St Osyth Beach and Martello Beach Holiday Park in Essex Review

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​St Osyth Beach and Martello
Beach Holiday Park

What was the verdict on St Osyth Beach Holiday Park, now that it has merged with Martello Beach Park?

St Osyth Beach and Martello Beach Holiday Park were once two different resorts, but have now been merged together by their owners (Park Holidays UK).

We were intrigued to see what the combined resort was like and so decided to visit it this autumn. ​

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First impressions of St Osyth Beach and Martello Beach Holiday Park

The first thing that you pick up on as you arrive at St Osyth Beach and Martello Beach Holiday Park is the beautiful sandy beach.

I am guilty of overlooking the Essex coastline a little bit when I'm looking at my favourite parts of England's coastline - but it really is lovely. Some parts remind me of Norfolk or the Lincolnshire coast. The beach near the park has some lovely sand dunes and really soft sand. 

We loved the local beach near to St Osyth Beach and Martello Beach Holiday Park

This beach bar is a little way along the coast

As we approached the park, we first of all saw some of the older facilities. This is slightly confusing and we initially thought that these were the main facilities of the park. The swimming pool near the entrance looked to be closed and the sports court looked a little bit tired. 

However, as we explored the site we discovered that Park Holidays UK has invested a huge amount in this park. ​

This is the older swimming pool, which has been replaced with a newer facility

This older sports court has also been upgraded at St Osyth Beach and Martello Beach Holiday Park

The laundrette is near to the entrance at the resort

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Impressive new facilities at St Osyth Beach and Martello Beach Holiday Park

Towards the back of the holiday park, we came across the newer facilities, which include a lovely new sports court, an indoor swimming pool and other modern buildings with an arcade and so on. 

This sports court is one of several new facilities that impressed us at St Osyth Beach and Martello Beach Holiday Park

There are plenty of fast food options now at the park

The arcade is part of a new block of facilities

The new swimming pool is an excellent upgrade

This is what the pool looks like inside (this is an official photo)

St Osyth Beach and Martello Beach Holiday Park now has karts for hire

The onsite shop!

The playground at St Osyth Beach and Martello Beach Holiday Park

The roads in this newly improved part of the park were smooth as a mill pond and the whole thing was looking really fantastic. 

The restaurant has a lovely outside seating area with a big screen. We've noticed that these have been popping up at holiday parks from the likes of Haven, Parkdean Resorts and Away Resorts. 

We've recently seen them at parks such as Away Resorts Whitecliff Bay on the Isle of Wight, Haven Caister on Sea in Norfolk, and Haven Primrose Valley in Yorkshire. We think these are great fun, particularly when there is a big sporting event on (we watched the final of the women's Euros on the outdoor big screen at Whitecliff Bay Holiday Park).

The new restaurant and reception are looking great at St Osyth Beach and Martello Beach Holiday Park

This big screen is used for big events during the summer

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Accommodation at St Osyth Beach and Martello Beach Holiday Park

We found quite a range of accommodation with some very new looking lodges and caravans towards the back of the site and further away from the beach. Some of the caravans nearer to the entrance were a little older but none of them looked tatty. 

These are some of the caravans nearer to the entrance

The roads and caravans around the back of the park were the newest looking

I suppose the choice is whether you'd rather be in the smarter and newer section of the site or whether you rather be near to the lovely beach. Most of the site is flat so you won't get a sea view. Those caravans nearest to the beach are a little lower than the sea wall.

On the left of this bank is the beach, on the right is a row of caravans

This is the beach on the other side of the bank shown above

Towards the back of the site are some caravans overlooking fields. My advice would be to go in the newer part if you have a choice, but both areas have their advantages. 

Some caravans enjoy a bit of a view overlooking this stream

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Vibe and atmosphere at St Osyth Beach and Martello Beach Holiday Park

We felt that the caravans at the resort were quite well spaced out, particularly towards the back of the site. This gives the park a leafier and greener feel than some we've visited. 

We visited during an off-peak time of year. At peak times I could imagine that the new entertainment area would be buzzing with activity. 

The local area is quite unusual, with lots of small pebble-dashed rows of properties near to the beach. We didn't find much in the way of entertainment here so you will probably want to pop in the car and travel along to Clacton pier. 

We very much enjoyed the esplanade that connects this park with Clacton on Sea. We cycled along the sea front for most off the way. It would take you about 40 minutes on foot but on a bike it is quite quick.

The signposts at St Osyth Beach and Martello Beach Holiday Park have also been upgraded to give it a fresh look

We enjoyed watching the RNLI crew in action one of the local beaches

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An added twist!

These two holiday parks are also the sister park to Seawick Holiday Park. This is a similarly large holiday park that is just next door. If you stay at St Osyth Beach and Martello Beach Holiday Park then you can also use the facilities at Seawick. This is a real bonus in my opinion as it has its own swimming pool as well as things like a climbing wall and its own restaurant and amusement arcade. 

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Final thoughts on St Osyth Beach and Martello Beach Holiday Park ​

Now that these two sister parks have been merged, this is quite a large holiday park. The new facilities have given it a fantastic lift and are looking very smart. Combined with the beautiful beach, this is an appealing holiday park.

This tower is just outside the park and has its own trail