Are Places Like Center Parcs Safe? 15 September 2020 at 12:01AM in UK holidays, days out & entertainments 9 replies 271 views

Saga

Naively asking those who've stayed in one if you've ever felt unsafe/vulnerable at night to burglars et al in a secluded lodge in the middle of a forest?  Contracting lyme disease aside, I quite like the idea of a woodland retreat but have felt they seem like easy targets for ne'er-do-wells!

daveyjp

From my experience many years ago Center Parcs is a modern equivalent of the POW camp in The Great Escape.

Single story buildings in the middle of a forest.  Fences all round, gatehouse monitoring everyone leaving and arriving. The only difference is its now CCTV rather than camp guards.

They do let you 'escape', but getting back in if you dare to leave during your stay can be a lengthy process.

Saga

LOL! Thanks daveyjp!

Penguin_

daveyjp said:

From my experience many years ago Center Parcs is a modern equivalent of the POW camp in The Great Escape.

Single story buildings in the middle of a forest.  Fences all round, gatehouse monitoring everyone leaving and arriving. The only difference is its now CCTV rather than camp guards.

They do let you 'escape', but getting back in if you dare to leave during your stay can be a lengthy process.

How ridiculous! 

Sandtree

Thing you are mistaking how center parcs are... you have to remember its not a "lodge secluded in the middle of a forest" but 900 lodges in fairly tight concentration in a fenced area in a wood.  If in doubt look at the lodge map for Sherwood Forest site and you'll see how many neighbours you'll have.

Saga

Sandtree said:

Thing you are mistaking how center parcs are... you have to remember its not a "lodge secluded in the middle of a forest" but 900 lodges in fairly tight concentration in a fenced area in a wood.  If in doubt look at the lodge map for Sherwood Forest site and you'll see how many neighbours you'll have.

Oh heavens!

sazaccount

Saga said:

Naively asking those who've stayed in one if you've ever felt unsafe/vulnerable at night to burglars et al in a secluded lodge in the middle of a forest?  Contracting lyme disease aside, I quite like the idea of a woodland retreat but have felt they seem like easy targets for ne'er-do-wells!

TBH that has never crossed my mind! maybe if anything was left in the car as the car parks can be a bit of a distance away. As Sandtree has said your not completely secluded in the middle of the forest. They are designed so there is some distance and the way the windows are located so you are not directly looking into someone else cabin, I think I was more worried about was falling off my bike into the lake! 

Vegastare

I have never stayed in one but there is one near Longleat and understand it have a food court etc.....a friends daughter worked weekends .....understand you park up and get an on site train it's so vast....as for safety think if it borders Longleat the lions and tigers  it might keep intruders at other side of the fence.

martindow

I'm not sure I'd trust an organisation that is incapable of spelling Centre or Park.

twopenny

If you fancy a lodge type escape there are farms on Exmoor that do timber lodges on the farm.

The search terms are lodges, log cabins, timber lodges etc. I'm sure that applies to any area where there are farms. Should be safe and clean and more of a fresh air experience and park next to your lodge.

Always check on google maps satelite though. I saw what I thought was a dream cabin only to see it's just off a road and near a caravan park. You can do the same for the camp you mentioned to see how close the CParks lodges are and how many.