Certified Locations and Certified Sites
If you’ve ever driven past a farm gate and spotted a small sign with two letters on it – CL or CS – you’ve just found one of the UK touring scene’s best-kept open secrets.
CL sites and CS sites aren’t big holiday parks with barriers, pools, and rows of seasonal pitches. They’re tiny, member-only campsites where the view might be a vineyard, a village church, or a field full of curious alpacas. They’re often cheaper, usually quieter, and they can unlock places a full-size campsite simply couldn’t.
But what do CL and CS actually mean? Who runs which scheme? And why are so many seasoned caravanners, motorhomers and campervanners quietly building their whole touring year around them?
What is a CL site?
CL stands for Certificated Location.
A CL is a small, privately run touring site that operates under a certification scheme administered by the Caravan and Motorhome Club (CAMC). In practical terms, it’s a simple idea:
- A maximum of five touring units on site at any one time (caravans, motorhomes, trailer tents)
- Generally no tents
- Stays are for touring (not storage or long-term pitching)
- The maximum stay is typically limited (commonly 28 days)
- Access is for CAMC members (with a few exceptions in special circumstances)
CLs exist because the Caravan and Motorhome Club is recognised as an “exempted organisation”, meaning it can issue certificates that allow small sites to operate without a full campsite licence in the usual way (subject to rules and conditions). This is part of the UK’s exemptions framework, often referred to as the “paragraph 5 exemption”.
How many CLs are there?
The Caravan and Motorhome Club currently promotes “over 2,100” Certificated Locations across the UK.
What is a CS site?
CS stands for Certificated Site.
A CS is the Camping and Caravanning Club’s equivalent member-only network. Again, they are usually small, privately run and operating under the Club’s certification scheme.
The key difference is that CSs can typically take tents as well as touring units.
The Camping and Caravanning Club states that its Certificated Sites accommodate up to:
- Five caravans or motorhomes
- Up to ten tents (space permitting)
Like CLs, CSs are designed to be simple, low-key and spread into the corners of the UK where bigger sites don’t fit.
How many CSs are there?
The Camping and Caravanning Club describes its network as “over 1,200” member-only Certificated Sites across the UK.
How much does a CL or CS pitch cost?
Cost-wise, £15 per night is possible, sometimes less, although most site nights cost between £20 and £30. As each CL or CS site is incredibly individual, facilities vary.
One of my favourite sites has no electric hook-up or wash block, but it is next to some of Dorset’s best mountain biking and walking trails. Another has hardstanding pitches, electric hook-up, hot tub and swimming pool, and the owner can even deliver a full English to your caravan, motorhome or campervan.
Why CLs and CSs can feel like “touring as it used to be”
The appeal isn’t just price, although that’s often a big part. It’s what small-scale camping changes about the whole touring experience.
1) You’re booking peace, not facilities
On a five-unit site, you don’t need to win the “best pitch” lottery. Small sites tend to attract people who want the same thing: quiet nights, simple routines, and space to relax.
That doesn’t mean “basic”, though. Plenty of CLs and CSs now offer:
- Electric hook-up (often 10A, sometimes 16A – always check).
- Wi-Fi (sometimes excellent, sometimes “farm Wi-Fi”, sometimes nothing).
- Spotless showers and toilets on the better-equipped sites.
All will offer:
- Fresh water points
- Chemical disposal
2) They put you in places big campsites can’t fit
This is where CLs and CSs really earn their keep. Because these sites are often run by landowners using a small part of a farm, equestrian centre, vineyard, orchard or private estate, they appear in locations that would never support a conventional caravan park.
You may find them:
- Behind pubs, village halls, and vineyards.
- On working farms where the only morning alarm is a tractor in the distance.
- On the edges of National Parks and AONBs, where planning rules make bigger developments difficult.
- Tucked into valleys, woodland edges and coastal hinterlands.
If you like touring that feels discovered rather than delivered, this is the network that makes it possible.
3) They can be a serious money-saver
Prices vary wildly, and that’s part of the charm. Many CLs and CSs cost noticeably less than full-service holiday parks, because overheads are lower and facilities are simpler.
More importantly, they let you tour more often because the per-night cost is lower.
They’re also brilliant for:
- Filling gaps between main site bookings.
- Building a multi-stop route without paying peak prices every night.
- Grabbing a quick overnight on a long tow.
4) Flexibility: some are book-ahead, some are call-on-the-day
Some small sites run like miniature commercial businesses: online booking, deposits, and set arrival windows.Others are still delightfully old-school: ring ahead, agree a time, turn up and pitch. The key is to read the listing properly and treat it like someone’s small business, because it is.
5) They’re ideal for self-contained vans (and great for building confidence)
If you’re in a motorhome or campervan with decent on-board capability, CLs and CSs are a perfect fit.
You can treat them like:
- Calm basecamps for walking and cycling days
- Confidence-building sites for newer tourers who may want fewer moving parts and fewer neighbours.
For caravanners, they’re just as useful, especially if you’re happy with simple facilities and a slower pace.
6) The “local” factor is real
On small sites, you’re far more likely to get:
- Genuine local tips (best pub, quiet walk, where the good bakery is).
- Farm shops and honesty boxes.
- Eggs, honey, homemade jams, or a produce stall by the gate.
The practical differences that matter when booking
CL and CS can look similar in a search listing, but a few details change the experience.
Tents: usually the big divider
- CLs: typically no tents.
- CSs: can accommodate tents (up to 10 if space allows) alongside up to five caravans/motorhomes.
If you want touring units only, CLs can feel more consistently caravan- and motorhome-focused. If you don’t mind a mixed site, CSs widen your options.
Membership and access
- CLs are a member benefit of the Caravan and Motorhome Club.
- CSs are generally for Camping and Caravanning Club members, but the Club also notes that CS owners can join non-members on site.
In other words: membership is still the key that unlocks the network.
Length of stay and touring intent
These sites are designed for touring holidays, not long-term living or storage. Guidance commonly references a maximum stay (often 28 days) and stresses recreational use.
Reasons to book CLs and CSs
If you’re trying to decide whether to build CLs/CSs into your touring calendar, here are the strongest, real-world reasons:
You want quieter nights.
Five units changes everything. Noise levels and arrival/departure disruption.
You want the freedom to tour away from the obvious routes
Small sites are often the difference between visiting an area and actually staying in it, especially in regions where big sites are scarce or booked solid.
You’d like to tour more often without upping the budget
Cheaper nights (often) + greater availability (often) = more weekends away.
You’re fed up with “one-size-fits-all” parks.
Sometimes you don’t want entertainment. You want birdsong, a dog walk, and a view.
You want more variety
In a single month, you can stay:
- On a farm CL with a sunset view
- Behind a village pub (walk home, no taxi)
- On a CS with spotless showers and a little shop
- In a quiet corner near a walking trail
That variety is what keeps UK touring feeling fresh.
How to book
A small site isn’t a big site run on a smaller budget, it’s a different model. A few habits make the whole thing smoother.
Always check the access notes.
Some sites are down single-track lanes, have tight gateways, or don’t suit twin-axles or longer motorhomes. If in doubt, ring and ask. Owners would much rather talk you through it than rescue you from a hedge.
I will often have a ‘virtual drive’ via Google Maps/Streetview if I haven’t stayed at the site before.
Touch wood, my Avtext sat nav has yet to lead me down unsuitable lanes. A review can be found here.
Expect simpler waste arrangements.
Some sites have excellent disposal points; others are more basic. Turn up prepared:
- Levelling ramps
- A torch (because rural darkness is proper darkness)
Respect the “small and quiet” vibe.
Generators and bright awning lights can feel ten times more intrusive on a tiny site. If you love those things, choose sites that suit them.
CL and CS Summary
CLs and CSs sit at the heart of what makes UK touring special: freedom, variety, and the ability to stop somewhere beautiful.
To recap:
- CL = Certificated Location. Run under the Caravan and Motorhome Club scheme, with over 2,100 sites.
- CS = Certificated Site. Run under the Camping and Caravanning Club scheme, with over 1,200 sites.
- Both are small-site networks operating within the UK exemption certificate framework.
- CLs are typically five-unit, touring-focused, and generally exclude tents.
- CSs allow up to five caravans/motorhomes and, where space permits, up to ten tents.
If you haven’t toured this way yet, start simple: book one CL or CS as a two-night experiment in a place you already love. Odds are you’ll love it.