Family Values at Dornafield Caravan Park

Posted on June 26, 2015

Above: The environment is a top priority for the park and it has earned a David Bellamy Conservation award at gold level since 2000.

Family Values at Dornafield Caravan Park

Traditional family values have proven to be a winning formula for Dornafield Caravan Park in Devon.

Park owner Peter Dewhirst, who with his wife Tina, first started welcoming visitors to the former farm over 30 years ago.

Today Peter, aged 83, is helped in the day-to-day running of the business by his son Simon and daughter-in-law Linda. Situated on the doorstep of the English Riviera and Dartmoor, the multi award-winning Dornafield Caravan Park attracts thousands of visitors each year.

“Our close knit team of nine staff work tirelessly throughout the season to produce a charming and desirable holiday experience for our loyal customers,” comments Peter. “We value all of our visitors and pride ourselves on our friendly and helpful manner. This is one of the many reasons why we believe visitors come back year after year.”

Having held the prestigious AA 5-Pennant rating for 24 years and the current 5 Gold Pennant rating since its introduction three years ago, Dornafield is well-known for its pristinely landscaped grounds and first-class facilities. The focal point of the site is 13th century Devon long House which dates from 1238, just after Magna Carta and is Grade II listed. The farmyard is the park’s central hub and is the setting for barbecues and Morris dancing throughout the summer season and the surrounding farm buildings have been turned into a shop, games room and tourist information point.

Above: The Dornafield team has supported Breast Cancer Campaign’s ‘Wear It Pink’ day for the last seven years, which has raised over £1,500.

The 30 acre park is divided into three separate areas; the Orchard, the Buttermeadow and Blackrock Copse. The Orchard comprises of 16 grass tent pitches and is ideal for families with young children as it is enclosed by old walls and hedges. The Buttermeadow has been specially landscaped to provide spacious, level pitches which are all served by luxury toilet and shower facilities. Meanwhile Blackrock Copse is designed to offer the ultimate caravanning experience with 60 deluxe pitches complemented by the climate-controlled facilities building with heated flooring.

“We drew on our 18 years’ experience with Buttermeadow when we created Blackrock Copse and the unashamedly up-market development continues to be a talking point for many of our guests,” says Peter. “We are proud to have been Caravan Club affiliated for 23 years, so all Club members can be assured that the high standards they expect from Club Sites are more than met at Dornafield.”

The environment is also a top priority for the park and it has earned a David Bellamy Conservation award at gold level since 2000.

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New Park Guests Create a Buzz

Posted on June 26, 2015

New Park Guests Create a Buzz

Drovers Way Holiday Caravan Park took delivery of two hives for up to 100,000 honey bees this summer.

The family owners of a Tees Valley holiday park are welcoming thousands of extra guests this year – each of which will be accommodated and fed for free.

Drovers Way Holiday Caravan Park near Stockton-on-Tees is now a safe haven for honey bees which have been dropping dramatically in number over recent years. Park owners Chris and Helen Brown took delivery in April of two hives which will become the homes for up to 100,000 honey bees this summer.

Their thriving future at Drovers Way is almost a certainty thanks to the large number of high nectar-bearing blooms on the ten acres of grounds.

The park’s initiative follows news that it has been named as a 2015 winner of the prestigious David Bellamy Conservation Award for protecting the natural world.

Natural World

Posted on April 24, 2015

It is Forest Park’s commitment to its surroundings, the beautiful scenery and natural attraction of North Norfolk that brings families back to the park each year.

Natural World

Situated on the North Norfolk coastline and nestled amongst 100 acres of woodland, it is Forest Park’s unique mix of coastline and forest, along with its commitment to nature that has made the park a firm favourite among holidaymakers for generations.

Since 1967, owners Simon and Deborah Gurney have run holiday park that it is today. Among its accolades, Forest Park has been awarded a David Bellamy gold conservation award each year since 2001 for helping wildlife to flourish and reducing energy consumption.

"Our location is probably what makes us stand out the most,” comments park owner Deborah Gurney. “We are very proud to be able to offer beautiful scenery which includes sea views and sheltered woodland. Having lived in Norfolk for the majority of our lives we appreciate how precious the unique woodland and coastline is too. The scenery is what makes Norfolk so special so we have an unwavering commitment to nature and conservation too.”

Visitors to the park will spot a range of environmentally friendly initiatives that have been employed around the site, including bird and butterfly boxes, as well as the management of dead trees and forest areas to encourage natural habitats to thrive. The park also uses low energy light bulbs, runs electric buggies, monitors water usage and encourages recycling. It also supports the community where possible by buying from local suppliers and backing local events and sporting clubs.

Today, the park accommodates 250 tourers, motorhomes and campers, complemented by two cottages, a wilderness campsite and over 400 wooden lodges and holiday homes. Open for ten months of the year from March to January, Forest Park welcomes over 20,000 guests each year.

“We welcome a whole host of clientele from couples and young families to group bookings, the three generation holiday and the retired. We are also proud to be a dog-friendly resort to ensure that the whole family can enjoy a break together,” says Deborah.

Forest Park
Tel. +44 (0)1263 513290
www.forest-park.co.uk

Lakeland Parks Chief Is New Association Chairman

Posted on March 16, 2015

Henry Wild has become national chairman of the British Holiday & Home Parks Association (BH&HPA).

Lakeland Parks Chief Is New Association Chairman

The association representing Britain’s £4 billion holiday parks industry is now being headed-up by Lake District leisure business developer Henry Wild.

Henry has become national chairman of the British Holiday & Home Parks Association (BH&HPA) which brings together the owners and managers of some 3,000 parks.They range from small farm-based camping sites to major park groups, as well as residential parks.

Henry, 44, is a director of his family’s long-established holiday parks business comprising Skelwith Fold Caravan Park in Ambleside and Moss Wood Caravan Park in north Lancashire. Both parks provide privately owned caravan holiday homes as well as touring pitches – and were among the first to gain the David Bellamy Conservation Award on its inception two decades ago.

Nature’s Best

Posted on November 28, 2014

Now in its 18th year, the David Bellamy Conservation Award Scheme is one of the longest running green tourism awards in the UK. Pic: Waveney River Centre.

Nature's Best

The green achievements of some of the UK’s most environmentally conscious holiday parks have been celebrated in the latest round of the David Bellamy Conservation Awards.

More than 500 parks were named as winners of the 2014/15 accolade, presented annually at gold, silver and bronze levels. Now in its eighteenth year, the award scheme was started by the world’s best-known botanist to highlight exceptional efforts by parks to protect the natural world.

This year’s long list of achievements varies from the winter-feeding of red deer to the creation of butterfly gardens and nature trails to the building of wildlife ponds and bird-hides. But single projects by themselves will not earn a park an award, says Rufus Bellamy who helps his father administrate the awards.

To stand a chance of qualifying, the park must submit all aspects of its operation to the scrutiny of an independent assessor trained in the running of the scheme.

“Their brief is extremely broad, and covers not just the more obvious initiatives such as creating wildlife habitats and the erection of bird boxes, valuable though these are,” says Rufus. “The assessors take a holistic view of the park’s conservation policies, and judge how far this is succeeding in making it a sustainable and environmentally friendly business.”

Rufus continues: “David Bellamy also attaches great importance to the ways in which parks help children engage with nature through activities such as badger-watches, wild food safaris, or building willow sculptures.

“These awards encourage parks to keep pushing the boundaries of what can be accomplished, and to adopt even bolder and more imaginative measures which make a real difference.”

Among this year’s winners was husband and wife team Trevor and Grace Barber of Silver Trees Holiday Park in Cannock Chase, Staffordshire, who were delighted to be awarded a top level accolade for the sustainable management of their park for the sixth year running.

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Woodovis Park

Posted on April 23, 2014

The team offer a great warm welcome to guests and the park has been named as a finalist for the Hoseasons' Diamond Award for customer care.

Woodovis Park

Proving that bigger isn’t always better, the multi award-winning Woodovis Park is a small, peaceful 5 star holiday park nestled on the edge of Devon’s Tamar Valley. Offering a mix of camping, glamping, touring and luxury caravan options, the park has scooped many top level awards in recent years for its excellent facilities and services.

Owner John Lewis comments: “We have over 21,000 bed nights per season. During the shoulder seasons we tend to attract either families with preschool children or retired folk, looking for a great value holiday in a particularly quiet time. During the school holidays our guests are made up of families who are looking for great facilities in a peaceful and safe setting. “We find that our glamping offerings attract young professional couples all year round – most of whom are looking for the outdoor experience with all the comforts that our pod and super pods provide.” Now in its fifteenth year of ownership by John and Dorothy Lewis, the park employs eight full-time staff and is a member of Best of British, a group of 50 independently owned 5 star holiday parks.

On-site facilities include an indoor solar-heated swimming pool, spa and infra-red therapy sauna, with weekly archery and ‘water walking’ in the pool. There’s also an indoor games room and outdoor table tennis. “With a return visitor rate in excess of 70% year on year undoubtedly the biggest marketing tool is word of mouth recommendation,” explains John. “This is closely followed by the internet and especially review sites such as Trip Advisor where Woodovis Park scores five stars and was recently a recipient of a Certificate of Excellence.” He adds: “The biggest challenge for us is the unpredictable English weather, which is why we have ensured that Woodovis Park is well placed to deal with this.

There is a vast range of indoor facilities to keep guests occupied during bad weather.” One of the park’s unique selling points is its commitment to being energy efficient and environmentally friendly; it was recently named the Best Holiday Park & Camping Site in Britain by the world’s leading sustainable tourism accreditation programme, the 2013 Green Tourism Goldstar Awards. It also received a gold David Bellamy Award last year and a gold in the Green Tourism Business Scheme. John explains: “Our mission is to provide exceptional facilities for our guests, whilst maintaining our green integrity. It’s easy to reel off green platitudes, but at Woodovis we try to make it a natural part of the way the business is run.

The beauty of our park and surrounding areas is one of the main reasons visitors come here and we want to sustain that for generations to come.” Maintaining their dedication to providing excellent facilities and services for their guests, the park owners will be implementing a number of improvements to the site during the year. John explains: “New for the 2014 season will be the dog exercise meadow where dogs can run off the lead. Also, following guest feedback, a new loo and chemical disposal point is being installed to serve the Tamar View Field. As part of a planned rolling replacement programme, a brand new Finch Holiday Home will join the hire fleet and dates are being added during the school holidays for performances from internationally acclaimed story tellers.”

Woodovis Park

Email : info@woodovis.com
www.woodovis.com

Triple Gold For Dorset Park Group

Posted on January 27, 2014

Triple Gold For Dorset Park Group

West Dorset Holidays were the big winners of the night at the Dorset Tourism Awards inaugural ceremony. Pic: Nick Williams Photographer.

West Dorset Leisure Holidays pulled off a hat trick of wins at the recent Dorset Tourism Awards.

The family-owned holiday park based in Bridport scooped two gold accolades for its flagship Highlands End holiday park. It took both the Holiday Park of the Year title, and the Sustainable Tourism award.

The icing on the cake came when the group’s managing director Martin Cox was awarded a special honour for Outstanding Contribution to Tourism.

Launched for the first time this year, the awards highlight the many excellent businesses operating across the county as well as promote Dorset itself as a top quality destination. The competition attracted 60 entries, each undergoing a rigorous three-stage judging process including visits by a team of mystery shoppers, and final assessment by an independent judging panel. Finalists came from across the county with hotels, pubs, attractions, festivals, holiday parks and B&Bs amongst the list of winners.

West Dorset Leisure Holidays’ Sustainable Tourism award also follows other honours won for its care for the natural world, including recently the David Bellamy Conservation Award at its top gold level. A host of environmental initiatives at Highlands End have included energy-saving measures and successful moves to protect wildlife with the creation of animal and bird habitats.

The park has also been praised for its links with the local community, and its charity work which includes raising over £36,000 for the Jurassic Coast Trust over the past five years.

Although the cliff-top Highlands End holiday park is no stranger to awards, Mr Cox said he was especially delighted for it to be named as Dorset’s Holiday Park of the Year and that his personal award for outstanding contribution to tourism had come as a complete surprise.

Highlands End, along with other category winners, will now be fast-tracked into the South West Tourism Excellence Awards in January 2014. Success here will then see winners move on to the National Visit England Awards later in 2014.

Stonehenge Campsite Wins Green Award

Posted on January 27, 2014

A camping park near Stonehenge, now a popular spot for pagan weddings, has won a special environmental award from TV botanist David Bellamy.

Stonehenge Campsite Wins Green Award

Stonehenge Campsite, where summer solstice festivals and pagan weddings are among the attractions, is one of Southern England’s greenest places to stay says botanist David Bellamy.
The camping park, which also provides glamping pods, has scooped a top gold accolade in the David Bellamy Conservation Awards to add to its ever-growing list of honours.
Located in Berwick St James, two miles west of the new £28 million Stonehenge visitor centre, the park opened five years ago on part of a nine-acre smallholding of naturally screened pastureland.
A recent report by assessors from David Bellamy’s Conservation Foundation, which administers the award scheme, said the park was a haven for many different types of fauna and flora.
Open all year, the park attracts guests from all over the world, especially during the annual summer solstice festival in June. Two pagan weddings have already been held on the park, and others booked and planned.
Owner William Grant said: “For over a hundred years my family has farmed this area through three generations, and it is a very special part of England both to us and to many other people. I hope we are showing that tourism enterprises such as ours can work in harmony with the natural world whilst bringing significant economic benefits to rural regions.”