Camping
Camping for Individual and course participants
Camping is subject to availability for customers attending courses at Woodmill. We can provide some equipment but not all. Please contact Woodmill for more information.
Camping for Private Groups, Schools and Colleges
Camping visits to Woodmill are an enjoyable and rewarding experience for pupils and, we hope, teachers. The following notes are intended as a brief guide to help you both before and during your visit. Please read carefully.
Tents
Woodmill currently uses Vango 2 or 3 person ridge tents for school camping groups. These are small easily assembled tents and have the advantage of being warmer than a large patrol tent. Children will be expected to assemble and dismantle these tents as an integral part of their visit. This introduces them to important aspects of camping and gives them ownership of ‘their own tent’. Woodmill staff will demonstrate assembly and be on hand to help.
We insist that visiting staff camp close to their group, preferably with an adult at each end of the camp.
Visiting staff are welcome to use their own tents or make use of ours. Please no caravans!
Sleeping bags and mats
Woodmill are unable to supply sleeping bags or sleeping mats. Please ensure every camper has both.
Toilets, showers etc
Groups camp on our main field close to Stoneham Lodge. This building has changing rooms, showers and toilets. Toilets can remain unlocked all night whilst the rest of the building is locked. The front of the building is illuminated but children should be encouraged to bring a torch for night time.
Classroom
Stoneham Lodge has a large classroom that can be used as a base for camping groups. Although we try to give camping groups exclusive use of Stoneham Lodge please appreciate that in busy times it may be necessary for another group to use the toilets, changing rooms or classroom at certain times of day. We would ask for your cooperation in ensuring that children keep the facilities tidy.
Food preparation and storage
We have a kitchen tent that we will erect in advance of your visit. We can also provide a large gas stove (with bottled gas), various pots, pans & utensils, tables etc. A supply of fresh drinking water is available from a tap outside Stoneham Lodge. Woodmill staff will be available to train visiting staff in the safe use of the stove.
In the interests of safety we ask that children do not enter the cooking tent.
We would suggest that items such as sharp knives, chopping boards and additional pots & pans are supplied by the school.
A fridge is available in Stoneham for your use.
We have a large number of plastic plates, mugs etc. for group use. Alternatively children can bring their own from home.
Woodmill does not provide catering staff or food. It is the responsibility of the school to ensure that those preparing food have the necessary training to do so. A number of local schools have already sent staff on food hygiene courses for this purpose.
Some schools choose not to cook and bring in Fish & Chips instead. We can direct you to local shops. Alternatively you may wish to bring in BBQ equipment, we would ask that BBQs are conducted on hard ground away from wooden buildings, tents etc. and that children are kept at a safe distance.
Simple washing up facilities can be set up near the kitchen tent. You may wish to provide tea towels for drying up purposes.
Safety & Security
After putting up tents etc. groups are generally given a brief familiarisation tour of the facilities and grounds. As part of this we will point out areas that must remain off limits to pupils. We would ask for visiting staff co-operation in ensuring that children do not climb on, under or around any activity equipment, fences, trees, boats, boat racks or buildings. The car park should be out of bounds to unaccompanied children as should the areas near the lake, within the Salmon Pool, near the river or in the woodland.
There is a fire assembly point located at the opposite end of the field from Stoneham Lodge. Visiting staff will be issued with a fire extinguisher which we suggest is positioned in the kitchen tent. We will also issue a first aid kit which can be used in addition to any first aid supplies that the school provides.
We are located in a busy urban area and unfortunately from time to time we do experience visits from uninvited guests intent on damaging our facilities or stealing. Please be vigilant at all times and contact a member of staff as quickly as possible if you see or hear anything suspicious during your visit. Please also ensure that children are supervised and accounted for at all times and that items of equipment and clothing are put out of sight in tents or locked away in the building. Visiting staff will be given keys for Stoneham Lodge, please keep it locked when it is not in use.
The main gates into the site are locked with coded padlocks. Please ensure that staff entering or leaving Woodmill lock the gates as soon as they are through.
Games and evening activities
Visiting schools are welcome to make use of the field for ball games etc. Please try to keep away from the tents when playing ball games etc, in order to avoid tripping over guy lines or damaging equipment etc. You are also welcome to take the children on walks around the grounds or engage in self staffed environmental activities (please speak to our Environmental Studies Tutor for suggestions or ideas about suitable activities). Staff should be suitably qualified (Open Country award) and carry appropriate safety equipment if going near water.
The centre often remains open until late in the summer months and it is possible that other groups may be on parts of the site or that adult canoe or kayak courses may be running. Once these courses have finished the centres gates will be closed and locked
There may also be night Sea Trout fishing taking place in the Salmon Pool. Participants in this activity only have access to the Salmon Pool itself. They do not have access to the main car park or the rest of the Centre’s grounds. The main car park and grounds are protected by a second gate locked with a padlock on a different code to the main gate.
Duty Staff
All camping groups have a Woodmill Duty Instructor (DI) appointed to liaise with them for the evening and overnight. The DI may or may not be one of the staff running your day time activities. They will be available throughout the night by calling the duty instructor phone. The DI may not be camping on the field with you.
Please let the duty staff member know if any additional school staff will be visiting in the evening or early morning.
The following is a check list of equipment that we suggest would be suitable for a camping visit to Woodmill.
- Sleeping bag
- Sleeping mat
- Small wash bag (soap, toothpaste, tooth brush etc.)
- Towel
- Torch
- Waterproof jacket (+ over trousers if you have them)
- Trainers or boots (suitable for wearing in camp and on activities)
- Old trainers (non-slip - for wet activities)
- Sufficient clothing (for number of days/nights of the visit and suitable for the prevailing weather conditions - nights can be cold even in July!)
- Hat & gloves (in cooler weather)
- Change/s of clothing (for wet activities) Sun hat Sun cream
- A small plastic bottle (for drinking water is useful in warm weather)
- Inhalers and any personal medication
- Kit bag or rucksack (suitable to carry all clothing and equipment)
- Plastic bags or bin liners (useful for carrying wet clothing after an activity)
Please do not bring suitcases as these take up too much space in tents.
Please do not bring expensive electronic equipment such as i-pods, CD players, mobile phones etc. These are easily lost or broken.
Snacks and sweets are not allowed in tents. Crumbs and sweet wrappers spoil the tents for other users and attract insects and rodents! If participants bring foodstuff they must leave it with the visiting staff/teachers responsible for the group.
This list is only a guide, visiting staff may wish to add to or amend it. We strongly recommend that pupils are encouraged to bring only essential items when visiting Woodmill.
