Full information about the following parks and visits can be found in the June 2005 issue of Practical Caravan. For back issues telephone 08456 777812. Admission Price and Opening Times were correct at the time of publishing. Please check for latest information before visiting.

Where to go: STEEP HOLM

Location Bristol Channel, Somerset
TIC Tel 01934 888800
Nearest mainland town Weston-super-Mare
 •  The five-mile excursion from Weston to this enormous chunk of limestone in the Bristol Channel usually starts at 8.30am. Along with lush Mediterranean vegetation, a wealth of bird life and timid muntjac deer, you’ll find the ruins of a 12th century priory and coastal defences from Victorian times and both world wars.
The Kenneth Allsop Memorial Trust owns the island, issues stamps and serves snacks from a former barracks.

Where to stay: Warren Farm Touring Park

Website www.warren-farm.co.uk
Open 24 March-30 October

Where to go: FLAT HOLM

Location Bristol Channel, South Glamorgan
TIC Tel 01446 747171
Nearest mainland towns Barry, Cardiff
 •  This island, part of Wales since the Norman Conquest, is more accessible than its sister, Steep Holm. The boat from Barry Island will give you three hours before the return trip, enough time to explore the old farmhouse, a cholera hospital built to isolate infected sailors, the Victorian fort and other buildings on the plateau. You can handle seagull chicks nesting on the paths – there are no predators, so they’re safe on the ground – and visit coves. Snacks are sold in the farmhouse visitors’ centre.

Where to stay: CARDIFF CARAVAN PARK

Tel 02920 398362
Open All year

Where to go: LUNDY

Location Off North Devon coast
TIC Tel 01304 211067
Nearest mainland towns www.english-heritage.org.uk
 •  Centuries ago it was a pirate’s lair, but now Lundy is a nature reserve inhabited by grey seals and 400 species of birds, and famous for the postage stamps it issues. It briefly had, in 1929, its own currency – the puffin and the half puffin – issued by the owner who declared Lundy a separate country; but Whitehall was having none of it. A two-hour cruise on the MS Oldenburg departs from Bideford and Clovelly. A track leads to the village atop the 400ft high cliffs. Explore the plateau and visit the Marisco Tavern for a pint before you sail back.

Where to stay: STOWFORD FARM MEADOWS

Web www.stowford.co.uk Open 18 March-31 October

Where to go: THE ISLES OF SCILLY

Location Off the western tip of Cornwall
TIC Tel 0845 710 5555
Nearest mainland towns Penzance
 •  According to legend, this archipelago of 55 islands is what remains of the lost land of Lyonesse, destroyed in anger by Merlin after King Arthur’s death.
Five of the isles, the nearest of which is 20 miles off Land’s End, are inhabited. Among them, Tresco has the tropical Abbey Gardens, St Martin has inviting beaches, and St Mary’s, the capital, is where most of the isles’ 2000 inhabitants live.
One way of getting there is a day trip on RMV Scillionian III, or you can fly from Land’s End or Newquay to St Mary’s.

Where to stay: POLMANTER TOURING PARK

Web www.polmanter.com
Open 25 March-30 October

Where to go: BURGH ISLAND

Location Off Bigbury-on-Sea, South Devon
TIC Tel 01548 853195
Nearest mainland towns Kingsbridge
 •  You can walk to Burgh Island at low tide from the tiny resort of Bigbury-on-Sea. But when the tide is high, board the sea tractor, which resembles a giant bus on stilts.
Here you’ll find the 14th century Pilchard Inn, once the haunt of notorious smuggler Tom Crocker, as well as the art deco Burgh Island Hotel. Access is free and you can walk to the top of the cliff-ringed island for sweeping views of Bigbury Bay.

Where to stay: WOODLANDS LEISURE AND CARAVAN PARK

Web www.woodlandspark.com
Open 18 March-6 November

Where to go: BROWNSEA ISLAND

Location Poole Harbour, Dorset
TIC Tel 01202 700852
Nearest mainland towns Poole, Swanage
 •  In the middle of the world’s second largest natural harbour lies Brownsea Island, its 500 acres of woods and heathland providing a home to deer and the rare red squirrel. Henry VIII built Branksea Castle there to defend the harbour and Lord Baden Powell started the scouting movement there in 1907.
The island is open every day from the end of March until the end of November, with regular ferries departing from Poole, and Sandbanks. Guided walks are offered around the nature reserve. The National Trust operates a restaurant, a shop and information centre. Landing fees, in addition to ferry tariffs, are £4.20 for adults and £2 for children (5-17); family tickets cost £10.40.

Where to stay: WILKSWORTH FARM CARAVAN PARK

Website www.wilksworthfarmcaravanpark.co.uk
Open Easter-31 October

Where to go: LINDISFARNE AND FARNE ISLANDS

Location North Sea
TIC Tel 01289 389004
Nearest mainland towns Seahouses
 •  At low tide you can drive along a causeway to Lindisfarne, or Holy Island, Britain’s “cradle of Christianity”, and visit the National Trust’s Lindisfarne Castle, the Priory Museum and St Aidan’s Winery.
The Farne Islands are reached by boat from Seahouses, six miles away. They are famous for a seabird sanctuary and seals. Inner Farne is the most accessible of the isles.

Where to stay: ORD HOUSE COUNTRY PARK

TIC Tel www.ordhouse.co.uk
Open All year

Where to go: HILBRE ISLANDS

Location Dee Estuary
TIC Tel 01516 484371
Nearest mainland towns West Kirkby, Wirral
 •  The resort of West Kirby is the starting point for walking across the estuary of the River Dee – when low-tide turns it into an enormous sandflat – to Little Eye, Little Hilbre and Hilbre Island.
These are superb for watching birds, with rare species stopping off here, as well as seals. Hilbre Island, the biggest, is a nature reserve. Keep an eye on the sea, which surrounds the islands three hours before high tide.

Where to stay: CHESTER FAIROAKS CARAVAN CLUB SITE

Website www.caravanclub.co.uk
Open All year (No arrivals are accepted on Christmas or New Year’s days.)

Where to go: WEST PEMBROKESHIRE

Location Irish Sea
TIC Tel 01646 603123
Nearest mainland towns St David’s, Milford Haven
 •  This group, the remotest part of Wales comprises, four spectacular rocky islands in the Irish Sea: Ramsey, Skokholm and Skomer, which lie just off the west coast of Pembrokeshire, and the lonely outpost of Grassholm, eight miles from the mainland. All four are now nature reserves and can be visited at many times of the year, but visitor numbers are restricted on Skomer. Seabirds thrive because there are no natural predators. Day trips are available to each; be prepared for an early start. Some include whale and dolphin watching.

Where to stay: CAERFAI BAY CARAVAN AND TENT PARK

Website www.caerfaibay.co.uk
Open 1 March-15 November

Where to go: CALDEY ISLAND

Location Carmarthen Bay
TIC Tel 01834 842404
Nearest mainland towns Tenby
 •  This 449-acre haven of peace and repose is the destination for popular boat trips from Tenby, with nine vessels operating regular service between Easter and October over the 20-minute crossing.
The island is owned by Cistercian monks who live in a fairy-tale, neo-Tyrolean monastery, making chocolates and perfumes for a living.
You can walk around the beautiful island with its splendid sandy beaches, and enter the monastery. The facilities include a gift shop and a café. The island is closed on Sundays.

Where to stay: NOBLE COURT HOLIDAY PARK

Website www.noblecourtholidaypark.com
Open 1 March-31 October

Full information about the following parks and visits can be found in the June 2005 issue of Practical Caravan. For back issues telephone 08456 777812. Admission Price and Opening Times were correct at the time of publishing. Please check for latest information before visiting.