A couple of weekends ago we visited South Bay, Brixham in Devon for a stay at the John Fowler holiday park. Up until this year we had favoured popping over the severn bridge to Wales but have recently fallen in love with Devon and it's jurassic coastline, so much so that any opportunity for a staycation we opt to head 'down south'.
I'm so glad we chose South Bay, Brixham. The scenery is utterly breathtaking and if it weren't for the half term traffic (not great foresight on my part) the journey down is an easy one and relatively quick one.
I've mentioned before that it's been a while since we did the whole caravan holiday thing. We did have a campervan when Lewis and Holly were very small and loved the carefree attitude that comes with slinging your stuff in a bag, packing up a few tea bags and going off on the weekend to seek out adventure. The only problem with a campervan and three children is space and so we sold it and started holidaying in cottages instead.
The thing with staying in a cottage is you're very much secluded; if that's your type of thing then great, but with teenagers and a toddler to entertain a caravan park is the perfect solution to keeping them entertained. The cabaret shows in the evenings and having access to all the fun stuff like indoor swimming pools is a real bonus when choosing a caravan park holiday. There's also the added benefit of being able to order food onsite if you don't fancy cooking.
Unlike a campervan the type of accomodation you get at a holiday park such as John Fowler South Bay is perfect for families like ours. The caravan itself was large, spotlessly clean and super modern. It actually felt brand new which just goes to show how well looked after and maintained the John Fowler caravans are. It had plenty of space for all of us plus lots of storage. There is a large living area and kitchen with a fridge/freezer and a good sized gas oven. The main bedroom even had an en-suite! With two other bedrooms both with two singles beds in and a good sized bathroom with a shower and toilet. The seating area in the living room was corner shaped which meant we could sit together in the evenings to watch TV and play card games with the fire glowing. It was a really cosy and comfortable stay I can see why people buy caravans and have them on a site like this. For a staycation in the UK a caravan park stay is a brilliant and affordable way of holidaying.
The carvan site South Bay is pretty big which meant we had some awesome entertainment in the form of the 'Stripy Coats' who kept the kids occupied and lured us grown ups onto the dancefloor, much to Rose's delight, she loved having a dance with me. She joined in all the kids games and even though she couldn't keep still in the musical statues game (which meant she was out) the best bit of the evening for her was sitting up on the stage - next to 'Stipy Sarah'- who was like the pied piper for the children, they just adored her!
A weekend stay at John Fowler South Bay is the perfect base for exploring the local area. There is so much to do in Brixham and the beaches are some of the most beautiful we've seen. I'm always struck by the ruggedness of Devon and the way that even on a clear day the water crashes ferociously over the rocks as if reminding us of all the years it has taken to carve out the dramatic coastline.
After the beach we took a trip into Brixham, a small fishing town and civil parish in the district of Torbay in the county of Devon. It was lovely walking about and looking at the docked boats and there are plenty of shops and cafés. We chose a bit of a rainy day to visit the town but still managed to have fish and chips on a nearby beach until the heavens really opened. Drenched we went back to the caravan site and Justin took Rose into the swimming pool, which she LOVED, while I dried off and read my book in peace and quiet. Heaven!
On the Saturday evening we went to the bar/clubhouse area again and watched the cabaret, what a talented bunch the stripy coats are. We even joined in with a bit of Bingo with the top prize being over £200 we didn't win but had lots of good old fashioned family fun regardless.
Not one of us grumbled all weekend (and that really is saying something!) we all absolutely loved it and had a wonderful time. We can’t wait to go back and visit again because there's still so much exploring for us to do. I would absolutely recommend a stay with John Fowler Holidays it was the perfect base in a lovely caravan, great place for families. There are lots of parks to chose from all over the UK so do check out the John Fowler Holidays website for more details on where you can book your next trip away.
*Thanks to John Fowler holidays for inviting us for the weekend and to all the wonderful staff that made us feel so welcome.
Katy (What Katy Said)
Oh I love it! The stripey coats sound perfect for my girls- they love a bit of entertainment! Gorgeous photos, sounds like you had a fab break x