Diamond Jubilee celebrations for one of the UK’s first holiday caravan parks
17 May 2011
Since that day in 1951, Oakdown Touring and Holiday Caravan Park,
which is still owned and run by the same family, has notched up an enviable
portfolio of awards, including a recent Alan Rogers 'Best Country Campsite' award.
Doreen Franks runs the park with her husband Roger, son Alastair and daughter in law Andrianna. It was Doreen’s father, farmer Edgar Ellis, who was originally approached by a young local businesswoman called Jill Bennett with the entirely new concept of siting a caravan in the corner of one of his fields to let for caravan holidays. Mrs Bennett, who now lives in a nearby Devon village, ran the business for several years, growing the number of static caravans to five before Doreen took over the business when the site needed to be formally licensed under the new Camping and Caravan Act 1960. The original site, known as Dolphin Farm Site, was registered by Jill Bennett with the National Federation of Site Operators (NFSO), now the British Holiday and Home Parks Association (BH&HPA).
Mrs Bennett, now 101, remains a close friend of the Franks family and is joining them for the special anniversary celebrations at Oakdown. She said: “They’ve come a long way since I first convinced them to let me put a caravan in their field, and it is amazing to see how it’s developed over the years. I still come back whenever I can to enjoy the beautiful scenery and the Franks’ hospitality. What is not in doubt is the lovely atmosphere that Doreen and her family provide to their guests.”
Commandeered by the RAF in World War 2, the fields are dotted with old buildings and radar stations that today house top class toilet, shower, laundry and kitchen facilities.
Over the years the site has gone from success to success and now accommodates 72 static caravans with space for 150 touring caravans and storage for another 150. Following recent planning consent the Franks family are planning an extension to the site next year, paying the same careful attention to the environment, design, layout and facilities.
