# identifying a good spot to park at overnight, and avoiding bad places .. your ideas



## RomaDenizen (Aug 15, 2011)

imagine yourself far from home, no campsites near.  Seeking an overnight spot to park.  How will you recognise a good spot, how will you research it ?  problems to avoid ?
thanks


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## iwm (Aug 15, 2011)

Without driving around and assuming you have internet access then by far the best is using a combination of Google Maps on a wide-ish view so you can see roads and also such things as a layby or car park. Once you have found a possible place then if Google Maps Street View has the infromation then confirm the place using that.

Once you have tried the place out start a NEW Thread on this web link and send the information for others to use

Wild Camping Location Submissions for the POI database

Cheers

IanM


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## herbenny (Aug 15, 2011)

Hi there:wave:

We tried to do our first Wildcamp on Saturday night:fun:, just a last minute impulsive 'lets go' decision .........hmmmm we got it all wrong and ended up coming home about one in the morning.  First of all I stupidly forgot to take my purse and thought thats ok my other half would have some cash on him (((noooo dont be silly:lol-053: ))) he just about had enough to throw £20, which we all know is not enough to get you round the block these days. Anyway we drove around the Sussex countryside lovely views and a nice sunsetting lovely I thought ! We decided to stop off at a nice country pub, but instantly got the  feeling they would not welcome us there for the night, it was that tumble weed moment when we tried to be friendly that gave it away !!!!!.....  So  with that we thought we might drive up to the coast and stoppped off at Duncton Beauty Spot  ( I think its called ) ????, but had some very weird happenings going on there with people coming and going and acting very strange,  not sure if its a well known dogging area or not ????? never been to one so wouldint know. Soooo with that we drove off yet again and pulled into a quiet layby,  but it just seemed far too remote for my liking and I instantly got the willies and wouldnt shut up with the 'what if's '!!!!!. So hubby drove off YET  again and pulled into another layby where upon after ten minutes I got an instant facelift with the speed of the passing traffic:scared:. By this time it was getting late,  the charge on my phone was about to go, hubby was losing the will to live and I was blaming him for everything in the world thats going wrong  aarrrgghhhhhhh !!!!!!! .......next time I will PLAN when I want to be more SPONTANEOUS. ....It was all good fun though and we cant wait to do it again !!!!!:lol-053:


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## herbenny (Aug 15, 2011)

Hi there:wave:

We tried to do our first Wildcamp on Saturday night:fun:, just a last minute impulsive 'lets go' decision .........hmmmm we got it all wrong and ended up coming home about one in the morning.  First of all I stupidly forgot to take my purse and thought thats ok my other half would have some cash on him (((noooo dont be silly:lol-053: ))) he just about had enough to throw £20, which we all know is not enough to get you round the block these days. Anyway we drove around the Sussex countryside lovely views and a nice sunsetting lovely I thought ! We decided to stop off at a nice country pub, but instantly got the  feeling they would not welcome us there for the night, it was that tumble weed moment when we tried to be friendly that gave it away !!!!!.....  So  with that we thought we might drive up to the coast and stoppped off at Duncton Beauty Spot  ( I think its called ) ????, but had some very weird happenings going on there with people coming and going and acting very strange,  not sure if its a well known dogging area or not ????? never been to one so wouldint know. Soooo with that we drove off yet again and pulled into a quiet layby,  but it just seemed far too remote for my liking and I instantly got the willies and wouldnt shut up with the 'what if's '!!!!!. So hubby drove off YET  again and pulled into another layby where upon after ten minutes I got an instant facelift with the speed of the passing traffic:scared:. By this time it was getting late,  the charge on my phone was about to go, hubby was losing the will to live and I was blaming him for everything in the world thats going wrong  aarrrgghhhhhhh !!!!!!! .......next time I will PLAN when I want to be more SPONTANEOUS. ....It was all good fun though and we cant wait to do it again !!!!!:lol-053:


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## John H (Aug 16, 2011)

RomaDenizen said:


> imagine yourself far from home, no campsites near.  Seeking an overnight spot to park.  How will you recognise a good spot, how will you research it ?  problems to avoid ?
> thanks



A "good" spot will vary according to your tastes but there are a few basic rules to take into account whatever you are looking for:

1. Don't annoy the locals - ie don't park up outside someone's house. We usually try to be near civilisation but hidden from it (others prefer to be more remote).
2. Look at how busy the road is - and how visible you are going to be to passing traffic. Nothing is more annoying than being rocked out of bed by large lorries thundering by - except possibly being woken up by hooting vehicles!
3. Look around for signs of vandalism, such as broken glass and grafitti - and drive on if you see any.
4. Look around for signs of boy racers - the skid marks give them away - and drive on if there are any.
5. Look around for signs of frequent sexual activity (I will leave that to your imagination) unless, of course, you enjoy dogging!
6. Look around to see if there are other motorhomes in the area. We prefer to have company for reasons of security (but not too close); others prefer to be alone.  
7. Position yourself so that, in the unlikely event of trouble, you are able to make a quick escape (that also means have everything inside packed away so you can leap straight into the driving seat and be gone). 
8. Don't leave waste of any kind to show that you have been.
9. Don't overstay your welcome (obviously, the more remote the spot the longer you can stay without annoying people)
10 Be careful but not paranoid - and most of all, enjoy yourself. Happy travels.


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## Deleted member 13543 (Aug 16, 2011)

Sound advice, John H!! Would just add to Rule 7 - Have your clothes handy if you don't wear nightclothes!! (Driving away in the nude could be embarrassing for all concerned!!  )


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## John H (Aug 16, 2011)

kernowprickles said:


> Sound advice, John H!! Would just add to Rule 7 - Have your clothes handy if you don't wear nightclothes!! (Driving away in the nude could be embarrassing for all concerned!!  )


 
Having done just that - once! - in Greece when smugglers turned up on our beach, I can agree that it might not be a good idea. It was a good job that we saw no-one on our way to a safer spot!


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## runnach (Aug 16, 2011)

Good sensible advice.

For me number 10 is the most difficult to manage  ' Be careful but not paranoid'.

We sometimes seem to be programmed into looking for reasons not to do something rather than reasons for doing it.

The only advice I would add over and above John,s is always try and scout a spot before nightfall if you arent familiar with the area. This will increase your confidence in the decision making if nothing else.

Channa


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## Squibby (Aug 17, 2011)

*Be aware of where you pitch down for the night.*

I Have had one incident when I first got my van, before I even started the conversion, when I was whacked out from driving so I found a nice spot or so I though and me and the kids got our heads down in the van for some well earned shut eye, only to be awoken about three in the morning by the local police who thought I was a trerorist. Unbeknown to me I had stoped quite close to the Edinburgh to Aberdeen main line, lots of checks by the police and a few phone calls to prove I was who I was and not Terry Taliban, we were moved on, the kids found it funny once they had calmed down after the wake up call. That was my first night in my van, now I check that I'm not too close to railway lines on my Sat Nav.

So try and pull over early enogh to see where you are stopping, some places do get more active as the sun goes down with people Dogging but I have managed to avoid these areas apart from once, there was a carpark on the A68 just north of Tow Law I think the place was called, we stopped there a few times with no probs but as the nights became warmer the active Doggers came out, the local councel have since blocked the carpark entrance with a huge lump of stone, so now no one can use it, shame as it was a handy place to stop.

Squibby.


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## caspar (Aug 17, 2011)

Excellent set of rules John.

One thing missing from this, and where the OP may have slipped up is by heading for very well known beauty spots. These usually have some sort of restriction, or because they are what they are attract all sorts at all hours.

Another point missed is if you have a notebook or laptop with you (we always take one or the other) you can usually (not always) get enough signal to get onto the internet, come into this site and find somewhere near you. 

If none of these are available, then look at a map, find somewhere nearby out in the middle of nowhere (which in your first post you say you are anyway) and find a sensible place to park up. Have a quick look round to make sure there's no signs forbidding you to be there and settle down and relax. 

It is very much one of those things you develop an eye for over the years, and you'll find yourself driving along and saying to your wife, or vice versa, "Now that would be a lovely place to stop." If you wild regularly, you soon build up your own database in your brain of thousands of places where you could potentially stop. I have a list a mile long of places I'd like to try, but haven't got round to yet. 

Finally, on the subject of dogging, we always have our labrador with us so are often found dogging in a layby. I see no reason to avoid this! :raofl::raofl::raofl::raofl:


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## Marilyn (Aug 17, 2011)

We have 'wilded' for donkey's years (about 40), in the early years with a small caravan (yes, I know, I know  )  and, more recently, with a motor-home and have really never had any trouble.

The worst we have ever had was people hooting as they passed, presumably on their way to work, early in the morning - irritating but not exactly life-threatening.  We were camped in a lay-by with not a single house in sight, not bothering anybody so why hoot?  I guess it must be funny (well, if you have a brain the size of a pea it might be).

Hubby is always very observant and aware; I try to be but am a bit dozy   As we prefer to be on our own in a very remote spot, it does pay to be observant.  We have rejected many apparently ideal spots and moved on because one or other of us just didn't think it felt right.  I wouldn't underestimate your gut feelings - they are based on sound reasoning, I think, although you may not be consciously aware of what it is that's making you uneasy.

I hate campsites (or the big, organised ones at any rate - don't mind little CLs and CSs too much) so we always wild if we can and I think the chances of you getting into serious trouble are very, very remote.  Maybe not as remote as winning the lottery but still extremely unlikely so just keep you eyes and ears open and enjoy yourselves!


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## Tigatigatiger (Aug 17, 2011)

in some places stopping for a spot of lunch can be iffy!

We stopped in thetford forest a few weeks back (mid week lovely day), pulled into car park and parked up well away from entrance and road. I took the dog for a walk and Johnny got the kettle on and sandwiches made. We had our butties and a cuppa, John was zzzing it on the bed I was reading a book laid on the sofa bit, door open and the dog on her lead. 

Car pulled up, bloke got out walk round front of MH looking in, then walked right upto the open door, dog went off like a rocket and John jumped up, bloke sort of jumped and walked away, drove off then came back a number of times, so did others in other cars. In the end a few parked up and people walked off into the forest? 

Funny we are off that way again on Friday and meeting up with my sister in Thetford forest-the only dogging we will be doing is walking the dogs! beofre heading off upto north norfolk coast.

We talked to a friend who lives in thetford after and he said is was a dogging hot spot!

We are staying for a few days at a caravan club rally-I've told her she'll have the throw her keys one night! LOL


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## RomaDenizen (Aug 18, 2011)

your opinions on the following please ?
- motorway service stations
- industrial/business parks
- car parks of churches/pubs/schools/universities/airports
- ports
- quiet cul-de-sac's/crescents in residential neighbourhoods ?
- other places


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## Deleted member 13543 (Aug 18, 2011)

RomaDenizen said:


> your opinions on the following please ?
> - motorway service stations


 
I'd be careful about using motorway service stations, as only the first 2 hours are free, and paying for a legitimate overnight stay can be expensive. They quite often give you a voucher to spend in the services which does offset the cost a bit; we have used Gretna a couple of times, and had a lovely breakfast there. :tongue:


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## teamb (Aug 23, 2011)

Hi. When im traveling round the country and find myself close to a large town or cities. I tend to search out industrial estates. If you have ever noticed some of these industrial estates are large and small some, huge and located on the outskirts of large towns or citys and will have a quiet spot that truckers know about, as they overnight there. Often you'll find a number of long distance truckers overnighting in these places. In my mind if truckers park there, then it must be a good parking spot cause its in there own intrest to be on time for there next drop off in the morning as they need to have a good nights rest in a reasonable parking spot with no local idiots or doggers wandering around outside disturbing there sleep lol. 

I certainly wouldn't park in the middle of or near a council housing estate where ppl are living. living there you'd find grannys,Net Curtain Twitches to dop on you to the local plod. a place where u'd find the local big bore exhaust boy racers in there maxed out subwoofered citroen saxos and idiots looking for stuff to break into and cause trouble. although that's not always the case, if you'll know what i mean! 

At weekends industrial estates can be peacefull places cause some factory's tend to close down for the 48 hours and are covered by cctv. having cctv tends to put off thieves but not always. Having ppl around working on the estates is ok should you need to raise the alarm for help should you need it.  im my mind i feel that on most industrial estates there are often no through road's leading to know place but industrial factories and normally you have to leave the same route you came on in and therefore only poeple who have any legit reason for being there are business ppl or factory workers on there day or night shifts. 

I know different people have different preferences about overnight parking. in my own experience camping wild in a stealth campers on an industrial estate makes sense as it blends in to the background cause there are plenty of other white vans there already. if you are discrete as i am then you will never be asked any questions. But just don't stay in one place too long. on passing, a parked stealth camper transit can just look like any other van. someone's van who works in one of the factorys on the estate. no one knows any difference.  

Ive also stayed overnight in beauty spots in the countryside places but somtimes those places can be spoilt by late night weirdos and doggers and am not taking about crufts lol. When i park up at night i always make sure i know the name and postcode where im parked up should i need to call for medical assistance or i need to conact the police.  Camping wild at night may be unerving for some if your not used to it.


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## coolasluck (Aug 23, 2011)

As i have major toothache i thought i would offer my tips.
My first is deffinatly find your spot before it starts to go dark.
I personally try to stay away from towns or cities my rule of thumb is to get as far away from the nearest city/town  and then turn off any main roads  onto the less busy roads.
We try to stay away from car parks,i have found that if you arrive at a car park and spot single blokes just waiting about not doing anything then we go.I confronted a group of doggers or perverts  when i started to wild so once you come across this situation its best to go and phone the old bill too and let them know,the sex offenders register could remove this filth from our car parks but however we dont have any law and order in this lawless country of ours anymore.Normally the signs are that the car park becomes like the m25 if it starts to get unnaturally busy then you should leave.Once you learn this lesson you soon become accustomed to avoiding it.
I also try to avoid car parks,unless i can hide away.
If all else fails i would be prepared to park on a nice quiet street in a well too do part of a town at least you are near civilisation if you need to raise the alarm.
As John stated it is a good idea not to park outside someones house unless nessarsary,if you do leave early to prevent annoyance.
You will soon learn how to pick up the vibes of wilding,we only had 2 occasions where we parked in a wrong area to wild and we have learnt to avoid these situations.
Also i would state to be more careful on the weekend when your boyracer brigade and perverts are more busy.
Above all if you do have a bad experiance dont become disheartened and give up with wilding the good wilding times always outweigh the bad ones by far.Just treat them as a learning curve and always park so you can drive away,incidently invest in some internal screens as opposed to the externals as these are straight forward to remove in a hasty retreat.


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## Tbear (Aug 23, 2011)

I like quite residential areas. My small van blends in even though its an obvious conversion. You often see them parked in leafy avenues. Also car parks near fire or police stations but not too close either. Its difficult in larger towns because of hight barriers but the smaller places you can often get away with it.

John H
I'd like to add a 7b hope you don't mind?
If you want to leave stuff in or around the drivers seat at night then get one of those bright yellow plastic tubs from any DIY store and put it all in there. I can change place with it in a second and we have a hundred other uses for ours during the day.

Richard


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## John H (Aug 23, 2011)

Hi Richard,

Please feel free to add whatever you wish - my copyright hasn't come through yet! :lol-053:


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## RomaDenizen (Aug 23, 2011)

many hotels have a good residents car park.  If some of your group is staying in the hotel, the others can often stay in the motorhome.  This has the added benefit of using the showers etc.  Any stories ?  positive or negative on this ?


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## Deleted member 13543 (Sep 24, 2011)

I'd add that if you pick a layby, make sure it is WELL OFF the road!! We stayed in this layby on the B7076 near Gretna, and it was a nightmare!! It seemed pretty quiet when we parked up, and by then we were getting desperate, so we thought it was better than nothing.







WRONG!! it was a real nightmare!!  We could have coped with the M74 practically next door, but not the lorries passing us at high speed - we thought the MH was going over, and it gave a whole new meaning to "rocked to sleep"!! THIS is the kind of thing that's bearable:






Good luck!!

(Sorry about satdish, but Husband is a TV addict, and having the dish up avoids wall to wall moaning all night!! We put it down after viewing, tho!!)


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## sagart (Sep 25, 2011)

RomaDenizen said:


> your opinions on the following please ?
> - motorway service stations
> - industrial/business parks
> - car parks of churches/pubs/schools/universities/airports
> ...


 
Bear in mind that churches do need their carparks for worshippers and, often, people using their halls for playgroups etc.....a quick phonecall to the number on the noticeboard is a good idea.
Still remember one MH who parked in the centre of a vast and empty church carpark on Lewis and woke up surounded by several hundred cars, it was Communion Week and his stay was a very long one!


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## TWS (Sep 25, 2011)

*North Wales, not warm welcome.*

Having posted for ages, so here goes. We have been touring around North Wales for the past 9 days, wilding and a couple small CL sites for water, toilet, showers etc. Not had any problems at all apart from one incident that in hindsight wish I had dealt with in a better way. We were in a public carpark at Borth-y-gest Porthmadog at about 7pm with my family having a cup of tea, a couple knocked on the M/H door and advised me that I could not park in the carpark overnight, which is ok as it had signs clearly stating no overnight parking, I wasnt even intending parking anyway, but what made me angry was the fact that they said locals ! put stickers on your windows in the early hours of the morning and they were impossible to remove, now I dont know if its true or not, but the couple were not very friendly, it was more of a threat, I simply packed up and off we went, but I did have the feeling that I was being bullied off ! My main point is, whats wrong with people ? if a M/H parked near my home I wouldnt be knocking on the door. Our country is so backward when it comes to making us M/H owners welcome, what with height barriers etc etc, we really do feel like we are not wanted, I had another situation where I asked a parking officer where I could park my M/H ? his reply was as far away as possible. We spend thousands on our hobby and put a great deal of money back in to the country, Im not asking for much really, am I ? Rant over.

Tom


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## windyjools (Sep 25, 2011)

If you get stuck, ask a policeman......................if you can find one, seriously, ask a figure in authority, a policeman, or parking attendant if approached in the right way, can be really helpful. At least if they suggest somewhere, you can be sure that it will be ok. Personally, we tend to look for a well-lit place, with easy route for getaway if necessary, and don't park where someone MIGHT be offended, remember if you upset someone inadvertantly, they will ring the police who have to investigate, leading to the dreaded knock on the door.
Use your head, if it feels wrong for whatever reason, then move on, trust your intuition, even if it is an ok place, you probably won't sleep anyway!


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## jogguk (Sep 26, 2011)

Rural church carparks are good, get up early on Sunday mornings though:lol-053:

Here is a lovely one I stay at when visiting the Malvern M/H show.


St James Colwall nr. Malvern

John


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## Canalsman (Sep 26, 2011)

jogguk said:


> Rural church carparks are good, get up early on Sunday mornings though:lol-053:
> 
> Here is a lovely one I stay at when visiting the Malvern M/H show.View attachment 2872View attachment 2873View attachment 2874
> 
> ...


 
Just had a look at this spot on Streetview - there's a notice at the entrance that's hard to make out, but it might be a 'no overnighting' type sign ...


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## Firefox (Sep 26, 2011)

Motorway service stations - 2 hour parking limit at most of them, which is difficult for them to actually enforce via implied contract in civil law, but why bother with the hassle?

Industrial/business parks - Good at weekends when not busy, but watch out for controlled parking signs, caveat as above

Car parks of churches/pubs/schools/universities/airports - If clearly no parking restrictions. plenty of space, and not obstructing bone fide users then fine. Pubs you are usually obliged morally or by condition to eat and drink there. Schools I would not do (nanny state/predator/child abuse hysteria etc). Universities often have parking congestion and restriction, see point 1. Airports, forget it, unless you want to pay rip-off parking charges, you may as well use a campsite.

Ports - Never tried it, but noisy if you are talking about docks...find a quiet place in town

Quiet cul-de-sac's/crescents in residential neighbourhoods - The best so far but not directly in front of some stupid NIMBY's house. Far better to find a place outside someone's long, high, back garden fence or wall. Exception... if the street is commonly chock full of parking and you adopt a stealth approach, but if it's usually parked nose to tail, then it's not "quiet".

Other places - The best urban place is on a quiet tree lined street outside a long fence or wall that is the boundary to the grounds of some large school, residential home, park, public buildings etc etc. There is nobody to complain or overlook you, just the trees and grass, and in any case there is a fence or trees to shield you. In this instance a school is OK as you are not actually in the school car park, just on a street near it. The best type of schools are private ones with extensive grounds. This type of location is infinitely better than a supermarket car park where you may be approached, or need to keep on asking if it is OK, or feel obliged to patronise the venue, be it a shop or a pub.


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## roadrunner51 (Sep 26, 2011)

Can only advise on Europe not here - I wouldn't wild camp in England, not worth the hassle. France, Spain etc is a dream by contrast (or they used to be at least). 

Don't leave it too late to start looking and NEVER pick a spot after dark, go to a site instead, or a layby with other vehicles as a last resort.

Get off main roads. 

Investigate woods (ideally forest parks/picnic sites), river crossings and lakes on the map, these usually have parking areas nearby. Coasts usually have far more choice than inland, so hug the coast if convenient. Stay away from town centres and heavily populated areas.

Important: If you're not sure - move on. Oh and wherever you choose sods law says the next place down the road would have been 100% better! :have fun:


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## jogguk (Sep 26, 2011)

Canalsman said:


> Just had a look at this spot on Streetview - there's a notice at the entrance that's hard to make out, but it might be a 'no overnighting' type sign ...



The notice on the railings by he church gate says: "neighbourhood watch area" the little one just to  right (not quite visible) says: "reserved disabled vehicles". The small blue sign at the right of the entrance, the one I think you're referring too simply says: "St James Carpark" There are no prohibiting signs to worry about.

The few locals I spoke are very friendly, the flower arrangers arrive before 7.45am on Sunday's and they did give a quizzical look at first, like most isolated churches theft of lead has been a problem. Still, an old and interesting church worth a look if your into that sort of thing. Across the road is an Elizabethan manor house and barn conversion done by Mark Evans (the vet) featured on TV.:cool1:


I have another church in Tintagel Cornwall here Though there are so many offical places to park in Tintagel town I seldom use this one now. Note the carpark is National Trust and does have a "no camping sign" but the bit of a pull in outside the church and what looks like a bus shelter is not part of the carpark and OK. Another place close by the Youth Hostel too.

John

John


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## Canalsman (Sep 26, 2011)

Thanks for the additional info - I've added the car park at Colwall ...

Regards

Chris


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## jogguk (Sep 27, 2011)

Canalsman said:


> Thanks for the additional info - I've added the car park at Colwall ...
> 
> Regards
> 
> Chris




Did you see the other linl in my post?



> I have another church in Tintagel Cornwall here Though there are so many offical places to park in Tintagel town I seldom use this one now



John


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## Canalsman (Sep 27, 2011)

Yes I did - I had the NT car park listed already ... so I've adjusted the coordinates slightly to match your description of the parking just outside the church.

Thanks


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