsington, a short 5 minute walk down the hill and you are at the visitor centre. Also our kids aged 7 – 11 loved the park even though the ground was laiden with bits of rubber so the kids clothes and skin were covered in black rubber.

The toilet block was clean but cramped and ran out of loo roll by the second day. We never got to use the shower block as there was only one key, and this could only be obtained from the pub when the pub was open ie 12 midday so if you wanted a morning shower you couldn’t, so we used our own facilities. The pub was ok we ate there on the Friday night and had the 2 steaks for a tenner, which was good value even though the meals weren’t huge. The children's menu was good.

Overall a nice site, I would say overpriced for the facilities provided, good for kids, but no good if your party has a mixture of tents, caravans or motorhomes. 
Management response: Please note we have been advised that this site is under new ownership from 2023. Older reviews refer to the previous management.


Date of Visit: August 2010 Unit:  Tent
Reviewer: Webster68 2 reviews from this member

 This is a very basic campsite - it is in a good location close to Carsington Water, it is pretty with the pub gardens nicely looked after but unfortunately it is on a sloping site. It is in essence a field behind a pub.

There was only one sink (and that ran out of hot water) so struggled with pot washing, the toilets were not always clean, and there were a lot of noisy farm animals that kept us up most of the night !

Considering the lack of facilities I would say it is overpriced and have heard from friends there are better sites elsewhere in the area 
Management response: Please note we have been advised that this site is under new ownership from 2023. Older reviews refer to the previous management.


Date of Visit: July 2010 Unit:  Tent
Reviewer: Debbiedoo20 1 review from this member

 First impressions of the site were very good. No allocated pitches - pitch up whereever there is space. Very relaxed - no strict rules or regulations. Facilities very basic - no electric hook up. Toilet facilities were portacabins - not very clean. Very similar to those you get at festivals. No soap for the 2 nights we stayed - luckily I had taken my own.

Views from the site beautiful. Playground facilities for the children were very good. Goats in paddock at bottom of the field kept my little girl thoroughly entertained for the weekend. As the field began to fill up throughout the weekend there was not much space for ball games for the older children and on the Saturday night the site was very noisy until quite late.

Ate at the pub both nights we stayed. First night we took advantage of steak night (2 for £10) not good. In fact, practically inedible. However, we didn't complain so unfair of us to comment any further. As it was convenient we ate at the pub again the following evening but played it safe ordering scampi, lasagne and a couple of children's meals - not bad, typical pub grub. Don't expect too much and you'll probably be satisfied.

Location is great - just a 5-10 minute walk/bike ride to carsington water. Safe to go on bikes - have to walk on road for short distance but rest of the way is cycle path. If you have a sweet tooth, take advantage of the site opposite (the pudding room). They sell delicious desserts and biscuits which can be purchased to take away.

All in all an enjoyable stay. Very basic site. Would only return due to it's convenient location. 
Management response: Please note we have been advised that this site is under new ownership from 2023. Older reviews refer to the previous management.


Date of Visit: July 2010 Unit:  Tent
Reviewer: Iron maiden 8 reviews from this member

 Just got back from 2 nights at the Knockerdown. It is in a beautiful part of Derbyshire and Carsington Water is 2 minutes away.

However the site was a little disappointing, basically no more than a field with portacabin loos (3 for the ladies and 2 stalls and 2 urinals for the gents). At a cost of £11 per night for a tent and 2 adults it seemed a little pricey.

We did think that the lack of showers for 2 night wouldn't bother us but after a long walk round carsington we could have really done with one.

On our arrival we paid our money and was given a leaflet outlining the rules and that was it. The site didn't seem to have set pitches which meant it was very disorganised.

I wouldn't recommend to people looking for a quiet site as it appears to appeal to people with young children and large groups. We found on the saturday night that the noise from these groups continued long after midnight.

Also there is some traffic noise from the road that runs at the side of the site.

The pub food was good and the Friday night 2 steaks for £10 was good value but I would recommend going in early as they do run out. 
Management response: Please note we have been advised that this site is under new ownership from 2023. Older reviews refer to the previous management.


Date of Visit: July 2010 Unit:  Motorhome
Reviewer: Fredsmith 7 reviews from this member

 The area is very nice with good views, pleasant walks and the nearby Carsington Visitors centre.

The pub itself serves very nice food at reasonable prices - particularly if you go on a special offer night such as Friday with '2 steaks for a tenner'.

The field itself is gently sloping - caravans and motorhomes are encouraged to park at the top of the flatter part of the field. There are the basic amenities such as water, chemical disposal point and a washing up ares.

Unfortunately, the toilets were very disappointing - basically a small portable cabin divided into 2. Although the loo paper/paper towels were topped up, the facilities were very cramped, in relatively poor condition, and didn't appear to have been cleaned all weekend - it was quite busy.

If you've got your own loo's / washing facilities you maybe ok, but there are cheaper sites in the vicinity if you do have these already.

Would visit the pub for food, but I don't think we'll visit the website again. 


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Common Questions

Is The Knockerdown Inn child friendly?  YES, it accepts children & has a playground  View all facilities

Where is the nearest shop to The Knockerdown Inn?  There is a shop within 1 mile  View all facilities

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