We spent last weekend at the Caravan Club Poolsbrook Site and we were very pleasantly surprised at what was on offer. It was our first visit to what is a relatively new site and the place was very well laid out, the wardens were very helpful and friendly, the toilet block was exceptional, the pitches were large and there was plenty to see and do – what more can you ask for.

We came from the South up the M1 and left at junction 29a and followed the Caravan Club directions only for the road to be closed due to reconstruction and I understand it will be closed for some time.  It will be worth checking with the site for the status of this.  There is a diversion route in place but we missed the signs so you need to keep an eye out for them as soon as you leave the motorway.  When we found the road closed I did a reroute on the TomTom and it directed us another way that was absolutely fine and so we found the site with no problems.  Maybe the Caravan Club should publicise this diversion on their website.

The key details for the site are;

• 86 pitches most of which are hardstanding
• 8 serviced pitches
• The usual laundry, veg prep areas etc
• Excellent toilet facilities
• TV reception is very poor although there are TV cable points in the electrical socket pillars
• A Motorhome service point that is very easy to use for a change
• The Pools Brook Country Park is a 2 minute walk

You can walk very easily to Staveley from the site in about 15 minutes and if you ask at reception they will give you the route.  The one thing I would say is that it is not a walk I would like to do in the dark but other than that it was fine.   Staveley is a small town that has a number of local shops but there were quite a few closed down and to be honest it didn’t feel a very inviting place.  There are some positives though because Staveley has a Morrisons, a bank, a couple of pubs and a very modern looking and very large leisure centre that has a swimming pool, gym cafe etc so all is not lost.

The Pools Brook Country Park is a 165 acre ex colliery that has been transformed into a country park with amenities such as a visitor centre, cafe and children’s play area.  There are lakes for fishing and extensive walks for cyclists and walkers to explore and the park connects to the Trans-Pennine Trail.  Chesterfield is about 5 miles down this trail and would be worth a visit.  We went down to the park and spent all afternoon walking around, watching the swans and geese, spotting some baby frogs and walking for miles eventually coming around in a circle to a viewing point from where you could see for miles.  We also had a bacon and egg bap at the cafe which was a real treat.

Nearby are some great places to visit such as Bolsover Castle,Hardwick Hall and Chatsworth House.

All in all we had a great time at Poolsbrook, we highly recommend it and we’ll certainly go back.