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Which John Fowler Caravan Holiday Park Is Best? 2024 Guide
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John Fowler is a popular name in the UK caravan holiday park market. They've got 12 holiday parks across the Westcountry and in Wales (or 13 holiday parks if you count the two adjacent Somerset parks as separate sites).
About half of John Fowler's holiday parks are in Cornwall, whilst the rest are in Devon, Somerset and Wales. You tend to get more activities included in the upfront price with John Fowler Holidays, when compared to some holiday parks. Several resorts have evening entertainment, kids' clubs, swimming pools and beach access at some resorts. But which is the best John Fowler holiday park? We've looked at them all to see which offers the best value for money and which has the best reviews, the best location and the best range of facilities. If you want the summary without all the waffle, we think that the best John Fowler holiday parks are
If you want the full details, please read on: |
South Bay Holiday Park is one of John Fowler's 'Big Lively Parks'
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Which John Fowler holiday park is in the best location?
Let's start with figuring out which John Fowler Holiday Park is easiest to get to. After all, a long drive with children can be pretty grim, particularly if the battery runs out on your tablet before you reach Stonehenge.
We'll look at travel times from Birmingham as an example.
From Birmingham, you could reach the John Fowler Holiday Parks in Somerset in about 2 hours (Sandy Glade Holiday Park and Sandy Meadows Lodge Park).
Meanwhile, John Fowler's three Devon holiday parks are about 3 hours 30 minutes away from Birmingham (Combe Martin Beach Holiday Park, Sandaway Beach Holiday Park and South Bay Holiday Park). John Fowler's Welsh holiday park is a similar distance (Llanrhidian Holiday Park).
If you want to visit one of their Cornwall holiday parks then four of them are roughly four hours' drive away from Birmingham (Killigarth Manor Holiday Park, Widemouth Bay Caravan Park and Trelawne Manor Holiday Park). Cardigan Bay Holiday Park in Wales is a similar length journey.
Tolroy Manor Holiday Park, St Ives Holiday Village and Perran View Holiday Park are about another half an hour, so a total of about 4 hours 30 minutes.
Unless you live in the Westcountry, you'll find that it's a similar story from other parts of the UK - Cornwall is a really long drive whilst Devon is a bit simpler, and Somerset is much easier. Personally, I think that Cornwall has the best scenery, but Devon has some great bits as well. I have a great deal of affection for Somerset (as a former resident), but I don't personally think that the coastline and beaches are quite as spectacular.
We'll look at travel times from Birmingham as an example.
From Birmingham, you could reach the John Fowler Holiday Parks in Somerset in about 2 hours (Sandy Glade Holiday Park and Sandy Meadows Lodge Park).
Meanwhile, John Fowler's three Devon holiday parks are about 3 hours 30 minutes away from Birmingham (Combe Martin Beach Holiday Park, Sandaway Beach Holiday Park and South Bay Holiday Park). John Fowler's Welsh holiday park is a similar distance (Llanrhidian Holiday Park).
If you want to visit one of their Cornwall holiday parks then four of them are roughly four hours' drive away from Birmingham (Killigarth Manor Holiday Park, Widemouth Bay Caravan Park and Trelawne Manor Holiday Park). Cardigan Bay Holiday Park in Wales is a similar length journey.
Tolroy Manor Holiday Park, St Ives Holiday Village and Perran View Holiday Park are about another half an hour, so a total of about 4 hours 30 minutes.
Unless you live in the Westcountry, you'll find that it's a similar story from other parts of the UK - Cornwall is a really long drive whilst Devon is a bit simpler, and Somerset is much easier. Personally, I think that Cornwall has the best scenery, but Devon has some great bits as well. I have a great deal of affection for Somerset (as a former resident), but I don't personally think that the coastline and beaches are quite as spectacular.
Sandyaway Beach Holiday Park in Devon
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Cardigan Bay Holiday Park joined the John Fowler family in 2022
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Which John Fowler Holiday Park gets the best reviews?
We added together the review scores on TripAdvisor, Google reviews and Hoseasons to come up with an average score for each John Fowler Holiday Park. We did our searches in October 2023
From highest rated to lowest rated:
So, the highest scoring John Fowler holiday parks are Cardigan Bay Holiday Park and Sandy Meadows Lodge Park. However, Sandy Meadows Lodge Park is quite a different park to the other John Fowler caravan sites. The accommodation is posher and more expensive, and it shares facilities with Sandy Glade Holiday Park which is next door.
After that, there are seven holiday parks with not a great deal between them. Killigarth Manor Holiday Park and Trelawne Manor Holiday Park are fighting it out to be the best John Fowler holiday park in Cornwall whilst South Bay Holiday Park is the most popular John Fowler holiday park in Devon.
From highest rated to lowest rated:
- Cardigan Bay Holiday Park, Wales – 5/5 on TripAdvisor, 4.6/5 on Google reviews, 4.6/5 on Hoseasons = average of 4.7/5
- Sandy Meadows Lodge Park, Somerset - 4.5/5, 4.7/5, 4.4/5 = 4.5/5
- Llanrhidian Holiday Park, Wales – 4.5/5, 4.5/5, 4.6/5 = 4.5/5
- Killigarth Manor Holiday Park, Cornwall – 4/5, 4.5/5, 4.5/5 = 4.3/5
- Perran View Holiday Park, Cornwall - 4/5, 4.3/5, 4.3/5 = 4.2/5
- Trelawne Manor Holiday Park, Cornwall – 4, 4.3/5, 4/5 = 4.1/5
- South Bay Holiday Park, Devon – 4/5, 4.3/5, 4.2/5 = 4.1/5
- Sandaway Beach Holiday Park, Devon - 4/5, 4.1/5, 4.1/5 = 4.0/5
- St Ives Holiday Village, Cornwall - 4/5, 4/5, 4.1/5 = 4.0/5
- Combe Martin Beach Holiday Park, Devon - 3.5/5, 4.3/5, 3.9/5 = average of 3.9/5
- Tolroy Manor Holiday Park, Cornwall - 3.5/5, 4.1/5, 4/5 = 3.8/5
- Widemouth Bay Caravan Park, Cornwall - 3.5/5, 4.1/5, 3.9/5 = 3.8/5
- Sandy Glade Holiday Park, Somerset – 3.5/5, 4/5, 3.9/5 = 3.8/5
So, the highest scoring John Fowler holiday parks are Cardigan Bay Holiday Park and Sandy Meadows Lodge Park. However, Sandy Meadows Lodge Park is quite a different park to the other John Fowler caravan sites. The accommodation is posher and more expensive, and it shares facilities with Sandy Glade Holiday Park which is next door.
After that, there are seven holiday parks with not a great deal between them. Killigarth Manor Holiday Park and Trelawne Manor Holiday Park are fighting it out to be the best John Fowler holiday park in Cornwall whilst South Bay Holiday Park is the most popular John Fowler holiday park in Devon.
Llanrhidian Holiday Park in Wales is a high scorer with customers
Which John Fowler holiday park is cheapest?
This is where it gets interesting!
For a rough price comparison, we looked for the cost of a family holiday for four people during two different school holidays - early August 2024 and October half term in 2024.
Prices for a family of four for a week at a John Fowler holiday park in early August 2024:
Prices for a week at October half term 2024:
So, Sandy Meadows Lodge Park and Cardigan Bay Holiday Park are usually the most expensive John Fowler holiday parks. The higher prices at Sandy Meadows Lodge Park makes sense as it offers a completely different type of accommodation which is much more spacious. Meanwhile, the adjoining Sandy Glade Holiday Park is the cheapest or thereabouts in our price comparison.
Cardigan Bay Holiday Park became a John Fowler resort in 2022 after building up an outstanding reputation over a number of years, so I can see why it is more expensive than some resorts.
Sandaway Beach Holiday Park and Combe Martin Beach Holiday Park are John Fowler's cheapest Devon holiday parks when we checked. Killigarth Manor Holiday Park and Widemouth Bay Caravan Park are the cheapest John Fowler Cornwall holiday parks.
Some boring notes on our price comparison: We didn't include camping pods, such as those at Widemouth Bay Caravan Park. For the October half term, we looked at a week from 25/10/23. At a couple of sites, the following week was actually more expensive, presumably because half term dates vary. We searched for the cheapest accommodation available and carried out our searches in October 2023. We didn't include any optional extras or upgrades.
For a rough price comparison, we looked for the cost of a family holiday for four people during two different school holidays - early August 2024 and October half term in 2024.
Prices for a family of four for a week at a John Fowler holiday park in early August 2024:
- Sandy Glade Holiday Park, Somerset - £899
- Sandaway Beach Holiday Park, Devon - £1019
- St Ives Holiday Village, Cornwall - £1019
- Killigarth Manor Holiday Park, Cornwall - £1039
- Widemouth Bay Caravan Park, Cornwall - £1039
- Combe Martin Beach Holiday Park, Devon - £1049
- South Bay Holiday Park, Devon - £1059
- Trelawne Manor Holiday Park, Cornwall - £1084
- Llanrhidian Holiday Park, Wales - £1089
- Tolroy Manor Holiday Park, Cornwall - £1119
- Perran View Holiday Park, Cornwall - £1119
- Cardigan Bay Holiday Park, Wales £1229
- Sandy Meadows Lodge Park, Somerset - £1599
Prices for a week at October half term 2024:
- Sandy Glade Holiday Park, Somerset - £369
- St Ives Holiday Village, Cornwall - £369
- Sandaway Beach Holiday Park, Devon - £369
- Combe Martin Beach Holiday Park, Devon - £379
- Killigarth Manor Holiday Park, Cornwall - £379
- Widemouth Bay Caravan Park, Cornwall - £379
- Trelawne Manor Holiday Park, Cornwall - £379
- South Bay Holiday Park, Devon - £399
- Tolroy Manor Holiday Park, Cornwall - £434
- Perran View Holiday Park, Cornwall - £459
- Cardigan Bay Holiday Park, Wales - £509
- Llanrhidian Holiday Park, Wales - £539
- Sandy Meadows Lodge Park, Somerset - £759
So, Sandy Meadows Lodge Park and Cardigan Bay Holiday Park are usually the most expensive John Fowler holiday parks. The higher prices at Sandy Meadows Lodge Park makes sense as it offers a completely different type of accommodation which is much more spacious. Meanwhile, the adjoining Sandy Glade Holiday Park is the cheapest or thereabouts in our price comparison.
Cardigan Bay Holiday Park became a John Fowler resort in 2022 after building up an outstanding reputation over a number of years, so I can see why it is more expensive than some resorts.
Sandaway Beach Holiday Park and Combe Martin Beach Holiday Park are John Fowler's cheapest Devon holiday parks when we checked. Killigarth Manor Holiday Park and Widemouth Bay Caravan Park are the cheapest John Fowler Cornwall holiday parks.
Some boring notes on our price comparison: We didn't include camping pods, such as those at Widemouth Bay Caravan Park. For the October half term, we looked at a week from 25/10/23. At a couple of sites, the following week was actually more expensive, presumably because half term dates vary. We searched for the cheapest accommodation available and carried out our searches in October 2023. We didn't include any optional extras or upgrades.
John Fowler's Sandy Glade Holiday Park is one of their cheaper resorts
Which John Fowler Holiday Park is nearest to the beach?
Some of the John Fowler Holiday Parks have the advantage of easy beach access whilst others require you to get into the car for a beach trip.
- The John Fowler holiday parks right next to beaches are South Bay Holiday Park (down lots of steep steps), Sandaway Beach Holiday Park ('private shingly beach') and Combe Martin Beach Holiday Park.
- Widemouth Bay Caravan Park, Sandy Glade Holiday Park, Cardigan Bay Holiday Park and Sandy Meadows Lodge Park are all about a 10-minute walk from the beach.
- Killigarth Manor Holiday Park is a 5-minute drive to the beach. Trelawne Manor Holiday Park, Perran View Holiday Park, St Ives Holiday Village and Tolroy Manor Holiday Park are all about 10 minutes' drive to the beach. Llanrhidian Holiday Park is about 20 minutes to a beach.
The swimming pool at John Fowler's Combe Martin Beach Holiday Park overlooks the beach
Which accommodation at John Fowler Holidays is best?
The caravans at John Fowler holiday parks are graded, with the 'value' caravans being the cheapest. It then goes bronze, silver, gold, platinum and diamond. As you may guess, the newer models tend to be the higher grades.
Some of the differences are to do with added extras and conveniences. For example, the cheaper grades of accommodation have a later check in time than the more expensive accommodation. You also get your beds made with the more expensive grades.
Also, pets are only allowed in the cheaper accommodation (with some exceptions).
Other extras that you get with the more expensive accommodation at John Fowler include dishwashers, an extra TV and better insulation to keep you warm.
You'll find that the cost of upgrading accommodation with John Fowler is greater during peak season, so you may want to pay a little bit extra if you're visiting outside of school holidays.
There are also holiday lodges at some John Fowler holiday parks. These cost more but are a lot more spacious. At the time of writing, you can hire lodges at:
Some of the differences are to do with added extras and conveniences. For example, the cheaper grades of accommodation have a later check in time than the more expensive accommodation. You also get your beds made with the more expensive grades.
Also, pets are only allowed in the cheaper accommodation (with some exceptions).
Other extras that you get with the more expensive accommodation at John Fowler include dishwashers, an extra TV and better insulation to keep you warm.
You'll find that the cost of upgrading accommodation with John Fowler is greater during peak season, so you may want to pay a little bit extra if you're visiting outside of school holidays.
There are also holiday lodges at some John Fowler holiday parks. These cost more but are a lot more spacious. At the time of writing, you can hire lodges at:
- Sandy Meadows Lodge Park and Sandy Glade Holiday Park in Somerset
- Trelawne Manor Holiday Park, St Ives Holiday Village and Killigarth Manor Holiday Park in Cornwall
- Llanrhidian Holiday Park in Wales
- Sandaway Beach Holiday Park in Devon
Sandy Meadows Lodge Park has some classy accommodation with hot tubs...
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...and open plan living spaces which are much more spacious than caravans
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Which John Fowler holiday park has the best facilities?
John Fowler holiday parks vary in size and feel quite a bit.
Four of the John Fowler resorts are described as being quieter and more 'relaxing' than the other holiday parks. These are: Cardigan Bay Holiday Park in Wales, Combe Martin Beach Holiday Park in Devon, Perran View Holiday Park in Cornwall and Llanrhidian Holiday Park in Wales. These ones don't have as many facilities. For example, Llanrhidian Holiday Park and Combe Martin Beach Holiday Park only have outdoor swimming pools.
Four of the John Fowler parks are described as being 'Family Fun' parks. From what I can tell, these are mid-sized and have a good range of things to do for families. These include Widemouth Bay Caravan Park, Tolroy Manor Holiday Park and Killigarth Manor Holiday Park in Cornwall as well as Sandaway Beach Holiday Park in Devon.
Four of the John Fowler parks are described as being 'Big Lively Parks' and these have lots of onsite facilities and loads of caravans. These include South Bay Holiday Park in Devon, St Ives Holiday Village and Trelawne Manor Holiday Park in Cornwall and Sandy Glade Holiday Park in Somerset. Sandy Meadows Lodge Park doesn't have a lot of its own facilities, but it is next to Sandy Glade Holiday Park.
Four of the John Fowler resorts are described as being quieter and more 'relaxing' than the other holiday parks. These are: Cardigan Bay Holiday Park in Wales, Combe Martin Beach Holiday Park in Devon, Perran View Holiday Park in Cornwall and Llanrhidian Holiday Park in Wales. These ones don't have as many facilities. For example, Llanrhidian Holiday Park and Combe Martin Beach Holiday Park only have outdoor swimming pools.
Four of the John Fowler parks are described as being 'Family Fun' parks. From what I can tell, these are mid-sized and have a good range of things to do for families. These include Widemouth Bay Caravan Park, Tolroy Manor Holiday Park and Killigarth Manor Holiday Park in Cornwall as well as Sandaway Beach Holiday Park in Devon.
Four of the John Fowler parks are described as being 'Big Lively Parks' and these have lots of onsite facilities and loads of caravans. These include South Bay Holiday Park in Devon, St Ives Holiday Village and Trelawne Manor Holiday Park in Cornwall and Sandy Glade Holiday Park in Somerset. Sandy Meadows Lodge Park doesn't have a lot of its own facilities, but it is next to Sandy Glade Holiday Park.
The swimming pool at John Fowler's Somerset parks which is a 'Big Lively Park'
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John Fowler's Perran View Holiday Park is a 'quieter' and 'relaxed' resort
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Conclusion
Picking the best John Fowler Holiday Park is tricky, as it depends on what your priority is. Here are my thoughts:
If money is no object, I would take a look at Sandy Meadows Lodge Park in Somerset or Cardigan Bay Holiday Park in Wales.
Sandy Meadows Lodge Park gets the best reviews and has larger accommodation, but it is more expensive than other John Fowler resorts. The beach isn't quite as quick to get to as with some but getting to the resort will be a lot quicker for most people as it's not as far into the Westcountry. If you're on a tight budget, start with the adjacent Sandy Glade Holiday Park. Reviews aren't as good, but it was the cheapest John Fowler holiday park in our price comparison.
Cardigan Bay Holiday Park in Wales was bought by John Fowler holidays in 2022. It has established a remarkably positive reputation with glowing reviews, so I can see why they wanted it. It's walking distance to a beach, and it has a swimming pool, so it has plenty going for it. However, it's relatively expensive.
If you want a big John Fowler holiday park with access to a beach, good value for money and plenty to do then I would go for South Bay Holiday Park in Devon. It scores well with customers (third best overall), you can walk to the beach down some steep steps and it was mid-priced in our price comparison. As it's in Devon, it is also not such a massive drive and will be 30-60 minutes closer than some of the John Fowler Cornwall holiday parks for most people. Trelawne Manor Holiday Park is another good option - reviews and prices are similar but the beach is a little further away and it's a bit of a longer drive in the car.
If you want a mid-sized holiday park then Killigarth Manor Holiday Park in Cornwall is worth a look. It scores well with customers, it was one of the cheapest parks in our price comparison and it's only a short drive to the beach.
If you want a quiet John Fowler holiday park, then I would start by looking at Perran View Holiday Park if you want an indoor swimming pool or Combe Martin Beach Holiday Park if you want to be closer to the beach.
Llanrhidian Holiday Park has had very good reviews so far, but it's relatively expensive.
If money is no object, I would take a look at Sandy Meadows Lodge Park in Somerset or Cardigan Bay Holiday Park in Wales.
Sandy Meadows Lodge Park gets the best reviews and has larger accommodation, but it is more expensive than other John Fowler resorts. The beach isn't quite as quick to get to as with some but getting to the resort will be a lot quicker for most people as it's not as far into the Westcountry. If you're on a tight budget, start with the adjacent Sandy Glade Holiday Park. Reviews aren't as good, but it was the cheapest John Fowler holiday park in our price comparison.
Cardigan Bay Holiday Park in Wales was bought by John Fowler holidays in 2022. It has established a remarkably positive reputation with glowing reviews, so I can see why they wanted it. It's walking distance to a beach, and it has a swimming pool, so it has plenty going for it. However, it's relatively expensive.
If you want a big John Fowler holiday park with access to a beach, good value for money and plenty to do then I would go for South Bay Holiday Park in Devon. It scores well with customers (third best overall), you can walk to the beach down some steep steps and it was mid-priced in our price comparison. As it's in Devon, it is also not such a massive drive and will be 30-60 minutes closer than some of the John Fowler Cornwall holiday parks for most people. Trelawne Manor Holiday Park is another good option - reviews and prices are similar but the beach is a little further away and it's a bit of a longer drive in the car.
If you want a mid-sized holiday park then Killigarth Manor Holiday Park in Cornwall is worth a look. It scores well with customers, it was one of the cheapest parks in our price comparison and it's only a short drive to the beach.
If you want a quiet John Fowler holiday park, then I would start by looking at Perran View Holiday Park if you want an indoor swimming pool or Combe Martin Beach Holiday Park if you want to be closer to the beach.
Llanrhidian Holiday Park has had very good reviews so far, but it's relatively expensive.
Images are from John Fowler Holidays.
