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Reviews of Carlton Meres Holiday Park (PHolsUK)
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Carlton Meres Holiday Park (PHolsUK)
Rendham Road
Carlton
Saxmundham
Suffolk (Browse area)
IP17 2QP
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Pitches: -
Open: 20/03/2024 to 02/11/2024
20/03/2025 to 02/11/2025
Rating: 
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Photos (23)
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 No Tents |
 No Caravans |
 No Motorhomes |
 No Campervans |
 Glamping Units |
 Holiday Homes for Hire |
 Holiday Homes for Sale |
 Seasonal Pitches |
 Electric Hookups |
 Hardstanding Pitches |
 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 |
 Toilet Facilities |
 Hot Showers |
 Washing Up |
 No Bathroom |
 Baby Changing Facilities |
 Laundry On Site |
 Drinking Water |
 Disabled Friendly |
 Chemical Disposal |
 No Battery Charging |
 Gas Exchange |
 Recycling Facilities |
 No Kitchen Facilities |
 No Freezer / Fridge |
 No Motorhome Point |
 Wifi Access |
 Shop On Site |
 Bar On Site |
 Restaurant or Cafe or Takeaway On Site |
| Activities |
 Kids Playground |
 TV Room |
 Games Room |
 Evening Entertainment |
 Fishing On Site |
 No Wild Swimming |
 Indoor Pool On Site |
 Outdoor Pool On Site |
 No Horse Riding |
 No Cycle Hire |
 Golf <5 miles |
 No Tennis |
 Beach <5 miles |
 Watersports <10 miles |
 No Boat Launch |
| Other Features |
 No Sea Views |
 Not Working Farm |
 No Campfires Allowed |
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 No Waterside Pitches |
 Public Transport <5 miles |
 No Dog Walk |
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Reviews:
33 in total, now showing 21 to 30
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| Date of Visit: June 2012 |
Unit: Touring Caravan |
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| Reviewer: HGilson |
1 review from this member |
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 Having read the previews reviews, myself and the other two parties planning our trip away were concerned about booking up our Jubilee holiday at Carlton Meres in case it was actually as bad as reviews portrayed it eg. lots of goose poo, rules about no children, or children over age of 16, fishing only on one side of the lake, poor shower facilities etc.
However, after speaking to the warm and friendly member of staff on the phone prior to booking I was informed that they were the new Management, and was assured that children of all ages were very welcome, that they could facilitate the two caravans and a tent together on the tenting field, and was given an honest and sensible response to the issue of goose poo. It was acknowledged that there were areas on site which had goose poo around but this was not something they could change as Carlton Meres is a country park with two beautiful fishing lakes which are home to many different species of wild fowl. I was given assurance that there was no poo in the children's play area and she even said she would walk over to the tenting field and ring me if she thought it was a problem.
I was told that the fishing lakes were available to all but the residents at carlton meres had rights to one side. I was also told that to celebrate the jubilee they were having a children's street party and a live band, and barbecue during our stay.
Well, we decided to go and take the risk and were all really pleased we did! We spent 4 nights at Carlton Meres and just as promised there was no sign of goose poo in the tenting field (but when we went exploring the closer to the lake we got there was a lot more evidence of the feathered residents).
We had a lovely, large pitch, with lots of open space for the children to play and it was sheltered by two small wooded areas (heaven for the children to explore and feel free but not far from parental supervision). The fishing lakes were HUGE so there was no issue that non residents only use one side. My husband and son are the fishermen and they said the larger lake had so many perfect swims.
The site had a tennis court and equipment that was free to use, there is a great heated swimming pool but will have to try it next time we visit as it was not ready to use. This would of been a huge disappointment but we were told that this was the case at the time of booking.
The street party that was put on for no extra cost was wonderful, a real effort was made by the management and the residents who decorated the bar area, organised games and prizes and prepared party food for all children staying at the site. We even had a visit from the queen! In the evening there was a live band and a barbecue. Lovely.
There is a Tesco and Waitrose 10 minutes away for supplies, and the beach is also 10 minutes away.
Having given all the positives, there were a couple of improvements we would make: It would of been nicer if we were shown to our pitch to avoid any doubt, if the drinking water tap on the tenting field had been in working order, if there had been somewhere close by to take our rubbish and if the showers were better it would have been a perfect 10/10.
Having said this we were very happy with our overall trip and would give it a very acceptable 8/10 and are already planning our next trip to Carlton Meres. 
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| Date of Visit: May 2012 |
Unit: Touring Caravan |
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| Reviewer: Philpots |
1 review from this member |
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Just back from a 2 night stay, really enjoyed our time at Carlton Meres. The new management at this site couldn't be more helpful.
The site was just recovering from the heavy rain during the last month. We were directed to the hardstanding pitches so not to cause any damage to the soft ground, this made siting the caravan very easy.
We were told that the bar had a band on that evening so we decided to eat in the restaurant first. Both the food and the service was excellent. Prices were reasonable too. Enjoyed the band, also. There was a birthday celebration going on, so we wondered if we would be disturbed when the bar closed. We didn't hear a thing!
My husband fished all day on the Sunday, beautiful lakes! He was over the moon to catch his biggest fish ever 30lb 7oz mirror carp !
We have booked again and can't wait.
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| Date of Visit: July 2011 |
Unit: Motorhome |
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| Reviewer: Paul + stella |
21 reviews from this member |
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A lovely location and a great welcome. Yes it is expensive and we had the impression that most of the facilities were for the benefit of the many lodges/statics and if you are into fishing it would be advisable to check what is available first.
Shower block/loos were acceptable, but 20p for a shower in a basic block was a bit steep bearing in mind the £25 per night fee for pitching on a bit of a slope and surrounded by goose poo which the dog liberally spread around the inside of the motorhome. Lovely.
There are some lovely walks round here and the countryside was stunning, not sure if we would return for £25 - maybe for nearer the average price.
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| Date of Visit: July 2011 |
Unit: Touring Caravan |
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| Reviewer: Sharon + Phil |
11 reviews from this member |
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What a shame, this could be such a good site, but it needs a lot of work. On booking-in we were not given any instructions at all apart from, pitch wherever you want.
When we booked, we had asked for a table for five in the restaurant and were told this was ok only to be told when we arrived that there was not in fact a restaurant on site!
We were not told that the ladies shower block nearest the reception was undergoing refurbishment, so we pitched near there and had to run the gauntlet of the goose droppings to get to the other side of the site where there was ladies shower facilities, rather than sharing the mens in the other block!
The toilet/shower block was not cleaned whilst we were there, which is not acceptable. There also seems to be an 'us and them' situation between the touring caravanners and the holiday home residents.
Apparently, if you are in a touring caravan, you are only allowed to fish one side of the lake, which we were not advised when we arrived, but were told, in no uncertain terms, by one of the holiday home residents.
We had to ask other caravanners where the Elson point was and where to take the grey water waste.
Do I have anything good to say about this site, well, it is in a lovely part of the country, which is the best thing about it.
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| Date of Visit: May 2010 |
Unit: Touring Caravan |
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| Reviewer: Flexable |
1 review from this member |
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On first arriving I thought wow what a lovely setting. Directions were not very clear from the office staff to your set up, we were not told that you had to to pay for the showers considering the £25 per night fee, so several hours wait before we were able to get any change, no one available on site earlier.
Geese are very popular here so are their droppings!
Toilets and showers are ok, child's playground not very interesting, pool was closed, very expensive equipped gym open but no one to supervise.
A small shop on this site would help out for essential items, a bit of a trek for milk etc.
Fishing very good, but again we were only allowed to fish in certain areas, why I don't know, no explanations given, my son enjoys fishing but was very bored with the playing facilities, he made friends and they made use of our outdoor games.
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| Date of Visit: August 2009 |
Unit: Touring Caravan |
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| Reviewer: ELVIS |
4 reviews from this member |
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Just returned from a very relaxing weekend at Carlton Meres. Easy to find off A12, set in lovely countryside. Quite quiet - children only allowed if you own a static there, none allowed with tourers.
The touring field is set behind the lakes which is screened by trees, so you cant pitch right on the lake. However, it is a stones throw - ideal for taking a bottle of wine and a picnic.
The touring field is divided into strips (rows) by small hedges / baby trees. Lots of water points. Clean toilet / shower blocks - lots of showers (nice hot water, 20p for 5 minutes - ample - long 5 minutes!). Our pitch was on a slight gradient so had to level the caravan.
Great facilities (all seem quite new) - outdoor pool - very quiet due to lack of kids. Tennis court, small children's play area, sauna/steam room, clubhouse (very quiet but ok for a few drinks - nothing on while we were there but they do have scheduled events. It said they are only open weekends but we got chatting to a static owner who said that they are starting to open daily, and offer Sunday lunches if ordered the day before), gym and I think a beauticians but I didn't see it. All of the facilities were included in our pitch price.
We saw people walking their dogs so think there were plenty of walking opportunities. Some nice places close by - we visited Framlingham which has a castle (and LPG station - its about 6 miles away); there is a pub on Rendham Rd leading to Framlingham (we were recommended this - The White Hart - but didn't go); Shawsgate vinyard (very friendly - walked around the vinyards, learnt about the processes then tasted the wines - all free - we bought a couple of bottles. There are areas where you can have a picnic too); Saxmundham - nice little village with pubs, fish & chip shops and a Waitrose (its a couple of miles away) and Alderburgh - really nice seaside village with a long pebbly beach.
We really enjoyed our break, very relaxing.
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| Date of Visit: August 2009 |
Unit: Motorhome |
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| Reviewer: Sandram9898 |
41 reviews from this member |
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Just spent august bank holiday here, we arrived on Saturday booked in and I asked if we had to book for a meal in the restaurant that night, I was told no. So we pitched up and went for a look around, beautiful looking site with swimming pool, tennis courts and fishing lake.
We went to bar at 7.00pm. And were told there was no meals that night only a barbecue with burgers and sausages, very disappointed, so we asked about sunday lunch and were told we should have book that morning and were too late. So back to the camper to make our own food, very annoyed. We thought lets give it one more go so we went and book a meal for the monday night 7.30pm. Only to arrive and again be told there was no meals as the chef had just gone home poorly. As you can imagine now really peeved!
Will we be returning again possibly not although my husband and son are keen fishermen and they did say the fishing was OK. Toilets and showers blocks were clean 20p for a 5 minute shower and 20p for hairdryer.
Just a last word of warning do not use satnav to find site it takes you to the wrong place, site are aware of this and the road leading to the site had no entry on so we did spend quite a bit of time driving around to try and find it you just have to ignore the no entry and go up the road, which we did eventually.
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| Date of Visit: September 2008 |
Unit: Touring Caravan |
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| Reviewer: Sha/tel |
11 reviews from this member |
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Just back from a weeks stay at this park. A very peaceful site, no children under the age of 16 allowed. Great facilities on site bar restaurant, gym sauna and steam room swimming pool being built at the moment, bar and restaurant only open Thursday through to Sunday.
Also 2 fishing lakes which at the moment is included in the price of the pitch which is £20 per night including electric + water,+ awning showers 20p. On the downside site could do with a shop, more rubbish bins and more water stands. But all in all a very good site.
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| Reviewer: George william |
3 reviews from this member |
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August 2004
As advised the site has new owners and has been renamed Carlton Meres. Under lakeside management the emphasis was to fill the campsite with as many as campers as possible and the site would be throbbing with people. The new owners have a policy of "quiet" camping and are attempting to run the site on "Caravan Club" lines. Cycling is allowed but not round the washrooms or bar areas.
Children although allowed, are not encouraged and campers have to sign a disclaimer that if their children misbehave on the second occasion the party will be asked to leave the campsite. We found the toilets excellent and there was no problem with hot water, (any campsite's showers run cold in peak periods).
Although advertised as having a swimming pool at cost I understand the pool is now closed.
The bar and restuarant only open at weekends and close early if there are not enough customers, the one thing I thought was awful was in the bar, there is a pool table which if you decide to play, on top of the 50p you pay for the table you have to BUY!! a pool cue for £5 (same for table tennis).
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| Reviewer: Anderda |
1 review from this member |
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September 2004
Apparently this site has recently changed ownership and its name from Lakeside to Carlton Meres.
After deciding to drive through the night to beat the traffic we arrived at 6.30 in the morning. After about half an hour a lady appeared and opened the window in the reception, and looked at us parked in the car park. We thought oh good someone will book us in and let us through the barrier and onto the site. Unfortunately the lady disappeared and no-one came to see us. After a while we spotted a man who was a warden on the site and asked what time the reception opened. He informed us that it only opened at 9 o’clock and that arrivals were really only allowed from 12 o’clock. Having sat there for just over 2 hours I got the map out and a sites book and was looking for an alternative location when the lady re-appeared and said “whilst you are here I might as well book you in”.
Hooray at least I might be able to get set up and get my head down. I booked in and was then told that there was an extra charge of £5 for booking in before 12 o’clock. It is listed in the booking conditions of which I should have perhaps taken more notice. I was a bit too tired and fed up by this stage so I paid and got set up. Security on the site was good with a barrier to prevent entry and one preventing exit without the key card for which you have to pay a £10 refundable deposit.
The showers were very small cubicles and were 20p slot machines ( a personal hate and this is not a cheap site to stay on) and in return you got about five minutes water for which the first minute was stone cold. I looked forward to the fishing and was one of the reasons I chose this site, but after speaking to some of the locals/residents who said the fishing wasn’t particularly good, and at £5 per rod ( I usually use 2 and only fish for a couple of hours a day after going out to the locals towns etc.) it seemed a bit expensive, so I didn’t bother.
The area is really nice with some great pubs, The Poachers Pocket just up the road, was really nice and allowed us to take the dog in the bar. The Queens Head at Dennington served excellent meals at good value and although we called on spec the landlord was really helpful.
The local towns of Aldeburgh and Southwold were really nice and well worth visiting. Some of the residents on the site told us about a chippy in Southwold – “you can’t miss it there is always a queue”. They were right but that is because so many people get their fish and chips and walk down to the sea front and eat them on the sea wall. Lovely experience which added to the taste.
Although I had already paid for 3 nights. the initial “greeting” did not make us feel particularly welcome, so we decided to move on. I took the barrier key back to get my refund but noted that I wasn’t offered a refund for the day I wasn’t staying, after having to pay for the privilege of turning up early.
There were very few people on the touring site in fact probably only 5 or six vans with pitches for over 100. This probably tells a story as although it was the second week in September after the main school holiday break time, a lot of the other sites we looked at were still busy.
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Common Questions
Is Carlton Meres Holiday Park (PHolsUK) child friendly? YES, it accepts children & has a playground View all facilities
Does Carlton Meres Holiday Park (PHolsUK) have a swimming pool? YES, there is a pool on site View all facilities
Where is the nearest shop to Carlton Meres Holiday Park (PHolsUK)? There is a shop on site View all facilities
Is Carlton Meres Holiday Park (PHolsUK) dog friendly? YES View all facilities
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