A beloved holiday park has permanently closed its doors after nearly 50 years of service.
Baltic Wharf Caravan and Motorhome Club site, nestled on Bristol’s harbourside, bid farewell to its last guests on August 11. The prime waterfront location beside the Floating Harbour will no longer host caravanners.
The land, owned by Bristol City Council, is being handed over to Goram Homes, the council’s housing developer, for the construction of 166 flats. The new structures, reaching up to six storeys high, will overlook the Floating Harbour and include two commercial units at ground level along with new public spaces.
This comes following an announcement that caravan owners can avail a complimentary service for their vehicles.
As reported by the Bristol Post, 66 of these flats will be deemed ‘affordable’ in planning terms. Among these, 16 will be available for shared ownership purchases with Sovereign, while 50 flats will be rented out by Sovereign at ‘social rent’ rates – the most affordable type of rent, equivalent to that of a council flat, reports the Mirror.
The closure of the caravan site will undoubtedly leave a void, given its stellar TripAdvisor ratings and the countless visitors it hosted throughout its operational years.
A visitor left a glowing review: “A beautifully located city campsite with slightly older but very clean sanitary facilities. The reception was warm and we were given several recommendations along the way. The place is lovingly designed and with a lot of humour.
“Our place was directly behind the hedge facing the water and was sufficiently large. The walk to Bristol purely along the water is fantastic and the whole harbourside with the many interesting and mostly colourful houses is beautiful. There was nothing to complain about! We would love to come back. Too bad that the course has to be closed!”.
The closure of a beloved city campsite has caused quite a stir among caravan enthusiasts. With only a handful of caravans left, the gates were shut for the last time.
Despite concerns such as flood risks, local councillors passed the planning application unanimously, as reported by Bristol 247.
The Caravan Club released a heartfelt statement: “Following a number of lease extensions, sadly the site will permanently close on 11 August 2025. Thank you to everyone who has stayed with us at Baltic Wharf Club Campsite. Our nearest alternative campsites are Cheddar Club Campsite and Bath Chew Valley Affiliated Club Campsite.”
On the club’s website, nostalgic members shared cherished memories of their stays, marking the end of an era for the popular holiday spot.
A visitor lamented the closure of a beloved site, saying: “We have many happy memories from visiting here, not just because Bristol is such an amazing city… It’s such a shame that this site is closing.”
Goram Homes’ managing director, Stephen Baker, addressed the issue, stating: “We cannot ignore the housing crisis… a significant portion of any profit we make will go back to the council, to be reinvested into the city or the development of more new homes.”