Wooda Farm Holiday Park: It's a Family Affair

For one top campsite in Cornwall, it’s all about keeping it in the family

Written by Claire Tupholme

Everything about Wooda Farm Holiday Park says ‘family’. The third generation of the Colwill clan now run this award-winning caravan and camping park near Bude in Cornwall, owned by the Colwills family since 1975. The family is very much at its heart, and the Colwills welcome families and couples who choose to holiday at Wooda Park with open arms.

I met with Charlotte, part of the third generation of Colwills who manage Wooda, the other being her younger sister Hannah who offers manicures, massages and facials in the site’s beauty salon – Hannah Rose Beauty.

Dairy farm to holiday park

Charlotte’s nan and granddad, Ken and Liz Colwill, opened Wooda in the mid-seventies as a diversification from dairy farming. It started with just five caravans on what is now the children’s play area and has grown to host 55 holiday caravans, two cottages and 200 touring and camping pitches.

Today Charlotte's mum and dad, Graeme and Kerry Colwill, run Wooda, with Graeme's younger sister, Helen running The Courtyard, The Lodge and The Loft Cocktail Bar, along with her family. Their older sister, Sue is an artist and has her art studio at Wooda so visitors can see her at work and browse her art.

Both the art studio, Hannah Rose Beauty and The Loft Cocktail bar are in the newly renovated farm buildings. The Courtyard Bar & Grill was once the farm’s milking parlour.

Introducing glamping

To mark Wooda’s fortieth birthday they introduced glamping on site, in the form of a vintage caravan lovingly named Bessie. The name was Charlotte's great-grandmother, Bessie Colwill, who was the first Colwill to take bed and breakfast guests into the farmhouse at Wooda.

An exciting new project for the 2018 season is the development of a series of eco-lodge accommodation on the site. The Colwills are keeping this project in the family, with Charlotte's husband, Simon building the lodges.

The ethos of the Colwill family at Wooda is all about spending quality time away – offering activities that families and couples can enjoy together, and creating happy memories for them to take back home from their holiday.

Wooda Farm Holiday Park
Poughill, Bude, Cornwall EX23 9HJ

Tel: 01288 352069

[email protected]
wooda.co.uk

Open: 1 April – 4 November
Price from £20.00 (2 adults, pitch, electric)

Situated on the border of Devon and Cornwall, two miles from Bude with its sandy beaches and famous tidal sea pool. Set in the countryside the site has a woodland trail, pigmy goats, a fishing lake and large play area. Other facilities include a bar and grill, cocktail bar, pitch ‘n’ putt, takeaway, games room, shop, tennis court, sports barn, archery, and even a wetsuit washing point and dog shower.

All pitches enjoy views of the coastline or countryside. Individually screened premier hardstanding pitches offer waste, water and electrical connections. Touring facilities comprise of three toilet and shower blocks, privacy cubicles, facilities for the disabled, baby changing and two laundrettes.