Finding a good suburban camping spot

[Firefox]

I intend to post a few examples of good suburban camping spots I have found and am using from time to time.

If you find one that you've used, feel free to post it as well. Try to include a Google street view if you can and say why it is suitable.

Please don't fill the thread with too many LOL's , or what your dog got up to last night or the locations will become obscured in fluff

The first one was for the NEC show. OK I could have used the caravan club on site thingy but you pay £27.50 to be squashed in like a sardine in a car park. You get a hook up but I have 2 batteries, so I don't need one. You get entertainment but I turned up at 11.00pm to avoid the traffic so that would be wasted. Basically I can think of lots of other things to spend £27.50 on, than hand it to the CC in a complete rip-off.

So I took a quick look at the map and decided Hampton-in-Arden sounded like and looked like a nice leafy place after looking at Google maps satellite - you can see the trees. I drove in at 11.30 pm and went down the first street.

solihull - Google Maps

Lapwing drive- newish estate- big houses but nobody parking much in the street and everywhere was near someone's house. Definite NIMBY idiots to be found down there.

I tried the next street Diddington lane. This got more rural but although not a clearway was a through road and no safe parking given the traffic.

Then I tried this one... Old Station Road

solihull - Google Maps

It actually stands out on the ariel view as tree lined and not many houses

Why I think it's a good place:

1. No through road.
2. Some parking takes place for the station already. People are used to parked cars.
3. I tucked in front of an already parked car to protect my rear end.
4. Tree lined and railway on one side. Long garden fence and trees on the other. Not directly in front of any Nimby's house.
5. Quiet road at night apart from the odd train which stop at 1.00pm

So that's where I am now at 1.36am. Very peaceful. Give it a try for the NEC, it's only 3 miles away!

 

[Admin]

I just ( 20 minutes ago ) drove through Hampton-in-Arden on my way home as the M42 was closed. I live in Henley-in-Arden.

I should have called in for a cuppa

 

[Firefox]

You'd have been welcome. I just put the kettle on now. I've complete blackout up so nobody would know I am here.

When I get back from Stonehenge on Sunday, I won't go back home, but illustrate another suburban camp in Welwyn Garden City or somewhere

 

[mustardseed]

You'd have been welcome. I just put the kettle on now. I've complete blackout up so nobody would know I am here.

When I get back from Stonehenge on Sunday, I won't go back home, but illustrate another suburban camp in Welwyn Garden City or somewhere

The problem with your exterior silver screen is that I would have thought it's fairly obvious you WERE inside? ;-) Or are you referring to some other blackout/ curtaining that you have?
Hope you have a good weekend: sounds like you are going to be busy! (OK that's off topic, but I avoided the lols and any mention of dogs)

 

[Viktor]

Are you sure its not a through road - google is showing it as a road a few miles long?

 

[Firefox]

I didn't use my silver screen, I used my behind cab curtain with an extra fleece blackout

Yes the road is several miles long, it used to go the where the NEC and M42 is now, but all that cut it off. It goes right up to J6 Roundabout to a locked gate onto the roundabout. But it is only housing which means at night, there is little or no through traffic. There's a bit now it's got lighter, so I'm off to the NEC for 10.00pm opening!

 

[A KIRK]

This sounds like a good idea, funnily enough I was in London working Thursday night, but sadly in the luton not the camper, and had a 5 hour wait in Chelsea area, I was looking around as its free parking after 6.30pm and I think before 8 or 8.30 am, and it got me thinking about parking up in London.

I think providing you can cope with the constant flow of London traffic there are many places on the side of the road you could park up and sleep comfortably. The main concerns I thought of were the quieter roads generally tended to be residential roads, but being London there use to lots of vehicles parking up and coming and going etc.

Or you had the less residential streets but generally had more traffic.

One example is Pont Street South WEst London SW1X postcode Pont Street, London - Google Maps On the left ar some parking bays which you can park in over night, the down side is its a fairly busy road for vehicles but not so for pedestrians.

Or failing that just up the road is Lowdes St more residential, but quiter in terms of traffic Pont Street, London - Google Maps.

A lot of it I think comes down to common sense

 

[Firefox]

Residential roads are OK so long as not directly in front of someone's house.

Or conversely I think it's OK when they are parked nose to tail and used to people coming and going all the time. The places to avoid are the esates where nobody is parking on the street, they are all on their drives. Then you stand out like a sore thumb.

A picture from this morning. I am at the NEC show now posting from Weatherspoons.

 

[Canalsman]

Then I tried this one... Old Station Road

solihull - Google Maps

It actually stands out on the ariel view as tree lined and not many houses

Why I think it's a good place:

1. No through road.
2. Some parking takes place for the station already. People are used to parked cars.
3. I tucked in front of an already parked car to protect my rear end.
4. Tree lined and railway on one side. Long garden fence and trees on the other. Not directly in front of any Nimby's house.
5. Quiet road at night apart from the odd train which stop at 1.00pm

So that's where I am now at 1.36am. Very peaceful. Give it a try for the NEC, it's only 3 miles away!

Thanks Firefox - I've added this to the POI Download files

I have marked the spot right at the end of the road near the roundabout. This means you're at the end of the cul-de-sac so there won't be passing traffic, and there's a turning area.

You are relatively close to the motorway however, so it might be better to be a wee bit closer to Hampton if the noise is troublesome. It's a trade-off ...

Regards

Chris