Sleningford Watermill opened as a caravan and camping park in 1973, exactly 200 years since the lovely verse was inscribed over the Millhouse door. Very little has changed on the Park over the years, although the facilities have been upgraded and added to in recent years which has increased their star rating to five. Many people return to them year after year because the Park’s natural beauty and relaxing atmosphere provide a haven for people wanting to ‘get away from it all’.
The Park is situated on the A6108, 5 miles north of Ripon and 3 miles south of Masham between the villages of North Stainley and West Tanfield. At the end of a long driveway, the Park sits alongside the banks of the River Ure which is used by many of their visitors for canoeing, fly-fishing and just generally splashing about!
The Watermill itself is no longer in use but provides a focal point for the Park which has touring pitches for caravans, motorhomes and tents set amongst 14 acres of mature riverside meadow in three distinct areas (The Riverside, The Millhouse Field and The Island). The careful management of the natural habitat of the Park encourages wild flowers, birds, insects and all manner of creatures to thrive here. They also have seasonal pitches on the Park but, due to their popularity, the waiting list for these pitches is currently closed.
Popular with families, couples, canoeists, anglers, walkers and nature lovers, the Park is an ideal base for exploring the Yorkshire Dales and the North Yorkshire Moors. Harrogate, York and Leeds with all the attractions they have to offer are within comfortable driving distances. Ripon has a good selection of shops, banks, restaurants, pubs and places of interest and the smaller market town of Masham also has various attractions (including two breweries!) and a small number of shops around an attractive market place. Lightwater Valley Theme Park is just a mile or so away and the villages of North Stainley and West Tanfield both have pubs which serve food and drink. There is a network of local footpaths around the area and the Ripon Rowel walk (a 50 mile circular walk) passes through the Park.
They are also a member of the Yorkshire Tourist Board and the Park’s awards include:
David Bellamy Conservation Gold Award
VisitBritain Four Stars
AA Three Pennants
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The majority of their facilities are situated around the central courtyard area and are well-maintained and managed.
Two fully equipped toilet/shower blocks with facilities for the disabled (free hot water)
Laundry room with token-operated washing machine and tumble dryer and two washing-up sinks (free hot water) - an iron and ironing board are available from Reception
Information Room giving details of local attractions and places of interest
Reception
The Mill Shop
Canoe shop and canoeists’ changing room
Recreation area offering canoe/kayak tuition and archery sessions
Recycling bins for paper, bottles and cans
Security entrance gates (closed from 11.00pm – 7.00am during the season)
Recreation Room/Meeting Room with Table Tennis Table for hire on an hourly basis.
The Mill Shop stocks a wide variety of everyday essentials, sweets, treats, ice cream and alcohol as well as toys, games and camping equipment. A selection of bacon, sausage and meat for your BBQ, as well as milk and bread, are available daily.
Fresh hot and cold sandwiches, cakes and drinks to take away can also be purchased from The Mill Shop.
They offer a Calor Gas Exchange during shop opening times and a FREE ice pack freezing service is available 24 hours (as the freezer is in the laundry).
BBQ stands for use with disposable BBQ's are also available to use throughout your stay to help protect the grass. Therefore, this is a FREE service, however, a £10.00 refundable deposit will be required.
They try to support local producers whenever possible. This includes stocking free range eggs from West Tanfield, bread from a Ripon baker, locally hand-made greeting cards and Black Sheep ale produced in Masham. They also endeavour to stock a range of freshly made produce straight from their farmhouse kitchen.
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