About

 Welcome to Corf Campsite Blog

Corf Campsite has been the Jewel in the Crown of Isle of Wight Scouts since 1937. That's 86 years of amazing Camping adventures. And tens of thousands of Scouts of all ages. And millions of experiences. And buckets of fun, And mountains of laughter. And innumerable camp fires. And (how much?) cooking. And singing, And..... And...... well, you know what I mean!

This blog is not a part of Isle of Wight Scouts. It is an independent repository for memories of YOUR times at Corf.

We'd like to hear your memories of Corf and add them to the blog. You can contribute or contact us through out Facebook group at  www.facebook.com/groups/corfcampsite/ .

Find out more about the History of Corf Campsite in our associated blog, Isle of Wight Scouting Heritage, at https://isleofwightscoutingheritage.blogspot.com/  -  when you think about it, the memories of Corf we're adding here will form part of tomorrows' Scouting Heritage. And there are some stories about Corf and the Isle of Wight in  another associated blog, Sid the Scout, at https://sidthescout.blogspot.com/ , Go to either blog and search for 'Corf'.

 

Mean time, here's a brief look at Corf Campsite.

So, where is Corf campsite?

 

The Isle of Wight is situated a couple of miles off the middle of the South Coast of England, near Southampton and Portsmouth. It's about 25 miles (40km) East to West and 15 miles (24km) North to South.

 

In the middle of the north west coast is Newtown Creek, At the bottom of the Creek is Corfe Copse, which is home to Corf Campsite. It's in (and subject to the rules of) a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). Corf is located near Shalfleet, Isle of Wight, PO30 4NT, National Grid Ref. SZ417900. Shalfleet is on the Southern Vectis number 7 bus route between Newport and Yarmouth.

  

The campsite consists of a central group of buildings (instructional and meeting rooms, toilets, showers, dormitories/kitchen/dining room, tuck shop, stores, etc.) surrounded by some 35 camping areas which are separated by bushes and hedging, a land area totaling some 8.9 hectares (22 acres). 
Download your own copy of the latest Corf map (.jpg format) here. 

Electricity, water, sewage (on-site treatment), waste disposal, and internet (via WI-Fi) are available in different areas of the site, as shown on the map.

 

Why do we love Corf? 

 

Campsite Warden Barrie, and his team keep Corf 'Camping-ready'.
  Barrie is always on the lookout for volunteers to join his team and help maintain the site - contact us through our Facebook page if you can help.

 

The Mattinson Centre (opened by HRH Princess Anne)is our main meeting room, also used for training, planning and indoor activities. This is available for rental. It's the only part of the site available for use during the site closed season (November to Easter). 

 

The Wheeldon Centre is home to the campsite offices, workrooms, tuck shop, air rifle shooting range (support and equipment can be arranged) and a general activities area. 

Shooting in the Wheeldon Cantre.

Corf has a dedicated Archery field....

.... which is also used for Tomahawk and Angel throwing. 

The Pack Holiday Centre is a small accommodation block with a separate kitchen/dining room/indoor activity area. This is available for rental.

The main field is available for outdoor group activities. The field has a flag pole and an Altar. 

 

The climbing tower and Low Level Obstacle Course will be closed during 2023........

.... but a new traversing wall will be operational for 2023.

A campfire circle is situated near the main field. Altar fires can be used in some areas, but the use of open fires and barbecues is prohibited under the terms of the SSSI.

We've got a few more games tucked away - ask the Camp Warden.

And the wet bits?

The northern boundary of the campsite is a shoreline with the Newtown River, this allows many water activities to be undertaken from the campsite

Kayaks, paddleboards and poles and drums (no ropes) for raft building are available for use (hire) under adult supervision on the Class C protected waters to the east of the Jetty. (The rest of the creek is Class B1 and its; use requires the presence of appropriately certified adult leaders).

Depending on tide times you can sometimes enjoy the peace and quiet of the creek early in the morning.

The Roberts' Bird and Squirrel Hide is a great place to observe the Squirrels in Corf Copse and the wildlife in the estuary.

 

Well, wildlife, and... 

 

not-very-happy-life

Corf is only a few meters above sea level and occasionally some parts get a bit waterlogged.......

And Finally...

Corf campsite is in a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and there are certain rules associated with this designation. The rules include limits to work on hedges, trees and grounds, lighting of fires and impose a closed period between November and May each year to allow the grounds to recover.

But then, that's just part of the magic of Corf....

Credits

Unless otherwise credited, Copyright and credits for all photos and text on this blog: Barry Groves, The Barry Groves Heritage Collection, Malcolm Cox or Sid the Scout. All other photos and text are gifted to the blog with the contributor's approval for their use and assurance of the copyright and lack of Child Protection and other content issues.