The 'huge circuits' debate is something that probably stems from people applying their home field circuit style to new places that they visit. If you fly from somewhere with a close circuit it can be very frustrating following someone unfamiliar with your pattern who wants a 6 mile final. What makes it worse is that a ten minute circuit will increase the number of aircraft that are in circuit, on a typical weekend day. If those in circuit have greatly differing speeds, it all gets very tricky. Being in a twin, at number 3 to a 152 and a microlight, with the microlight following the 152's big circuit is not going to be fun.
RT is the key and I've found that most people don't mind you jumping in... if you ask. If the arriving aircraft is non radio, ATC will hopefully know this, be expecting them and will advise... in which case I would always follow them. Even if it felt like a cross country.
The other point is if arriving somewhere new, you can always ask for landmark turnpoints for their prefered circuit. Some ATC will say "please stay outside the village" or "turn base at outside the water tower" etc.
The main thing is that circuits are probably the highest risk period of our flights. Descending to circuit level is when most aircraft are prone to carb icing and 800ft doesn't give you much glide time to find somewhere to go into, if it all went quiet. Ideally, you would call a Pan or even Mayday and get into the airfield. If you are 3 miles away, you options may be much more limited.