Views of hills, the sound of sheep, birds to watch – this family park has a multitude of natural attractions – and great play opportunities, too

Words by Val Chapman
Photography by Richard Chapman

On the border of Derbyshire and Staffordshire sits one of the Camping and Caravanning Club’s 14 sites which feature holiday homes to buy. It’s called Alton, the Star – so we were keen to see if the park lived up to its ‘star’ name.

It’s close to the beautiful Peak District, so that’s a good start for star status. Then there’s Ye Olde Star Inn, a three-minute walk from the park, serving food.

Alton, the Star is in the hamlet of Cotton, close to the pretty village of Oakamoor. We’d driven through beautiful Staffordshire moorland scenery to reach the park – and when we arrived it was plain to see why this site is so popular both as a touring site and for holiday home purchase.

It’s very much a family park, with the biggest play park on the entire Camping and Caravanning Club sites network, staff tell us. Outdoor table tennis is a feature.

There are 550 holiday homes here; larger plots are currently being created to accommodate larger holiday homes and there are several plots still available.

We were keen to meet some of the people who own holiday homes here, to get a first-hand insight into the attractions.

Carol Foreman

Carol’s a relatively new holiday home owner at Alton but she’s not new to the concept.

“I had a holiday home at Barnard Castle for 17 years but it’s a long way from home,” she explains. She lives at Tutbury in Staffordshire. “That’s only 35 minutes from here.”

Carol is on her own now; her husband died seven years ago. “If I were going to leave Barnard Castle, which is lovely, it would have to be a park with a country feel,” she says.

Events happened quickly. She browsed online and discovered that Alton was holding an open day. “I came here and instantly felt at home. The woodland aspect, the views of the fells… and Ashbourne is only nine miles away.”

In the space of five weeks she’d sold her holiday home at Barnard Castle and bought a used home at Alton, a Victory Ventura. “It’s perfect for me,” she says as we chat in the lounge overlooking the play park and the fields and fells beyond the park.

She’s here most weekends: “I come on a Thursday and go home on a Monday.”

“The staff here have made me feel very welcome. It’s easy walking distance to the pub for meals and, on Saturday evenings, a fish and chip van comes to the site.”

Walks through the woodland are an attraction for Carol – and when her family visit, that’s even more important. She has four grandchildren and three step grandchildren, ranging in age from 24 down to five weeks. Many of them live in Banbury, which is only an hour and 40 minutes away.

She has made the Victory Ventura her own by putting up harvest-print curtains in the kitchen to match her kitchenware and bringing in a throw to inject a softer look to the L-shaped lounge with loads of cushions.

Roy and Janet Braddow

Roy and Janet’s holiday home story is very different. They spend most of their time in Spain. They still have a house in Lichfield, Staffordshire.

It all started by chance: “We had a touring caravan gifted to us,” says Janet, as we chatted on the patio outside their holiday home.

“That caravan changed our life. And cost us a fortune – in a good way! We liked it so much that, within a month, we had bought another, larger touring caravan to site on a seasonal basis.”

Then came a house in Murcia, south east Spain, in 2005, and a decision to go from a seasonally-sited tourer to a static, to spend months rather than weekends at Alton.

Hot tubs are a theme running through their lifestyle. They’ve installed one by the holiday home – it’s a large plot with a large garden area to the side and rear – and there’s one at the home in Spain, too.

“The family come to see us here and we go to see them. This place is ideal for us,” says Roy.

Margaret and Phillip Knapper

Home is just 45 minutes away for Margaret and Phillip; it’s near Kidsgrove in Staffordshire.

“We used to come here with our touring caravan. Eventually we got tired of towing and, in particular, of pulling and pushing it into our garden,” says Phillip.

So they bought an Atlas static caravan. “We had double glazing put in and replaced the original seating with leather sofas. This is our retreat. A place to relax. Everyone is very friendly and we’re only five miles from where our three grandchildren live, so they visit us here, and sometimes stay,” says Margaret. “The play park is ideal for them.”

Phillip used to work in Leek, Staffordshire: “I used to go to work from here,” he recalls. “For the last 12 months before I retired, I worked three days a week,” which was ideal for spending a lot of time here.”

Days out to Ashbourne, Dovedale and into the Peak District are a major reason why Margaret and Phillip are so happy here.

The season runs from 1 March to 12 November. The fee is £2295 per year.

If you fancy sampling the holiday home lifestyle before you buy, you can rent one for a weekend, perhaps. The park has a 5-year licence, which means you can keep a holiday home on this park until it’s 15 years old. Wi-Fi is available. The reception office sells a small quantity of basic food supplies.

Contact

Alton, the Star Camping and Caravanning Club site
Star Road, Cotton, Oakamoor, Stoke-on-Trent ST10 3DW
01538 702219
campingandcaravanningclub.co.uk