Situated on the A415, 5 miles south of the market town of Witney, Standlake in Oxfordshire is a…read morecharming, rural village that exudes character.
The village is home to less than 1,300 inhabitants and its most notable feature is the River Wundrush, which flows through the village and joins the Thames at Newbridge, some 2 miles to the south. It's about 15 minutes from Burford (the gateway to the Cotswolds) and the city of Oxford is less than 20 minutes away.
I had high expectations of Lincoln Farm Park. Amongst other accolades, it was credited with the AA 2002 Overall Winner, Best Park in the UK, is a Best of British site and the Alan Roger's Inspected and Selected Campsites Guide described it as 'quite outstanding.'
An air of tranquillity greeted me as I drove into the reception area, which is situated alongside tall trees and mature shrubs. As I observed some children playing on the 9-hole putting green and others with the outdoor chess and draughts, I felt a sense of instant belonging. I immediately felt that my two children, aged 9 and 12, would like it here.
I registered at the reception building, which I later discovered also housed a sizeable leisure facility. Staff were welcoming and friendly and the reception also doubled as a well-stocked, convenience store offering the usual array of campsite necessities including bread, milk and throwaway barbecues.
Lincoln Farm Park is a level, grassy and secluded site, nestled in 9 acres of landscaped farmland. All of its 89 pitches have 10/16A electricity and 22 are fully serviced (mains water, drainage and satellite TV). The site welcomes caravans, motorhomes (inc. American motorhomes) and tents. The pitches range from adequate to large in size and some are more secluded than others. The pitches near to the children's playground tend to be more open and, being close to the playground, can get a little noisy at times.
The playground is of the large, adventure type with barking and rubber laid as appropriate. There are no signs displaying opening times, though, and I was disturbed twice by children whose parents appeared to consider it reasonable for them to use the playground as early as 7am. Quite unfair, although the fault of the parents not the Park I must stress. A sign clearly displaying opening and closing times, however, would be prudent in my opinion. Of course, none of this matters unless you are occupying a pitch within 'The Willows' area of the Park, which is in close proximity to the playground. If you prefer a quieter location, ask for a pitch nearer to the reception, most of which are set in beautiful woodland, well separated and are very quiet indeed.
Dogs are welcome provided that they are kept on a lead at all times. Two, small walks are channelled into the perimeter of the Park although these are only long enough to give your dog a quick run off its lead. There are, however, ample walks in close proximity to the Park.
The facilities offered by the Park are quite remarkable. The leisure centre offers the choice of two, indoor pools. One is completely clad in pinewood and, with the addition of carefully placed soft lighting, boasts a rather pleasant ambience. It contains a small spa pool and sauna while the second pool offers all of the above plus a steam room. Use of these facilities is subject to a separate tariff (£3/adult £1.50/child) and public swims are restricted to twice a day (0900-10:30 and 16:00-17:30). Outside of these times, the facilities can be privately booked by the hour for a modest charge (£13-£16). The pools did get quite busy during my stay and it was impossible to enjoy a swim during the afternoon sessions due to the number of children using the pool. I did try to hire the facilities privately but all sessions had been pre-booked. I must stress that I visited during a busy Bank Holiday week. Nonetheless, it would be advisable to pre-book if you want to be sure of using the facilities.
The sanitary facilities comprise of two separate blocks at either end of the park. Both are heated, immaculate (amongst the best I've ever seen) and tastefully decorated. Piped music provides for interesting sensory enjoyment to complement the showering experience and free hot water is in plentiful supply. Self contained shower units with enclosed washbasins and ample dressing areas are of notable mention. Family bathrooms and baby changing rooms are also available. Disabled facilities are well provided with a direct access pitch next to one of the blocks. Washing up facilities are of equally well-maintained standards and also provide free hot water. Microwaves, freezers, chemical disposal points, motorhome service point, battery charging and laundry facilities are also available.
Just outside the Park (2 minute walk), there is a local, friendly pub serving good food and beverages. A little further a field (2 miles), there are two pubs adjacent to each other on either side of the bridge over the River Thames. The
