Anyone done a Haven holiday and care to recommend a park?

[TitsalinaBumSquash]

We're looking at a Haven holiday for the first week of Sept, anywhere in the UK is fine. We have 2 DS (5&7) to entertain.
Have you been on a Haven holiday? Would you recommend or warn us off the park you were in?
We would like somewhere with near by places to visit and preferably a play park for the children. :)

We went camping (so can't speak for the actual caravans) at the one next to Chesil beach in Weymouth last year.
Had a great time - to our suprise tbh - as the playpark was good, swimming pools busy but clean, and there is a bus direct from the site to Weymouth beach every 30 min. Lots to do locally.

Yes, but can't recommend the park.

We were at Haggerston Castle - the area around the park is lovely and well worth a visit but the park is dreadful.

Only one play area and you have to go through the 'entertainment' centre to get there. The caravan was damp and cold.

You'd be better with a decent campsite that has mobile homes.

We went to Haggerston Castle in Northumberland a couple of years ago. Luckily we were in an area away from the main part of the site. It was pretty grim. The shop on site didn't even sell any fresh fruit or veg and the general clientele was pretty Jeremy kyleesk. Sorry if I am insulting anyone but it was. The swimming pool was ok but best to be out before 11 when the herds arrived. Restaurant was dire but fine if you liked chips and burgers.
However it was an absolutely fab base for exploring the surrounding area. There were some pretty amazing beaches that were secluded and so pretty. Loads to do if you don't mind driving and the kids had one of their best holidays so far.
We even went to Edinburgh for the day which was a bit of a drive but worth it.
I would also make sure that you book the higher spec mobile home. They are a bit basic otherwise.

oh. Herbsmum - glad that it wasn't me being snobbish about Haggerston. :)

Agree that the area is fab - Alnwick Castle is close and was a great day out. Lindisfarne is beautiful, and reachable by a causeway so fun for the kids.

Phew. Yep it was pretty grim. Even my husband who is far from snobby, asked me what had I done taking them there.
Would consider going again just for the area.

Mablethorpe was awful.
£400 for an average caravan for the weekend.
Had to pay between £1 and £5 per go for some of the kids rides - disgusting I say.

Haven at Doniford Bay is lovely.

Have you tried Park Resorts? They are what used to be Havens smaller parks, until they sold them off. Park Resorts did them up, and they tend to be nicer, and much cheaper. They are currently advertising a summer sale too.

Me me me! I have my touring Caravan sited at Haven in Mabelthorpe (Golden sands) It is staying there till November. I take kids every other weekend and it is lovely there. The beach is just across the road and it is a really nice clean beach. There is a seal sanctuary just down the road (walking distance) and there is a sand train which runs from the seal sanctuary to mabelthorpe centre which is really handy for little legs!
There is plenty facilities on site including a spar shop, papa johns pizza (who will deliver to your caravan), Fish shop, launderette, cash machine.
There is the arcades and fun fare, 2 swimming pools, soft play area and there is a lot of free kids clubs (hoola hooping, circus skills, arts and crafts, dancing, football etc.)
There is 2 bars and a restaurant, night time entertainment is pretty manic and you need to get there early if You want a seat but overall its very good for the kids.

St. Minver in Cornwall is quite nice., I do not like the big 'all action, all drinking, entertainment ' types of site, but this is a small site and you do not have to go to their 'club if you chose not to BIG PLUS is you are close to Polzeath, Wadebridge, Rock etc.

Greenacres in Wales is lovely we have stayed their a few times recently

We did "stay" at one in Scarbough a few years back. When I say stayed we looked at 3 different caravans, each as dirty as the previous and then got our money back!

Herbs
There is a private caravan park just up the road in Berwick - supposed to be much nicer.

We went because my mum used Tesco coupons. She said, "You might not like it cause it is not very posh", before we went but even she thought it was grim.

Hi
Have just got back from Haven Hopton, Near Great Yarmouth, yesterday! It was a brill site! Cant praise it enough, loads to do with the kids, lovely clean park, staff cant do enough for you to make your holiday a good one!
Good well stocked Spa shop onsite, Tesco superstore 5/10 mins away in car. Direct access to the beach, indoor/outdoor pools-lovely & clean again!!
Great Yarmouth & Lowestoft both 10 mins away in car.
Loved it there, defo going again!! We stayed in a Platinum caravan, which is the top of the range caravan-dishwasher, beds made up for your arrival, bath towels provided, lovely electric reclining chairs in lounge, doule room with ensuite bathroom-shower over bath, 2nd bathroom with shower cubicle, pull out sofa bed in lounge.
Ill stop now<img loading="lazy" class="inline-flex mumsnet-emoji" alt="Blush" src="https://www.mumsnet.com/build/assets/blush-Brh13p-7.png">, its just that I found the whole site/holiday fab!!!

I have only been to Kiln Park in Tenby. I wouldn't rush back. Caravan was dirty, next door to the shower block for camping. I didn't like the queuing up for bed linen. it's quite a walk from Tenby too.

We went to Haven Golden sands, I think in Mablethorpe, about 10 years ago-that put us off totally for Haven, so dirty over the whole site-caravan included, staff were awful, unhelpful, couldnt be bothered<img loading="lazy" class="inline-flex mumsnet-emoji" alt="Sad" src="https://www.mumsnet.com/build/assets/sad-q5SIe0Cq.png"><img loading="lazy" class="inline-flex mumsnet-emoji" alt="Angry" src="https://www.mumsnet.com/build/assets/angry-BLHnmhGV.png">. We only went again this year because we had some Thomas Cook vouchers to spend & we wanted to go to a family site in the UK that Thomas Cook did. Ive been worried about ever since I booked it, but my worries were unfounded-see above post!!
Sorry, I dont mean to undermine your holiday<strong>Sparklingbrook</strong>-but Ive been there too with Haven & have only just gone back to them on a different site to a lovely holiday[smile

Agree with herbsmum avoid Haggerston Castle like the plague. Our actual caravan was quite nice as was the scenery outside the site but the surroundings were pretty dreadful.

Does it have to be Haven we have stayed at Fallbarrow and Limefitt and Whitecross Bay with these people www.slholidays.co.uk and they have playparks and a shop but found it much more low key than Haven.

Avoid Combe Haven near Hastings. It was dire and put me off Haven for life. The chalet was damp and dirty, the bed was broken and they refused to do anything about it, the TV was precariously placed in its' unit and I spent the entire week terrified that dd would pull it onto herself, it was within sniffing distance of the local landfill site and the fourteen year old staff were disinterested. I complained when we got home to their head office but they couldn't have cared less. I have never been to any other Haven park (and I never will) so I don't know how it compares to others but I've heard bad things about hafan y mor and kiln park too.

I've stayed in a few, like everyone else found Haggerstone Castle really grim. Caravan was cold, on site food/entertainments were dire, pool was tiny.

If you go with park resorts and have any clubcard vouchers £5 turns into £20 to spend but you'd have to sort them in advance pre booking.

Seashore in Yarmouth was very nice, although the pool was small and quite busy.

We liked Primrose Valley, but its like a city - pool bit is nice and entertainment good, but the'funfair' was extra as was most of the other things.

Hafan Y Mor was dire - we left early.

Caister is really nice too. We went there a lot as children and I have taken my DC's back too.

I've always liked Rockley Park, I used to holiday there every year as a child when it was owned by a fabulously glam lady called Ruth Lloyd. Oh how I'd love it if someone else remembered it then too!

Devon cliffs - we are off there next May.

Vagaceratops - can you elaborate about Hafan y Mor? As it is our closest one I was considering it for a short break later in August but any reasons why this is not a good idea would be useful. (I'm slightly put off by the fact that it used to be Butlins and my mother spent her summers working as a chambermaid there back in the 50s!) There's one in Porthmadog too I noticed - has anyone been there?

The park itself was nice, and the swimming pool was brilliant.

However everything is more money, and the accommodation was terrible - our 'gold' apartment was more like something from the eastern block! Filthy and mouldy smelling.