Caravan Park

RELAX AND EXPLORE

Posted on May 10, 2023

RELAX AND EXPLORE

A tour of Pembrokeshire's Noble Court Holiday Park...

NOT JUST MEETING but exceeding visitor expectations.

With over 50 acres of landscape to explore, Noble Court Holiday Park is the perfect example of Celtic Holiday Park’s relax and explore ethos. Noble Court is one of three parks, owned by the Pendleton family since 2002, within the Celtic Holidays Group.

Owner Huw Pendleton says; “Over the years, the desire has been to improve the visitor experience and deliver something special.” He was recently recognised as the recipient of Hoseasons’ Outstanding Contribution to UK Tourism award at its 16th annual Owners Conference.

Celtic Holiday Parks offer an array of accommodation and guest experiences at Noble Court, from the prestigious Hampton lodges to luxurious three-bedroomed Spinney lodges complete with four poster beds, contemporary pods, and the unique Stargazer panoramic tents.

STAND OUT
Noble Court boasts the quirky restaurant Charlie’s Celtic Tavern, which has quickly become a popular venue amongst guests and locals as one of the best dining experiences in Pembrokeshire. Quirky design features, including a life-size giraffe, an upside-down cow hanging from the ceiling, and eye-catching artwork, create the impression of hotel-style facilities within a Holiday Park environment.

An outdoor swimming pool provides another feature for guests to enjoy on sunnier days, and the park is just a short walk to the adjacent boutique shopping town of Narberth. As a family-owned park, Huw Pendleton consistently concentrates on, and responds to, UK holiday guests’ ever-changing demands, providing hot tubs as a key addition across the park’s entire rental fleet and extending the range of dog-friendly units.

It’s a move that makes perfect sense when you consider the rising popularity of pet-friendly accommodation and the fact that pet bookings account for a third of all searches on the Hoseasons website.

This commitment to innovation led to Noble Court being recognised as Best Small Relax and Explore destination in Wales at Hoseasons’ 16th annual Diamond Awards last November. The awards are a celebration of the holiday parks, lodge resorts and boating locations in the company’s UK portfolio that have achieved the highest scores in independent customer satisfaction surveys.

DARWIN LEISURE PROPERTY FUNDING

Posted on May 10, 2023

DARWIN LEISURE PROPERTY FUNDING

THE DARWIN LEISURE PROPERTY FUND continues to invest in destinations such as Keswick Reach in Cumbria.

Darwin Alternatives has secured a long-term revolving credit facility with Santander UK for the Darwin Leisure Property Fund (DLPF). Founded in 2008, DLPF owns 18 high quality holiday parks operated under the Darwin Escapes brand. DLPF is one of three separate open-ended funds for which Darwin Alternatives is the Investment Advisor.

The funds are focused on providing long term investors with alpha-driven investment solutions that aim to enhance capital and provide predictable levels of income. DLPF, which is dedicated to investing in premium holiday parks in England and Wales, will use the bank’s funding to support working capital requirements at an individual park level as well as providing a liquidity facility to enable the Fund to efficiently manage the cash flow of redemptions and acquisitions.

Over the last 10 years, DLPF has generated an average annual return of 8.88 per cent for its investors, predominantly pension funds of local authorities with a long-term investment horizon. Historically, the enhanced quality and service available at Darwin’s sites has meant that their annual revenue potential per pitch is significantly higher than the industry average.

VANLIFE FESTIVAL SET TO ATTRACT THOUSANDS

Posted on May 10, 2023

VANLIFE FESTIVAL SET TO ATTRACT THOUSANDS

VANLIFE FESTIVAL director Damien Jones (right) with Salop Leisure’s marketing manager Ed Glover.

Organisers of this summer’s The VanLife Festival in Shrewsbury say 1,300 vans have booked for the event, which runs from June 2-4. The remaining 500 pitches for the event at the West Midlands Showground are expected to sell-out in advance for the Festival, sponsored by Salop Leisure.

The festival has transferred to Shrewsbury after outgrowing its site in Stratford on its sell out debut last year. The VLF team predict the event could attract up to 15,000 people over the three days.

Filling a gap in the market, the inclusive festival welcomes all makes and models, from the smallest micro campers to coaches, horseboxes, motorhomes, tents, adventure trucks, self-build campers, day vans, custom vans and everything in between, regardless of their budget or build.

The festival will have inspirational display vehicles, workshops, travel talks, YouTubers, live music, night market with quirky traders, tasty street food, bars, fire-pits, bespoke traders specialising in kit accessories and gear, children’s entertainment, a funfair, bushcraft, holistic wellbeing and outdoor activities.

There will also be a ‘Field of Dreams’ with 100 display vehicles including conversions and self builds as seen on George Clark’s Amazing Spaces TV programme, as well as vintage caravan dating back to the 1940’s through to the 1970’s… for the retro vibe.

CELEBRATIONS FOR DREAM DEVON DESTINATIONS

Posted on May 10, 2023

CELEBRATIONS FOR DREAM DEVON DESTINATIONS

THE BEVERLEY TEAM is celebrating the park’s 65th anniversary.

Eighty years of providing happy holidays on the Devon coast are being marked this year by the family owners of Ladram Bay Holiday Park in Budleigh Salterton. The five-star park is possibly the oldest in Britain to have remained under the same family’s ownership for such a length of time – and a full year of celebrations is planned. The celebrations will come to a climax in June when an all-stops-out party is planned to mark the same month in 1943 when Ladram Bay first began welcoming visitors.

It was then that farmer Frank Carter and his wife Margaret decided to allow Scouts to pitch up on their front field amid some of Devon’s loveliest countryside. The spectacular views of the bay and access to the farm’s private beach soon won the site an enthusiastic following which quickly grew in numbers as news of it spread. Eight decades on, Ladram Bay now welcomes customers from across the world, and provides one of the West Country’s best equipped parks for family holidays.

Its high-quality standards have won a top five-star grade for excellence from Visit England, and past accolades in the Devon Tourism Awards and South West Tourism Awards. Attractions at the park include an indoor climbing wall, indoor swimming pool and outdoor splash zone, watersports equipment hire, and adventure golf course. In addition to the planned birthday celebration weekend in June, there will be other themed events throughout the year, and a competition to try and find the earliest memory of the park.

OWNED BY THE SAME FAMILY SINCE 1943, Ladram Bay Holiday Park is set to celebrate 80 years of service

Every guest aged 80-plus who pre-books their holiday in 2023 will be offered a cream tea. Meanwhile, more than six decades after the first families booked a seaside caravan stay at Beverley Holidays in Devon, the park is marking its 65th anniversary. Celebrating the milestone will be members of the Jeavons family, who originally opened up part of their farmland to visitors in 1958. A series of events is planned throughout spring and summer, including themed party nights, special get-togethers for children and grown-ups, plus live entertainment.

The year has also seen the opening of a new £800,000 holiday home development, and new facilities for camping, touring caravan and motorhome guests. The investment is on top of almost £2.5 million spent in recent years on a fleet of holiday lodges and caravans with private hot-tubs, and a nautical themed play park. Located in Paignton on the English Riviera coast, Beverley Holidays has won a raft of national and regional excellence awards over the years, plus accolades for its environmental work.

EV CONCERNS STALL STAYCATION GROWTH

Posted on May 10, 2023

EV CONCERNS STALL STAYCATION GROWTH

BBC CAMERAS ZOOM in on Martin Cox at his Dorset holiday park, Highlands End

Fears that ‘range anxiety’ amongst electric vehicle owners could put the brakes on domestic tourism growth have been voiced by a major holiday parks operator. Martin Cox, whose family business owns five holiday parks in Dorset, is now calling on government to address the lack of charging points in many rural areas. Their absence, he said, could dissuade visitors from venturing too far into the countryside because of uncertainty about being able to top up their electric cars.

Martin’s concerns were featured in a recent BBC television report in which he warned that rural economies could suffer substantial losses of tourism revenue as a result. Martin was filmed at his company’s flagship holiday park of Highlands End in Bridport which has six EV chargers – the maximum that the local power supply can sustain. “We have up to 500 cars a night in summer, and it simply isn’t enough to meet demand,” he told BBC Politics South reporter Frankie Peck.

“Many will have driven upwards of two hundred miles to get here, and their vehicles will need re-charging before they go out the next day, but we simply haven’t the capacity. “There are only around 275 charging points throughout the whole of Dorset, so the available options are very limited. “Nobody wants to spend their holiday in a state of anxiety about their car coming to a halt, and just one bad experience could deter a family from making a repeat visit.

“In our five decades of operating holiday parks, we have never supplied petrol or diesel to our customers, but there is now an expectation that we will be able to charge their cars. “It changes the dynamics of our relationship with guests who, of course, we want to keep happy - but who we know are sometimes frustrated at not being able to plug in,” he said. As vice president of the British Holiday and Home Parks Association, Martin says that many of the body’s 2,500-plus holiday park members report similar problems.

They would like to help EV owners, he says, but the limited electrical supply capacity in their regions is a major hurdle to them installing additional, or even any, EV charging points. “I am fully sympathetic with the government’s aim to drive up EV usage and have done all we can at present to provide charging facilities,” said Martin, himself an electric car owner.

“However, until the electrical supply infrastructure is improved in many rural areas, some EV owners may think twice about taking a holiday too far from home. “This will produce serious consequences for the visitor economy, and the victims will be the many small businesses who rely on tourism spending to survive and sustain jobs,” said Martin. Martin’s family has owned parks in Dorset for over 50 years, and in 2022 Highlands End Holiday Park won the top gold accolade in the holiday park category of the South West Tourism Awards.

MANY ELECTRIC CAR OWNERS are reluctant to travel far from home, says Martin Cox

WISH YOU WERE HERE

Posted on May 9, 2023

WISH YOU WERE HERE

Snapsots from Islawrffordd Caravan Park, the best caravan park in Wales...

A luxury caravan park on the Southern Snowdonia coast was named the best in Wales in the AA Caravan and Camping Awards 2022-23. Islawrffordd Caravan Park at Talybont, near Barmouth, has been owned and run by the Evans family since 1957, and won the prestigious award for the second time, having previously triumphed in 2012.

The 25-acre park has 12 staff, 201 holiday homes, 75 fully services pitches for touring caravans and motorhomes, an indoor swimming pool, sauna and jacuzzi, Nineteen.57 Bar and Restaurant, an entertainment complex, luxury shower and toilet block, children’s playground with a pirate ship, car hire and a private slipway onto a sandy beach.

Luxury Super Pitches at the destination include a courtesy light, electric hook up, fresh/waste water and elsan point, TV connection to a bespoke digital free-view network and gravelled hard standing for each individual tourer and awning. In a double celebration for the park, Nineteen.57 Bar and Restaurant was runner-up in the Best of North Wales category in the Welsh Restaurant of the Year Awards 2022.

The bar and 40-cover restaurant are leased by Chris and Emma Statham and Sion Wellings. In the assessment of Islawrffordd Caravan Park, the AA Inspector said: “Situated on the coast between Barmouth and Harlech and within the Snowdonia National Park, this site has clear views of Cardigan Bay, the Llŷn Peninsula and the Snowdonia and Cader Idris mountain ranges.

The park, which is an AA 5 Platinum Pennant Campsite, is open all year around and includes former British motor racing champion Nigel Mansell as one of its holiday home owners. The Mansell family has been enjoying holidays at Islawrfford for 65 years and the Evans family lays claim to setting Nigel on the road to stardom by starting him go-karting as a boy.

Islawrffordd Caravan Park
Tel. 01341 247269
www.islawrffordd.com

FRESH CORDLESS CLEANING APPROACH

Posted on May 5, 2023

FRESH CORDLESS CLEANING APPROACH

NEW TO THE UK AUTOMATIC POOL cleaner market this season is an impressive, cordless robotic offering from Ocea UK.

New to the UK automatic pool cleaner market this season, and already being snapped up by some of the biggest holiday destinations in the country, is an impressive robotic offering from Ocea UK. Ocea’s cordless cleaner is powered by Freedrive Technology and navigates using i-MAPPING Technology for accurate and powerful cleaning.

The advanced Freedrive Technology makes the cleaner completely rechargeable and negates the need for an umbilical cable like traditional pool cleaners. Freedrive brings all the advantages of a fully rechargeable power unit giving you the freedom to simply drop the cleaner into the pool – no heavy cable to worry about, nothing to plug in an no caddy to put away.

Magnetic technology makes the battery more energy efficient and long-lasting. Wireless technology means it is safe to swim whilst the cleaner is in action. Being cordless doesn’t leave you with a lack of power. The cleaner can run unhindered for up to three hours, meaning it can easily clean a pool up to 20m long with a single charge. All that while having a pump rate of 18m3 an hour and pumping water through an 18-micron fine mesh filter basket with a 2ltr debris capacity.

The patented i-MAPPING Technology is a smart navigation system that uses the cleaner’s six built in sensors, combined with sophisticated intelligent software, which results in your cleaner having the ability to plot its way efficiently and precisely around any shape pool.

With thanks to the six built-in sensors, the Ocea cleaner detects the difference between the pool floor and pool walls, resulting in an option to do a quick floor sweep, perfect for a last minute clean. It can also detect the pool’s waterline, and will scrub along it, removing all the grime build up that is common for that area. Contact Ocea UK or your usual swimming pool maintenance team to book a try before you buy model – we promise you won’t want to part with it!

Ocea UK
Tel. 01993 707910
www.oceauk.com

CAMPING IS MAJOR WELLBEING BOOST

Posted on February 15, 2023

CAMPING IS MAJOR WELLBEING BOOST

SPENDING TIME IN NATURE is an effective remedy for poor mental health

A major research study has confirmed how camping in the great outdoors improves people’s well-being and mental health. The Outjoyment Report was commissioned by The Camping and Caravanning Club and undertaken by a team of academics at Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU) and Sheffield Hallam University.

The study included a survey of nearly 11,000 campers and non-campers, assessing their attitudes towards the benefits of all types of camping such as pitching up in a tent, caravan or motorhome, or going glamping. Key findings from The Outjoyment Report discovered campers are:

 

CAMP FOR PURE OUTJOYMENT, Alton The Star Club Site. Photo courtesy of The Camping and Caravanning Club

• Happy: 97% of campers say happiness is their top motivator for going camping while 48% of campers reported feeling happy almost every day, compared with 35% of non campers
• More connected to nature: 93% go camping to enjoy being in nature – the second highest motivator after happiness, and they score highly on measures of nature connection
• Enjoying better well-being: 93% of campers value camping for the benefits it gives to their health and well-being – an increase on the 85% of our Real Richness Report in 2011
• Flourishing: 44% are flourishing (have optimal mental health) compared with 31% of non campers. This increases for those who camp more often
• Less stressed: 88% of campers are motivated to go camping to take time out of everyday life and have higher levels of psychological well-being than non campers
• Active outdoors: 98% of campers take part in outdoor activities. 91% go walking, 39% cycle and 26% enjoy bird-watching.

Dr Kaye Richards, Senior Lecturer in Psychology at Liverpool John Moores University, said: “Camping connects people – to the outdoors, to nature, to each other, and most importantly to themselves. Positive emotions generated from outdoor enjoyment help to alleviate everyday stressors and promote feelings of life satisfaction. It is no surprise then, that the more people camp the more this can improve happiness and well-being.”

 

The Outjoyment Report also examined subjects such as the importance of children going camping as part of their formal education, and how survey respondents felt about healthcare professionals prescribing spending time in natural settings as a remedy for poor mental health.

83% of respondents felt positive about health professionals prescribing spending time in nature as an effective remedy for poor mental health, a significant rise from 58% in our previous study. And 94% believe children should learn outdoors while 93% think pupils should camp as part of their formal education – a big rise from the 59% of the 2011 report.

Sabina Voysey, The Camping and Caravanning Club’s Director General, said: “Camping in all its different forms puts us on the doorstep of the great outdoors and provides a clear pathway to a healthier and happier lifestyle – one in which people appreciate nature more and are active outdoors. Sabina added: “Our vision is for a society in which camping and memorable outdoor experiences can play a full part in building a happier, healthier nation.”

FAMILY PARK TAKES TOP HONOURS

Posted on February 15, 2023

FAMILY PARK TAKES TOP HONOURS

GARETH ROWLAND and his daughter Kelly, centre, plus members of the park team receive their top park award

The family owners of Holivans, a holiday park near Mablethorpe, in Lincolnshire, are celebrating after being crowned as the county’s leading provider of park holidays happily coinciding with their 70th anniversary celebrations. The long-established business scooped the top gold accolade at the Destination Lincolnshire Tourism Awards in the Camping, Glamping and Holiday Park of the Year 2022 category.

Today it provides more than 172 pitches including luxury lodges with private gardens and hot tubs, holiday caravans to rent and own, glamping units, and pitches for touring caravans, motorhomes. Facilities include indoor and outdoor activities for youngsters, plus the park’s popular Tow Bar where families can relax over drinks and enjoy evening entertainment.

“We are immensely proud to have achieved this gold award from Lincolnshire Tourism, not least because we were up against so many other superb parks in the region,” said managing director Gareth Rowland “It is especially important to us as judges were looking not just at the quality of what is provided, but also the standards of service and hospitality on offer to guests. “Delivering this is in the hands of our friendly and hard-working staff team who always go the extra mile for customers, so they must also take a big share of the credit.”

ALL ABOARD SEARLES NEW TRAIN

Posted on February 15, 2023

ALL ABOARD SEARLES NEW TRAIN

THE HOP-ON, HOP-OFF SEARLES LEISURE RESORT train is a visitor favourite in Hunstanton, Norfolk.

After an extensive search, Searles Leisure Resort, in Hunstanton, Norfolk, has managed to find a replacement train after its former loco was retired this summer following 30 years of service.

The hop-on, hop-off train is an easy and convenient way for guests to travel around the park, stopping at its many different leisure, entertainment and dining facilities.

It also heads out of the resort and into Hunstanton town centre, allowing passengers to disembark at attractions such as Old Hunstanton beach and the lighthouse.