Nestled on the Somerset coast, between the towns of Burnham-on-Sea and Weston-Super-Mare, Holiday Resort Unity is the definition of family run and family friendly. Owned and run by the House family, it began way back in 1947 when three touring caravans were first towed onto the land surrounding the farm, sharing a field with 100 cows.

By the 1960s it had grown to be home to 80 static caravans and 150 touring pitches and over the years has been developed significantly. The cows are now gone, of course, and as well as 500 touring pitches. There are now 650 static homes on the site, 500 of which are privately owned.

I was shown around by the park’s owner, Richard House. Richard’s father still lives in the farmhouse that originally saw the first three caravans pull up at the farm. Richard runs the business with his wife and grown-up children and they are clearly all passionate about what they do.

Top facilities

Over the years, the House family has expanded the business to include several nearby attractions and restaurants. The resort incorporates the facilities of Unity Farm and Brean Leisure Park – billed as the South West’s biggest and best fun park.

Holiday Resort Unity is certainly a lively, active park, with plenty of attractions on offer – it doesn’t claim to be five star, but does boast of having more facilities than any other park in the UK.

Browse the park brochure and you can see why – it offers everything from bars, restaurants and bowling, to horse riding, pond and sea fishing. It even has its own 18-hole golf course.

Prime location

Holiday Resort Unity is a large and vibrant site, surrounded by leisure and shopping facilities. Indeed, on top of the myriad on-site attractions, its location makes the park a perfect base from which to explore the Somerset coast and countryside.

Just ten minutes from the M5, the resort is easily accessible from other parts of the country and very easy to find. The nearby seaside towns of Burnham-on-Sea and Weston-Super-Mare are both less than a twenty minute drive from the park.

And whether you want to spend some quiet time walking the miles of sandy beaches and beautiful coastal paths, or want to venture into the vibrant nearby city of Bristol, Brean is a great location for a holiday.

Something for everyone

There is a good choice of accommodation on site, so there should be something to suit everyone’s tastes. If you would rather be away from the hustle and bustle of the main site, you may prefer Golden Sands, a smaller, quieter complex, located a half mile down the road from the main resort.

Golden Sands is right next to the beach, and is designed for people looking for a more tranquil setting. Apart from weekends and school holidays, this area is aimed predominantly at adults only.

If you’re looking for a park with plenty to offer, Holiday Resort Unity is the place to go. Swimming, golf, bingo, a resident show band... variety is the spice of life after all!

New development

The latest move for the House family business is the opening of Mendip View – a small, exclusive development of fully residential specification homes for the over 50s, with 11 month use. These properties are separate from the main site in a more peaceful cul-de-sac, and command excellent views over the Bristol Channel.

Make an investment

A holiday home at Holiday Resort Unity would make an excellent investment and would appeal to a very wide audience. If you are thinking of earning income from your property, you can either sub-let directly or, if you don’t fancy managing the booking, cleaning and advertising yourself, you can go through the third party agency that works in partnership with the park.

FOR SALE

At the time of writing there was a large selection of homes available to buy on site, including new homes and second hand properties for sale on behalf of the owners. New homes included a Regal Autograph 40x13, two bedrooms, en-suite shower, plus free decking, £48,995; Willerby Leven 37x12, two bedrooms, £33,500; Victory Vision 35x12, two bedrooms, £26,300; Willerby Granada 35x12, two bedrooms, £32,445; Regal Elegance 36x12, two bedrooms, £31,900; Willerby Rio 35x12, three bedrooms, £25,900; Willerby Aspen 37x12 (2009 model), two bedrooms, £41,700. Prices include full 12 months manufacturer’s warranty, delivery, siting and connection charges.

LOCAL INFO

• Local amenities: The area is set up for holiday makers and so is full of shops and cafés. There is a small on-site supermarket – open daily for all your essentials including newspapers and magazines. The nearest post office is in Brean, less than a mile away.
• Health: The nearest health centres are in Burnham-on-Sea – a good-sized town with plenty of doctors, dentists, and other health services to choose from. There is a small hospital in Burnham, with a minor injuries unit operating for limited hours during the day. Weston General Hospital in Weston-Super-Mare has a 24 hour emergency department.
• Public Transport: A regular bus service stops just outside the park, with good links into nearby towns. There is a small station five miles away in Highbridge that serves Highbridge and Burnham-on-Sea, but Weston-Super-Mare has an excellent mainline train station and is only a few miles further.
• Eating & drinking: There are lots of reasonable places to eat and drink within easy walking distance, including a café and takeaway on site. If you want something a little quieter, there are plenty of pubs and restaurants in Burnham and Weston. The Dunstan Inn on Love Lane in Burnham-on-Sea is a particularly nice pub, with a good selection of home cooked food and real ale.
• Entertainment: Holiday Resort Unity is run in conjunction with Brean Leisure Park, the largest fun park in the South West, with a whole host of attractions, entertainment venues and places to eat and drink. It is also home to regular open air markets and car boot sales. Brean Golf Club, also part of the complex, has an 18 hole meadowland course, as well as a nine hole pitch and putt, which is very popular with families.

WHAT CAN I DO AROUND HERE?

Brean Down – Owned by the National Trust, Brean Down is one of the most striking landmarks of the Somerset coastline. A bracing walk up and over the top provides fantastic views out along the coast on both sides and across the channel to Wales. At the top is Palmerston Fort, built in the 1860s.

Glastonbury Abbey – Parts of the abbey date back over 1,000 years, and as well as the remains, the grounds are stunning – more than 250 trees, plenty of seats and benches, and lots of opportunity for sitting and taking in the peaceful, tranquil surroundings. There are also many interesting exhibitions, talks and musical events. 

Weston-Super-Mare – Well loved for its long stretches of sandy beaches and famous sea-front donkeys. The Victorian pier was destroyed by fire in 2008, but has since been redeveloped. Other attractions include the fantastic SeaQuarium, with more than 30 exhibits, including sharks and rays.

Animal Farm – A popular destination with both holidaymakers and locals. Children can enjoy feeding and petting the animals, including chicken, sheep, donkeys, pigs and goats, and there is a nature trail around the park’s limits, where you can discover animal facts along the way. It also has a large indoor all-weather play barn.

CONTACT

Holiday Resort Unity (incorporating Unity Farm Holiday Centre and Brean Leisure Park), Coast Road, Brean Sands, Somerset TA8 2QY. Tel: 01278 751235. Sales: 01278 751602. Email: [email protected]. Web: www.hru.co.uk

• Pitch fees average £2,640pa, based on rates for ‘super pitches’; most of the pitches on the park are super pitches and include parking for two cars.
• Rates and services average £365pa
• Electricity metered and billed quarterly by the park
• About half the pitches are serviced with piped LPG; consumption is metered and charged quarterly by the park and there is also a £60 annual piped gas connection fee.
• Compulsory holiday home insurance averages £285pa
• Annual maintenance fee £95, including winter drain down and reconnection plus gas test
• Dogs are allowed
• Holiday home owners benefit from three car passes, plus 12 individual Privilege Passes, which give you free access to lots of the on-site entertainment, free fishing, plus half-price golf green fees.


This park review was published in the February 2011 issue of Park & Holiday Homes. To order a copy of Park & Holiday Homes please click here