Beverley Park

Beverley Park sits at the top of a hill overlooking Goodrington and the Torbay Riviera, and as you drive up the wide entrance road and wait for the barrier to lift it is obvious from the size of the palms and cannas growing in the immaculately maintained verges that this is a site that rarely, if ever, sees snow.

This balmy climate is one of the main reasons Torbay is the favourite haunt of holiday makers who flock here year on year to enjoy the delights of sea, sand and the extensive range of entertainment the area has to offer.

The campsite is split into various areas containing differing accommodation. On the top of the site there are 187 static vans; on the slope overlooking the town 23 lodges gaze out into the English Channel; and in between are three open-plan touring areas with grass pitches for 86 units. In addition there are 20 hardstanding and 42 fully serviced pitches that sit on level ground above these grass arenas.

All pitches have an electric hook-up point and none of the grass pitches is far from water or refuse points. The site is surrounded by trees but there are sufficient gaps in their lines to afford magical views of Torquay and the sea. Although set in a residential area the site is so self-contained and far enough from the main through road between Brixham and Paignton that traffic noise never reaches the campsite.

The leisure and entertainment facilities are grouped around the main reception area and include a shop that would not be out of place in a small village which, I suppose, this is. Although I have to say Beverley Park has leisure attractions that most villages would cast envious glances at.

Next to the shop is a complex housing an indoor swimming pool that has a sauna and steam room alongside the heated water. Delve further into the building and you come across a fitness room that would not be out of place in the home of the Governor of California, and a sauna that would fit well on the Starship Enterprise. Include a spa in that mix and you have a building that has something for everyone who relishes a little activity. If you prefer not to have a roof over you when you swim then fear not for adjacent to all this is a large heated outdoor swimming pool with a shallow end for the children.

If you fancy a change from all this there are more leisurely ways of taking exercise that will not only entertain but also educate the children. The former comes in the guise of a building that is so well insulated that the screams of the kids diving into tubs of plastic balls and generally engaging in the sort of mayhem that leaves them totally exhausted can’t be heard.

At the other end of the park is an unsupervised outdoor play area. If you require a little more gentile activity then try the crazy golf course. The education side comes from a delightful butterfly garden and nature trail that meanders throughout the site culminating in a sloping field that is the perfect picnic site, with its uncultivated wildlife patches and splendid coastal views. If you fancy a night away from the cooker there is no need to get into the car as the on-site restaurant and take-away will cater for most needs. A bar with seasonal cabaret performances is a further inducement to leave the car keys in your pocket.

If you enjoy going out during the day you can leave the driving to the local mini-bus driver who will, at a small charge, take you into town at regular intervals between April and late October, from where you can get a bus or train to other parts of south Devon. Beverley Park has been awarded 'Best Caravan Park' for South West England Tourism Excellence 2007/08, 'Holiday Park of the Year' for The English Riviera 2004 and 'Best Holiday Park in England' for Calor Gas 2003, in fact I counted twelve awards of one sort or another including the David Bellamy Conservation Gold Award.

Beverley Park is a family site that not only provides entertainment for its guests but is a gateway for a thousand other attractions that this area of South Devon has to offer, and if you really can’t bear to be away from the office you can always make those important decisions via the Internet connection in the reception area. Beverley Park was in pristine condition when we visited it in late September. It was quiet, sunny, and being open all year round is an ideal place for a summer holiday or out of season break on a coastline that enjoys a great deal of annual sunshine.