Woodovis Park

AA REVEALS TOP UK STAYCATION SPOTS FOR 2025…

Posted on February 12, 2025

As UK travel trends continue to favour local and sustainable tourism, the annual AA Caravan & Camping Awards have announced the top outdoor accommodation spots for the 2024-25 season.

This year’s winners offer the best of scenic retreats and luxurious glamping, with a new Sustainable Park award showing a growing preference for eco-friendly and unique staycations among UK travellers. The awards celebrated 12 exceptional sites across the country, selected by the AA’s expert inspectors for their outstanding quality and commitment to customer satisfaction.

Categories included AA Glamping Site of the Year, AA Campsite of the Year, and AA Most Improved Campsite of the Year. This year’s winners span the UK, from the rich history and sweeping views from the Isle of Anglesey in Wales to the stunning ancient woodlands nestled within the South Downs of West Sussex.

Hosting the awards, Simon Numphud, Managing Director at AA Media, said, “As local travel continues to grow and sustainable tourism gains momentum, we are excited to announce the best camping and caravanning destinations for the upcoming year.

This year’s winners have demonstrated outstanding quality along with a strong dedication to eco-friendly practices and customer satisfaction, making them excellent options for UK travellers.” All winners of the awards feature in the 57th edition of the AA Caravan & Camping Guide, which is £14.99 and available to buy in bookshops now.

Congratulations to all 2024-25 winners, the full list of this year’s AA Caravan and Camping Awards winners can also be found on RatedTrips.com.

Rated Trips by AA Media
The UK’s top campsites and caravan parks for 2025 | AA RatedTrips.com

Holiday Parks Celebrate Awards Success

Posted on June 6, 2016
Woodovis Park owners John and Dorothey Lewis were delighted to take Gold in the Holiday Park of the Year category at the VisitEngland Awards of Excellence.

Woodovis Park owners John and Dorothey Lewis were delighted to take Gold in the Holiday Park of the Year category at the VisitEngland Awards of Excellence.

Holiday Parks Celebrate Awards Success

Woodovis Park near Tavistock was named as England’s top destination for camping and touring guests in the VisitEngland Awards for Excellence 2016. Members of the family-run business stepped up to receive their national trophy in March at VisitEngland’s glittering awards ceremony at Blackpool’s Winter Gardens.

Park owner John Lewis said everyone was extremely proud to have scooped three golds including the top VisitEngland award in its first ever entry to the competition. Darwin Forest Country Park was also recognised at the awards after taking Silver in the Holiday Park of the Year category.

Speaking on behalf of Darwin Forest, chairman Hugh Grayson said: “This award is a testament to the quality and commitment of all our staff, the majority of whom are from the local area.”

Other award winners in the holiday park category included Poston Mill Park Hereford, which scooped the bronze award and Castlerigg Hall Caravan & Camping Park and Padstow Touring Park both came Highly Commended.

Pampered Campers

Posted on September 9, 2014

Pampered Campers

Glamping-2

The camping pods at Woodovis Park in Devon have had a positive impact on the business.

The glamping phenomenon, or boutique camping as it is also becoming known, has inspired a new generation of holidaymakers looking to combine a grass roots camping experience with a few home comforts thrown in for good measure.

Made popular by celebrity fans and fuelled by the UK's staycationers, an increasing number of switched on park owners are cashing in on the glamping concept; offering luxury camping accommodation options alongside their existing caravans and lodges.

For those parks that have taken the glamping plunge, business is booming. The Caravan and Camping Club has seen a 42% increase in the number of bookings for its glamping accommodation in the last five years and pitch night bookings are up by nearly 5% compared to this time last year.

Glamping-3

The Caravan & Camping Club has reported a significant increase in glamping bookings in the last five years.

Rob Ganley, communications manager at The Camping and Caravanning Club comments: “The Club has enjoyed strong site occupancy this year so far, and our booking stats confirm that camping and caravanning continues to be one of the nation’s favourite pastimes.

“With many camping and caravanning brands investing in new technology plus the option of fixed on-site glamping accommodation, camping and caravanning can be a luxurious experience making it a more attractive and accessible holiday option to the wider travel market.”

Kate Paulwell of camping accommodation website Unique Sleeps agrees: "For businesses that are unsure whether to venture into the glamping market, it is not too late to jump on the bandwagon. Glamping is as popular as ever, and its future looks secure and set to continue."

To read more on this story please subscribe to Holiday Park Scene online today.

Dog-Friendly Park Appeal

Posted on July 3, 2014
dogs

Woodovis Park in Devon is welcoming guests and their dogs with the introduction of a new meadow at the site.

Dog-Friendly Park Appeal

Woodovis Park in Devon has introduced a number of dog-friendly initiatives to appeal to families and couples looking to bring their four-legged friends on holiday.

Most recently the park has opened a large meadow, adjacent to the site, allowing guests and pets to roam freely. Add to this the wooded walk for strolling on lead and the dog wash facilities and guests have all the trappings for contented canines.

Park owner John Lewis said: “This part of the world, with Dartmoor and the Tamar Valley on the doorstep, is incredibly popular for holidaymakers with dogs. Not to mention the South West’s beautiful beaches nearby, many of which are dog-friendly. We are blessed with some amazing walking country as well as a number of places to eat where dogs are welcome.

“We wanted to extend our offering so that there is space for every member of the family to have a good time on holiday, and the lower meadow makes the perfect spot for dogs to roam free.”

The park has also drawn up a programme of family activities and excursions in the surrounding area which allow pets, including dog-friendly National Trust properties, pubs and restaurants, dog shows and events.

Woodovis Park

Posted on April 23, 2014
woodovis park

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

High Praise For Woodovis Park

Posted on February 24, 2014

High Praise For Woodovis Park

The Woodovis Park team is celebrating being named the Best Holiday Park and Camping Site in Britain.

Devon-based Woodovis Park has beaten off fierce competition to be named the Best Holiday Park & Camping Site in Britain by leading sustainable tourism accreditation programme, the 2013 Green Tourism Goldstar Awards.

The Awards saw more than 2,400 contenders whittled down to a shortlist of 61 businesses nominated for 15 awards. The winners were announced at the annual Green Tourism Conference held at the AT-Bristol Science Centre to mark the culmination of Green Tourism Week.

Accepting their award from environmental activist, Satish Kumar, John Lewis from Woodovis Park said: “We are bowled over to be named the greenest holiday park in the whole of the UK.

“Preserving our beautiful surroundings here remains one of our top priorities and we’re always looking for ways to improve our eco credentials. To have this acknowledged in the Goldstar Awards is phenomenal and will help give us a renewed boost in our efforts.”

Now in their third year, the Green Tourism Goldstar Awards honour those businesses and organisations that have done the most to promote sustainability within the industry by implementing cost-saving practices that help the environment, improve customer services and benefit the bottom line.