This is a really friendly camping and caravanning club site. It has no toilets or showers so it is…read moreessential that you have your own. As we only have a folding camper we made good use of the toilets in the Sainsburys in town. Possibly because of the lack of facilities the two times that we have been there have been very few children which does mean that the site is quiet except for the parakeets which are quite noisy in the mornings. Do be aware that there is quite a long narrow road approaching the campsite. Could be awkward at busy times.

People with food allergies beware! I came here for a family meal and everything was great, up until…read moreI tasted a main dish (chicken karahi) that, according to their allergen menu, was nut free, however I developed an allergic reaction almost instantly. I quickly took some antihistamines, and spoke to a waiter who immediately got on the defence, but after insisting that I was indeed having a reaction (just because you can't see it on my face, doesn't mean it's not occurring inside), he spoke to the chef. When he returned the table, he began suggesting that perhaps I mixed spoons or cross contaminated the food myself. Yup, that totally happened to someone, living 25 years with a severe nut allergy. I totally understand that there's no guarantee, and I always take that into account. However I still always take extra precautions and choose dishes that are less likely to contain nut ingredients. As the waiter was in defence mode throughout, nothing came out of me reporting that incident to him. I'm pretty appalled with the way this was handled, especially in suggesting it could have been my fault and not taking any responsibility of a mistake that could indeed have happened in the kitchen. Other than that, I didn't believe the food was anything exceptional as a couple dishes (namely the palak paneer) did not look or taste fresh at all. The 2 stars are simply for the rest of my family suggesting the food was decent-ish. side note: the allergen menu contained various spelling mistakes to which one of my family members joked about trusting whether it was accurate...probably should have taken him seriously.

My husband and I stayed at the hotel for 4 days in March 2014. We were treated like royalty by…read morestaff that seemed genuinely happy to be employed at The Mehfil. Places where the attitude is genuinely friendly and welcoming to its guests, but never too familiar are rare to come by, but at The Mehfil you'll find it. The food is a different chapter altogether. For breakfast we chose piping hot stuffed (potato or cauliflower) Parathas, which was served with yoghurt and a delicious tangy pickle. This was so yummy that we didn't even try their alternative, the full English breakfast, but i have to admit that from what i could see when i glanced briefly at the plates of other guests, it looked really good too. The Mehfil is food heaven if you're a fan of the Indian kitchen. When I think of us eating our evening meals there, I remember in a blur one sumptuous, gorgeous looking and divine- tasting meal after the other served by attentive waiters, and I really hope it's possible to attach pictures from my phone's gallery when I'm done writing. I will recommend this place no end, and look forward to our next visit. Incidentally, it's easy to get from the Mehfil to London Paddington. A 5 minute walk to the station, a 15 minute train ride and you're there, right in the centre of the touristy area, if that's what you're looking for.

The Nicky Line was once the old railway that linked Harpenden to Hemel Hempstead, via Redbourn…read more Since then, its been transformed into a long and very pleasant walk and cycle route between the two places. Its always busy, you will almost certainly bump into someone if you go for a walk down there.. it goes under numerous railway bridges and past lots of park-land. Its a great place to take dogs for a walk, let them off the lead and have them follow you up the lane. It doesn't get particularly muddy, and the old wooden platforms you can find along there are fun for kids to climb on.

A small suburban station that has slow train stopping at it (fast trains stop at Staines). Two…read moreplatforms, a ticket office with limited opening hours, very old station. Trains on this route are currently South West Trains until the franchise is bid again.

Swiss is a lovely place , totally would recommend to anyone interested in camping …read more Swiss has some wonderful facilities which are kept well clean and tidy. The small restaurant and bar near reception is a lovely . Have wonderful friendly staff who are always ready to help . WiFi is good however is weaker in certain areas so if you to be by the end of the site it would be weakened (Password is swisswifi ) . Has a lovely pool which is now heated. Good length . It's great for kids like toddlers to teens with its levelled pool made for all heights . Loads of areas for play for kids . Swings,monkey bars and seasores has all things need even has some new gear coming as well . A large field perfect for games such as rounders football cricket it could go on . They even have a massive swing which is very enjoyable , I don't get enough of "Let's go on the swing ""can we go on the swing " from my sister but it's well made and very enjoyable would give it a try . If your trying to find it I would go to the tippy top of the camp site and walk up up until you find these three amazing swings . Has great amounts of wildlife easily flowing around caravans to tents . A small pond can also be found here which can help some hobbies like fishing and boat racing of your feeling cool . You definitely won't miss out on seeing the ducks or tadpoles on the pond . Easy walk to the town center which has wonders of coffee shops and unexplored fashionable shops . The community of the town is welcoming and warm . Totally would recommend drifters as they have a nice cafe upstairs with a nice set of staff . The river as well is a bonus seeing some fit men and women rowing is quite a good look shall we say and theirs even a steam boat ride if your interested . Overall love Swiss farm is a great areas for my family camping totally recommend to long term campers and short term :) .

OK so its not really a "Country House" as such, more a renovated ex-pub look but - plenty of…read moreparking; very friendly, very good rooms indeed, great setting; and in the summer it was lovely to sit outside in the garden (which actually goes right round the property; though its very open to the road at the front) They also had little "igloo" style covered seated areas outside which was novel - and fully booked. They were going to demolish these and build some jungle themed replacements? Reception was easy and they looked after us well throughout our 2 weekend stays. Covid restrictions were well observed Our only reservation concerned the meals...breakfast was ok, but we were not enthusiastic over the main meal offerings for dinner. My partner's steak was inedible, but mine was OK...we decided that the one restaurant visit would do us Will definitely return to stay though - on that front, no question; its exceptionally good value

Our Christmas party was held at Stirrups and they did an excellent job hosting is. the food was…read moresuperb and there was plenty of it. Most people had the traditional Christmas dinner including Turkey and the roast potatoes were crispy on the outside and just right on the inside. The gravy was nice and thick and the vegetables were also fresh and cooked to perfection. The fish served up was also lovely and fresh and the atmosphere was really good with a quiz and also a live band. Stirrups is not too small that they can't cope but it's not too big for them to give you 100% attention and cook everything to perfection. defiantly recommended for your company Christmas party.

I have stayed here several times after a night out in Newbury. Its a simple, no frills, standard…read moretravelodge. Good points are comfy bed, duvet not blanket, hot showers/clean towels/body wash, front door is open all night. Bad points, no hairdryers, no lift, 5 mins drive out of town. My top tip is to insist on a room at the back so you dont get the noise of the lorries on the motorway, you can park round the back too, if you can book early then you can get a good deal maybe £20 a night, otherwise its £50, make sure you have about £15 for a cab home from Newbury Town centre, oh and bring your own hairdryer.