Colliford Tavern campsite, St Neot, Cornwall

I recently spent a week in Cornwall living in the van and teaching at Surya Eco Yoga Camp.  Unfortunately I chose the same day to travel as a lorry caught fire in the Malpas tunnel, Newport, closing the M4.  This caused a horrendous traffic jam which I was stuck in for 3½ hours.  It took me as long to do the first 15 miles of my journey as it did to do the rest.  After the first hour of moving slowly I had to make the decision of going home or going on.  Listening to the traffic news I realised that it would take as long to get home and the tunnel would probably still be closed the next day anyway - so I decided to sit it out.  At one point the traffic did not move at all for about half an hour.

Once I got back onto the M4 at junction 24 it was plain sailing all the way.  By the time I reached north Cornwall however, I had been on the road for 6½ hours and decided to stop for the night.

I turned off the A30 to St Neot and found Colliford Tavern.  As the sign says it is also a pub.  I thought it rather a delightful site with the pitches nestled under pine trees.  I liked the atmosphere of the shaded, wooded area.  The shower block was nearby and the path to it well lit.  I had a nice hot shower and settled down for the night. 

This site does not get very good reviews at  ukcampsite.co.uk but I liked it.  It was clean, friendly and an attractive site.  I felt completely safe camping there on my own.  I generally prefer sites with minimal amenities however, and tend to avoid the ones that offer entertainment of any sort - so I can see that it might be a bit dull for some people.  It is the countryside and being in nature that I want to experience when camping, not watching TV or similar.  I enjoyed the rabbits frollicking under the trees in front of the van.  It would be a good site for exploring north Cornwall.

I find it interesting that nowadays free hot water is common at campsites, whereas it used to be a rarity.  You always used to have to get a token or have money for a slot to have a shower.  British camping is becoming more civilised.