Hounslow Club Camp ( See current date info’ under ‘Social Events’ )
The Club camp has been held for many years now, in fact for such a long time that members who used to go there as toddlers are now taking there own children. All members, their family and friends are welcome there is plenty of room for all.
The location of the camp is Potterne Wick a very small hamlet near Potterne which is itself near Devizes in Wiltshire. It has the dual advantages of being set in beautiful countryside and being within 85 miles of Hounslow. This means that it is easy to pitch your tent and just visit for weekends or to stay the full two weeks. The camp site itself is a newly renovated Scout Camp complete with washing/showering rooms and toilets, a drying room, fridges and freezers, an out-door dishwashing area and a bicycle storage area.
The camping area is very large so there is plenty of space for tents, vans and caravans and the access road is a quiet dead-end used only by farm vehicles and us. Surprisingly we usually have the site to ourselves although there are occasional weekend visits from Scouts, if there are others there they have a separate camping area.
The emphasis of the camping fortnight is on relaxation and, as well as cycling, a lot of sitting around chatting over cups of tea or something stronger goes on. The children, of all ages, have an wonderful time. There are plenty of places to explore and things to do and, being isolated from most traffic, the site is very safe. Fishing for crayfish in the tiny stream which runs close by is popular and a few evenings a week and at weekends after a barbeque we have a big camp fire which we sit around chatting and drinking our nightcaps. This is near enough to the tents for children to be heard so no baby-sitting required!
There are a lot of beautiful bike rides in the area covering the Wiltshire Downs, Salisbury Plain, The Vale of Pewsey and plenty of other lovely countryside and country pubs and tearooms. Rides are organised on an ad hoc basis and many members take mountain bikes too as there is some wonderful off-road riding nearby.
If the weather is not so good Devizes is a pleasant town with good markets and shops a swimming pool, library, museum and plenty of good pubs, cafes and restaurants. The Bradford and Avon canal runs through the town with its famous Caen Flight of 23 locks and canal museum. A car drive away there is the Railway Museum at Swindon, beautiful Bradford on Avon, Laycock and its Abbey, Stonehenge, Longleat Safari Park and House, Bath and many other attractions.
So as you can see there is something for everyone at the Club Camp but especially for the children who can really enjoy some safe open-air play and no TV for a few days. Any member, their family or friends are welcome at very reasonable cost, all you need is a good waterproof tent – the bigger the better, some warm bedding, cooking stuff and your bike so give it a try, you’ll wonder why you left it so long!
Address: Saddleback Lane, Potterne Wick SN10 5QT.
Drive up Saddleback Lane, pass the Scout Centre on the right until you see a gate into a field on the right. Drive through this gate and you will be in the camping field.
For more information contact Martyn Roach 07779 718228