Tranquil Escape
Cofton Holidays has been welcoming holiday-makers for over 40 years..
Nestled in its very own glorious corner of Devon, surrounded by 80 acres of Devon countryside and close to the pretty coastline of Dawlish Warren, Cofton Holidays has been welcoming holidaymakers from far and wide for over 40 years. Guests return year after year to enjoy its beautiful and convenient location, extensive facilities and wide choice of accommodation to suit the needs of all visitors. Purchased by the late George Jeffery in 1975, Cofton Holidays was transformed from what was a basic operation into the stunning landscaped grounds that it is today. The beautiful gardens and established plants that you can see around the multi award-winning holiday park were created by George. Now, Cofton Holidays continues to run under the Jeffery name, with George’s children Roger, Helen, Mellony and Christopher firmly at the rei ns. Cofton Holidays, Holiday Park of the Year at the Visit Devon Tourism Awards 2018, offers a range of accommodation, entertainment and facilities for the whole family to enjoy. When guests drive through the gates of Cofton, they can immediately escape to a tranquil world, leaving the mundane routine of everyday life behind. Guests are greeted by the newly refurbished reception area with the friendly team on standby, ready to check-in visitors to their home away from home. From stylish holiday homes to indulgent hot tub cottages and luxury Georgian apartments, Cofton Holidays offer a wide range of accommodation for guests to choose from. Cofton’s selection of holiday homes is like no other. With two or three bedroom holiday homes available which can sleep up to six guests, there’s plenty of space for the whole family. The dog friendly Dart holiday home is a great example of the high-quality accommodation available at the South Devon holiday park. The Dart features one double bedroom and one twin and also has an additional sleeping space in the lounge with a fold-out bed. Furry, four-legged guests will feel right at home with the addition of a pet mat, small pet blanket and stainless-steel water and food bowls. Suitable for all seasons, the Dart has full central heating and double glazing, ensuring that the family is kept warm and cosy throughout the winter months.
HOT TUB COTTAGES
Embracing the popularity of hot tub holidays, Cofton launched its range of hot tub cottages in 2016. The three exquisite homes can be found on the Eastdon Estate, set away from the main park yet close enough to enjoy its facilities and entertainment. Each cottage has breath-taking views including classic Devon farmland and beautiful views of the Exe Estuary. Newly refurbished for 2018, Cofton’s five holiday apartments are located within the Georgian Eastdon House on the Eastdon Estate. Interior designer Julie Jeffery transformed the apartments into highend, luxury accommodation complete with elegant furnishings, 55” TVs and high-specification kitchen areas. For those who prefer traditional camping holidays complete with roasted marshmallows and their own home comforts, Cofton Holidays offers a range of camping and touring pitches to suit guests needs. Rated number one for Dawlish campsites on Trip Advisor and holding the coveted AA 5 Pennant Gold Award for its caravan and camping facilities, Cofton Holidays offers grass, hard standing and fully serviced pitches perfect for tents, caravans or motorhomes. The fantastic range of facilities on offer at the family-run holiday park is just one of the reasons why guests return year after year. With two pools, one outside and one indoors, guests can enjoy splashing around whatever the weather.
INDOOR POOL
The heated indoor pool includes a fun splash pad area and hydrotherapy loungers, perfect for parents to relax on whilst the kids play. Other on-site facilities include a gym, restaurant, pub, steam room, sauna, fitness studio, soft play area, playground, sports wall, outdoor pools and much more. Guests also have access to five coarse fishing lakes, miles of cycle paths and nature trails that take visitors through woodland to the golden sands of Dawlish Warren beach and nature reserve. Cofton Holidays has recently invested £20,000 in its indoor cycling studio in addition to adding brand-new classes to the gym’s timetable, located within Ashburn Springs Spa and Leisure. Widening its kid-friendly activity offering, Cofton Holidays has also invested £50,000 in a new Woodland Adventure Area which features a 25m zip line, a climbing cage, rope ladders, balance beam, balance lines and scramble nets. Free kids’ club take place each day throughout the school holidays, from Easter through to the October half term.
PICTURE-PERFECT
South Devon is home to an abundance of picture-perfect landscapes and attractions. Famous for its beaches, Devon is THE place to go for sand, sun and fun. Cofton Holidays is only a short walk away from the golden sands of the Blue Flag beach at Dawlish Warren and its fascinating Nature Reserve. Also close by is Teignmouth, the location for the 2017 film The Mercy, starring Colin Firth and Rachel Weisz. Cross the bay and you will end up in the picturesque village of Shaldon where the ‘Smugglers Tunnel’ is located. Walk through the tunnel and discover the secluded Ness Cove beach, perfect for a relaxing picnic by the water’s edge. Speaking on behalf of the family, Director Helen Scott is incredibly proud of how Cofton Holidays has developed over the years: “As a family business that’s been running for over 40 years, we know how imt98009portant it is to create a customer experience that guests want to share. We invest in our facilities so that our customers can have an even richer experience, encouraging them to return year after year, generation after generation. Throughout 2019, we will continue to add to our offering which includes expanding our dog friendly accommodation offering.” With so much to see and do in this glorious corner of Devon, it’s no wonder that Cofton Holidays has such a loyal customer base. The Warren family said of their recent visit: “We have had a wonderful experience. The site is very clean, all the staff were friendly and helpful, especially the bar supervisor and the entertainment was second to none. We’ll 100% return.” Peter from London said: “The best holiday park we’ve been to in our motorhome. Our children aged two and four love it. Great facilities, entertainment and activities in one of the best parts of Devon.” Cofton Holidays has secured a number of accolades in the last 12 months including Gold Holiday Park of the Year and Silver Responsible, Ethical and Sustainable Tourism awards at the Visit Devon Awards 2018, as well as the Hoseasons Diamond Award for Family Run Lodges and Parks. In February 2019, Cofton Holidays will attend the South West Tourism Excellence Awards as a finalist. It looks like 2019 will be another memorable year for the family-run, South Devon holiday park.
Cofton Holidays
Tel. 01626 890111
www.coftonholidays.co.uk
Shell clothing has taken on a whole new meaning at Ladram Bay Holiday Park in Devon, which has just launched its own exclusive range of casual wear. Lobster Blue is the brand name of the park’s first-ever collection of t-shirts and hoodies. Made from top-quality pure cotton and designed for easy care, the garments have a relaxed style and comfortable feel with a very distinctive look. The clothing’s striking logo isn’t just the creative inspiration of Ladram Bay’s graphics designer, for it recalls an eye-opening incident at the park a few years ago. It occurred when one of the directors of the family owned business, Robin Carter, landed an actual blue lobster from one of the pots he had tended in the bay for over 60 years, sparking a media frenzy.
Donkey Creek Farm Caravan Park on Lancashire’s Fylde coast is officially one of the best place to ‘go’ in Britain, according to judges of the annual Loo of the Year awards. The park’s washrooms have been named as top platinum winners in the latest Loo of the Year awards, bringing a chain of honour to the family-run business. The prestigious accolade was made to Donkey Creek after the shower and toilet facilities provided for guests were ‘mystery shopped’ by inspectors. Celebrating the news of the award are Paul Lancaster and his wife Jane who opened the park last summer in a quiet rural location near the market town of Freckleton. One of their first tasks was a built a state-of-the-art washroom facility for guests pitching up at the park with motorhomes, touring caravans and tents. Paul and Jane also know that their success is not just a flash in the pan because, they say, advance bookings for 2019 are ‘way beyond our expectations.
Fragile areas such as the Lake District should be doing all they can to woo visitors in motorhomes, according to the owner of a major Cumbria holiday park. Henry Wild of the 130 acre, Skelwith Fold, in Ambleside, says that people using such vehicles are helping to drive up the use of transport considered more environmentally friendly. Buses, bicycles and two legs are the preferred ways of exploring Lakeland for many of Cumbria’s thousands of motorhome users each year, says Henry. As such, he says, motorhome visitors help reduce congestion on the roads, and minimise the release of harmful greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere. Last summer, Henry reports, motorhome visitors to his park grew by 8% compared with the previous year, and are fast gaining ground with many younger couple and families. But despite their size, he believes, motorhomes should be hailed as green holiday heroes – as long as they opt for holiday park pitches and not roadsides or public car parks.
Holiday parks and campsites around the UK generate £9.3bn in visitor expenditure and support 171,448 full-time employees, a major report has revealed. The independent report, ‘Pitching the Value’, is the first time holiday parks and campsites across the UK have been analysed to show the value of the sector to the nation’s economy. ‘Pitching the Value’, which focusses on the economic impact of the sector together with the health and wellbeing benefits of such holidays, was carried out by Frontline Consultants on behalf of the UK Caravan and Camping Alliance (UKCCA). The alliance is an umbrella group comprising The National Caravan Council, The Camping and Caravanning Club, the Caravan and Motorhome Club, and the British Holiday & Home Parks Association. Bob Hill, who led the UKCCA joint working group, said: “This is a ground-breaking report that clearly demonstrates the important benefits to the economy brought by the UK’s many holiday parks and campsites. “Pitching the Value will help the industry attract more investment and ultimately improve opportunities for it to grow, develop and create new jobs. Our findings reinforce the importance of holiday parks and campsites to the country’s tourism economy. That will help us to improve holidaymakers’ on-site experiences and choice, which in turn will also attract more overseas visitors to these shores.”
Black Knowl Club Site in Hampshire and Englethwaite Hall Club Site in Cumbria fought off stiff competition to win the Caravan and Motorhome Club’s ‘Sites in Bloom’ 2018 Awards. The Sites in Bloom Awards were introduced in 2003 by Caravan Club Life Member, the late Alan Payne OBE, who wished to recognise the creative and horticultural skills of site staff and volunteers, and to showcase their success in making their sites colourful and welcoming. The displays were evaluated using criteria including layout and creative use of space, variety, innovation, flair and colour coordination, with particular attention being paid to economy and low maintenance. The geographical location of the site is also taken into account by the judges and the fact that plant species are chosen to suit the local environment. Located within walking distance of the village of Brockenhurst in the New Forest National Park, the recently redeveloped Black Knowl site is one of the Caravan and Motorhome Club’s most popular. The Hampshire site took the prestigious Sites in Bloom award in the ‘multi-couple’ category (a set of site wardens and a set of assistant site wardens). First place in the ‘single couple’ category, the Englethwaite Hall site is a tranquil oasis scattered with rhododendrons from the garden of the former Old Hall.
Craiglwyd Hall Caravan Park, the flagship of the Thornley Leisure group, has been named by judges in the regional tourist board awards as the top holiday park destination in North Wales. Situated on the north coast of County Conwy, between Anglesey and the Menai Straits, the park provides tranquil landscaped grounds in a picture-postcard setting. The park is owned and run by the family owned Thornley Leisure Group that, established 55 years ago, now comprises nine parks in total with facilities which include holiday homes to buy and rent, glamping, and touring pitches. The park’s many awards include a top five star tourist board grading – but according to managing director David Thornley, this latest Go North Wales accolade has an extra significance: “The award is especially important to us because it recognises not just the quality of the park’s facilities and surroundings, but also the levels of hospitality and service provided to guests. “It’s our staff team which deserves the lion’s share of the credit for this, and they do a great job in making everybody feel welcome and helping them enjoy their stay. “It’s been a superb year for Craiglwyd Hall Caravan Park and the group as a whole, and I hope the publicity from this award will help benefit all tourism businesses here in North Wales,” added David. The Go North Wales event was organised by North Wales Tourism which represents more than 1,500 tourism-related businesses across the region, including scores of holiday parks.
Speculation is rife as to whether an ultimate fantasy escape at Sandhills Holiday Park in Dorset, is the most expensive holiday lodge in the UK. It takes the form of a high-tech £420,000 bespoke luxury lodge with one of the most picturesque beach-side settings to be found anywhere in Britain. This autumn, the keys to the holiday home were officially handed over to its extremely proud new owner. The visually striking and lavishly equipped lodge is the result of a design collaboration with Prestige which was sparked by Park Holidays UK earlier this year. It arose when Sandhills had to opportunity to develop a new holiday home on the sea-facing front of the park, just a few paces from the sandy beach at Mudeford near Christchurch. According to Park Holidays UK director Tony Clish, it was agreed that the breathtaking position warranted the creation of a unique and very special holiday home: “Only very rarely do pitches become available on Sandhills’ front row, and we wanted the new owners to enjoy surroundings that were just as amazing as the views,” he said. “Together with Prestige, we developed a blueprint which included large areas of glazing to give the outlook star billing from the interior, but maintained a warm and homely feel. “Natural materials, including timber, are a big feature together with ocean-inspired colours and decoration to evoke the glorious seascape vista,” added Tony.
Located at the foot of the Penmaenmawr Mountain, overlooking the spectacular coastal views from Llandudno and across to Anglesey, Puffin Island and beyond, Craiglwyd Hall Caravan Park is truly a holiday location that stands out from the crowd.Surrounded by natural beauty, this secluded luxury park is perfect for a peaceful get away, but at the same time is close to popular resorts and attractionsand has easy access to lovely mountain walks. On site,Craiglwyd Hall offers visitors a play area, on site bar, games room, gym and is a dog-friendly location.The flag ship of the Thornley Leisure group, the park’s many awards include a top five-star tourist board grading – but according to managing director David Thornley, the latest Go North Wales accolade has an extra significance “The award is especially important to us because it recognises not just the quality of the park’s facilities and surroundings, but also the levels of hospitality and service provided to guests. “It’s our staff team which deserves the lion’s share of the credit for this, and they do a great job in making everybody feel welcome and helping them enjoy their stay. “It’s been a superb year for Craiglwyd Hall Caravan 
Park and the group as a whole, and I hope the publicity from this award will help benefit all tourism businesses here in North Wales,” added David. Situated on the north coast of County Conwy between Anglesey and the Menai Straits, the park provides tranquil landscaped grounds in a picture-postcard setting. It has long proved popular with families wishing to own a caravan holiday home in one of North Wales’s most popular areas for lovers of natural scenic beauty.