Cream of the crop (From The Northern Echo)

Travel Review: Woolacombe Bay Holiday Parks

11:28am Friday 12th August 2011 in Reviews By Mark Tallentire

Is a British staycation now a realistic option for a summer holiday? Mark Tallentire packed up the car and headed south-west to find out.

MY wife and I headed to Woolacombe, on the heritage coast of north Devon, in search of summer sun, relaxation and a tip-top cream tea.

Well, as Meat Loaf once said: Two out of three ain’t bad.

Relaxation there is plenty of.

Cream teas are everywhere. It was only the British summer that let us down.

Indeed, our wind-battered, rainsoaked drive down the Cornish north coast to Tintagel Castle, the legendary birthplace of King Arthur, ended in disappointment when an apologetic man from English Heritage told us he’d had to close the ancient seafront fortress only minutes previously, for fear of people being blown off into the sea.

But despite the weather, this firsttime visitor to the South-West was very impressed.

Devon’s north coast is ruggedly stunning. When, during a break in the showers, Sarah and I took a stroll down to the beach, we discovered to our delight a wonderful hideaway bay where hills, rolled green and sheep-dotted, reached within a few yards of the waterline, succeeded only briefly by a few pasty huts and tea shops before the waves took control.

My wife and I were guests of Woolacombe Bay Holiday Parks, spending four nights at The Golden Coast resort in one of its recentlyrefurbished exclusive lodges.

We could not have asked for better.

The lodges have three bedrooms, including one with an ensuite, a bathroom and a large open kitchen-dining-living area, all wellequipped.

We enjoyed our temporary home greatly. My only suggestion would be to move the smoke alarm, as cooking often became a two-man job, with one standing wafting fumes away from the detector to prevent scaring the neighbours again.

Outside the lodge, Golden Coast’s communal facilities are also outstanding.

There is a well-stocked and reasonably-priced supermarket, large bar with nightly entertainment, outdoor and indoor swimming pools, children’s activities, bowling alley and amusement arcade, cinema, The Old Mill pubrestaurant and buses to the beach and sister parks.

We particularly enjoyed the unusual offer of ceramic pottery painting at Waves ceramic studio, proudly bringing home a new utensil pot and butter dish.

The idea, it seems, is families would never need leave the park from vacation beginning to end.

HOWEVER, if you are a little more adventurous, the area offers no shortage of great days out. Our daytrip to Cornwall took in the seaside towns of Bude and Looe and historic Launceston, from where we would have taken a hot-air balloon flight had the weather not firmly held other ideas.

On other days, we explored north to Ilfracombe, Lynton and Lynmouth, frequented Barnstaple – the nearest town to speak of – and explored, admittedly partially by accident, the surrounding countryside.

Ilfracombe is a secluded, pretty seaside town, with a fascinating lighthouse-church on the front and ice-cream sellers as far as the tourist eye can see.

Lynton and Lynmouth are linked by a charming water-powered liftrailway.

The 862ft Victorian curiosity allows passengers wonderful views of the Devon coastline – and its South Wales counterpart if the skies are sufficiently clear – as well as boasting a lovely little cafe where Sarah and I finally got our cream teas. Very fine ones too, despite the rain.

Barnstaple we found less memorable, though I’m sure it’s welcome if you’re in need of somewhere big enough to have more than just the odd shop and country pub.

There are also numerous family attractions within driving distance, most intriguingly The Big Sheep, near Bideford. A visit escaped us, so answers on a postcard please. But surely, a sheep-themed day out can’t be so baaaad...

Even if no particular attraction catches your fancy, Devon is a wonderful place to simply watch the countryside drift slowly by your car window.

Going out for a drive, even with petrol prices what they are, has rarely been such a pleasure.

You’ll need a while if you want to get anywhere – Devon has a rather limited road network – but to observe how the scenery gradually changes as you explore different compass points is fascinating.

North Devon’s rugged hillsides give way to gentler terrain to the west, bleaker Exmoor to the east and, further afield, flatter plains as Somerset takes over and the M5 looms into view, taking us on to the next stop on our grand UK tour – Shaftesbury. But that’s another tale.

Travelling with children, Devon would not be a cheap option, particularly if you are wanting to eat out.

But, given a blessing of good weather, it has more than enough to make you ponder whether another foreign jaunt is really what you’re after.

TRAVEL FACTS

Woolacombe Bay Holiday Parks offers a wide choice of self-catering holidays, including caravan holiday homes, apartments and luxury lodges. Prices in peak season start at £249 for a family of four for a three-night weekend break, while a seven-night holiday costs from £499. For further details, call 08432-080368 or visit woolacombe.com/bp