Parc land

It was with some trepidation that I drove through the gates of the Golden Coast Holiday Village in the heart of North Devon. After all there would be about 6,000 other holidaymakers here, and I was looking for relaxation.

Fat chance, I thought, as a teenager dressed as a giant beach ball jumped in front of the car, and my two children started leaping up and down in the back.

We waved politely to the beachball, collected our keys, found a convenient parking space and headed for our Honeysuckle lodge.

All four adults in our party were taken aback back at the quality of the accommodation: pine furnishings, two good-sized bedrooms, modern bathroom, a large dining table and chairs, plus a sofa and chairs around the TV. In the kitchen there was a washer/dryer, microwave and fridge-freezer, and outside was a patio complete with table and benches. There was even a small swimming pool hidden around the back.

Now we could start to unwind, I thought. But the children were straining on the leash, having caught sight of a large outdoor pool with slides and a flume, and there was barely time to unpack the teabags and have a cuppa before we were out among the attractions of the parc (note the modern spelling).

Strolling past the lodges, I noticed how quiet it had become. Soon we were stumbling upon a rustic-looking pub with plenty of outdoor tables for eating and drinking, and then we were surrounded by acres of grassland. We even found a rather challenging woodland walk.

There was a golf course, tennis courts and a sloping path that took us to a Georgian building, which contained a pool, whirlpool and sauna. Through another door there was a small and quaint cinema and bar, a tastefully-decorated restaurant offering a varied menu and a snooker room. All this and we weren't even in the main entertainment area.

Around the corner came the biggest surprise... an adult's swimming pool with connecting children's pool, complete with sun loungers, hidden away from the hustle and bustle of the other larger ones on site. Oh bliss. The children were happy, the adults were still reeling from the excellent range of facilities and the sun was beating down.

The Great British Holiday is alive and well here, due mainly to imaginative layout, superior accommodation and facilities and staff that took care in ensuring that both children and adults had a great time.

Winner of the Family Resort of the Year title in the England for Excellence awards last year, this family-owned business continues to grow in size and reputation.

Nightly entertainment in the huge bar consisted of guest acts, bingo, competitions and dancing to the music of the resident band and the disco. It's a tried and tested formula found in many similar establishments and the children loved it. So did we, most of the time, but found it worth venturing into Woolacombe to break the routine.

The real beauty of a self-catering holiday in this type of parc is the freedom to visit other attractions in the area and the knowledge that there's plenty of provision on dull as well as sunny days.

We were blessed with wall-to-wall sunshine and took advantage of the courtesy bus to Woolacombe's massive sandy beach on several days. Even in the height of summer there is still plenty of room on its miles of golden sands. A free bus service ferries holidaymakers to the glorious beach from the parc.

We also made a point of visiting Clovelly, a gorgeous fishing village that remains much as it was in the last century and has many parts dating back much further. It's a very steep descent from the entrance to the quay but well worth the exertion.

And it was nice to know that after a tiring day we could head back to our delightful lodge, and that the evening's entertainment was only a short stroll away..

More information

By post: Woolacombe Bay Holiday Parcs, Freepost, Woolacombe, Devon, EX34 7HW

On line: www.woolacombe-bay.co.uk

e-mail: goodtimes@woolacombe-bay.co.uk

PICTURE:The Golden Coast Holiday Village in North Devon boasts well-fitted accommodation