National Trust campsite closed at Randwick - can we reopen?

As many will know the National Trust campsite in Randwick woods closed due to vandalism and noise. The site has no road access, was unstaffed and originally opened for walkers of the Cotswold Way.

At a recent Randwick Parish Council meeting it was noted that problems were still occuring on the site and now in other places due to the closure. Infact 2 weeks ago pallets were taken from a nearby householder.

Groups can still camp on the site

The National Trust note that there are no plans to reopen site following the very real problems they had there. However they will consider applications from groups such as walkers, schools or Scouts to use the site. Infact the local Guide group has just applied.

If other groups are interested in a licence to camp at the site they should write to: David Armstrong, National Trust, Ebworth Centre, Ebworth Estate, The Camp, Stroud.

Do we want to reopen the site fully?

Randwick Parish Council are rightly exploring whether it might be better to reopen the site and return this important amenity to the community - but how to avoid the problems? One route that is worth exploring, following my conversation with the National Trust, is to appoint a warden or wardens who visit the site regularly and could be on call at weekends on a rota. Is this feasible? I can't see that volunteers would be sufficient or easy to organise. A paid post maybe appropriate? Who would fund? Would a warden satisfy the concerns of local residents? Could opening times be restricted?

The National Trust will be writing to Randwick Parish and are open to further discussions, but clearly there are a number of hurdles to get over.