Table of contents for February 2025 in Caravan

"Travel and change of place impart new vigour to the mind" Seneca In the depth of winter, as this issue went to press, and 2025 has only just got going, it may seem hard to switch thoughts to planning caravan holidays for the coming year – but this is the perfect time, inspired by soon-to-be lengthening daylight hours. And we have a helping hand for you: the new Premier Parks brochure is now available to view as a digital magazine. Go to W bit.ly/premierparks25 to get your free page-turner. You can choose sites by type; for example, family sites and those that are dog-friendly. You’ll enjoy this brochure for its excellent level of information – and there’s more. W outandaboutlive.co.uk is now fully updated with the 2025 Premier Parks and…

Many people have that special place that they like to visit again and again; a bolthole, somewhere not too far from home but far enough for it to be a break from the everyday. When we had a motorhome we spent too much time travelling from one place to another to discover such a place. Now our life has altered, and we have a caravan, such a place has been discovered. Living in Somerset, the Cotswolds is a perfect place for us to revisit time and again and, having found a site next to the Gloucester and Sharpness Canal, we can indulge in another passion of ours: walking canals and taking in the industrial architecture. Furthermore, with the Stroudwater Canal and Thames and Severn Canal undergoing active restoration under the…

POLMANTER TOURING PARK Halsetown, St Ives, Cornwall TR26 3LX T 01736 795640 W polmanter.com OPEN 1 April – 31 October In a stunning location above the pretty coastal town of St Ives, Polmanter is no stranger to awards. The site has held gold awards from the Cornwall Tourism Awards from 2020 right up to 2025, a TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice Award for 2024 and five platinum stars from the AA. It also won awards in the South West Tourism Excellence Awards in the years 2018/19, 2020/21 and 2022/23. This high-quality site is just two miles from St Ives with a regular shuttle bus service running into the town (where parking can be a challenge). You can also enjoy country walks locally, and Polmanter has an array of facilities including an outdoor…

Lusso is the Italian word for luxury. Caravan manufacturers often choose names that have a strong link to a range’s appeal in the market, but few are the very personification of the name on the side. This is the third model in the Lusso line-up; it’s new for 2025. It’s a four-berth with fixed single beds, an L-shaped lounge (that converts to a double bed), a superb L-shaped kitchen and an end shower room that easily matches Coachman’s reputation for making super-luxury washing zones. And there’s something unique: a footstool/seat that can be moved anywhere in the lounge – and provides an extra option for dining seating. L-shaped lounges often present a challenge when four are dining; not so in the Lusso III. This was one of many elements that…

The Solway Firth, a tidal estuary edged by beaches, coves and salt marshes, separates England from Scotland. Awash with wriggling muddy channels of at least 12 rivers and numerous becks and burns, the Solway is a cocktail of freshwater and the salty Irish Sea. Catching my first glimpse of the glistening Solway as we drove towards the Cumbrian coast, I pointed out landmarks to Anthony, including Criffel, the distinctive Scottish hill, hazy in February sunshine. Ann Lingard’s book, The Fresh and The Salt, had inspired this trip. Her writing about the Solway encourages readers to look closely at small things as well as the big picture, and I had my first chance to try this at the seaside village of Allonby. In the stiff breeze the sand whipped across my…

Flaxton Meadows eco-campsite is located in North Yorkshire’s beautiful countryside renowned for its wildlife and scenery. Guests have a range of accommodation to choose from, including touring pitches (hardstanding or grass) with natural screening and electric hook-ups, and camping pitches with electric hook-up. There are also handcrafted luxury log cabins, built using the park’s experienced joiners. They provide a peaceful retreat for those wishing to enjoy nature, yet within easy reach of a wide range of amenities. We caught up with the owner, Jon Charters-Reid, to find out more. How long have you been running your campsite? Flaxton Meadows welcomed its first guests in 2020; it has been an interesting four years running an eco-campsite. Tell us a little about your site and how it first began I have always…

The rear island bed, central shower room concept appears in all caravan manufacturers’ ranges. But the vast majority of them are priced at over £30,000. The Adria Altea Dart brings the luxury of this super-popular layout into the realms of what may be termed budget caravans. But it didn’t become joint winner of this award on price alone, of course. What’s special about the Dart goes a lot further than its obvious value. For a start, it has U-shaped lounge seating, so at least five can sit here. And there’s versatility, in the form of a coffee and snacks table that hinges up from the front wall. You can’t use the centre front seating area when it’s in place, of course, but the whole point is that, when coffee time…

Keeping your caravan on your home premises is regarded as the most convenient solution to storage. It’s close to your house for cleaning, packing and unpacking – and it’s right there where you need it when you’re setting off on holiday. But storing a caravan in your garden is far from ideal for many caravan owners. Your garden may not be large enough; access roads may be too narrow – and there’s another consideration. That’s house security. If your caravan can be seen from the road, its absence when you are away signifies that the house may not be occupied. Solution: a storage arrangement that’s ideal for security in terms of both your house and your caravan. Caravan storage sites come in all shapes and sizes. The best – and…

Get ready for a year filled with music, dancing, and unforgettable nights under the stars; the 2025 Warners Shows season promises to be the most exciting yet. We’ve got five shows and two thrilling festivals, and at each, caravanners can look forward to three-plus nights of live entertainment. Although not all of the shows are directly titled as caravan events, pitches are suitable for caravans. There will be headline acts, brilliant live performances across a range of genres, and a welcoming community atmosphere. Check out the line-up. 2025 SHOWS THE NORFOLK MOTORHOME & CAMPERVAN SHOW, 18-20 JULY Theme: Out & About Live Summer Party The Norfolk Show becomes the official Out & About Live Summer Party. Expect an eclectic mix of music, comedy, and family-friendly fun. Live performances day and…

For a third consecutive year, HERCMA’s Caravan, Motorhome, and Holiday Home Trade Show will take place at the Great Yorkshire Showground in Harrogate, offering previews of the latest models. This year, the trade event will run from Monday 8 September to Wednesday 10 September, allowing industry professionals a first look at new models before the show opens to the public. The public days will follow from Friday 12 September to Sunday 14 September. HERCMA Managing Agent, Heather Parry, says the new schedule aims to support the industry’s annual cycle. “The new arrangement will enable us to launch the new models to the industry and the press first, before the public view them.” The trade show will feature new models and essential suppliers, providing a detailed look at developments for the…

This is a wonderful corner of Wales, so I hope that the following pages may give those of you planning to head to Wales for a walking, sightseeing, or beach holiday, a few ideas for diversifying into nature. There’s a lot to see, so I picked four locations to recommend, for when you are planning your caravan tours for 2025. High as a kite Nant yr Arian: a red kite feeding station; I think we’ve been to all the red kite feeding stations in Britain, but did we save the best until last? I didn’t visit with high expectations because summer is not the best season to see large numbers of kites. We arrived mid-morning on a sunny day in June; I wanted to get to know the place before…

A picturesque county in the East Midlands, Leicestershire is rich in history, natural beauty, and traditional English culture. Known for its rolling countryside, Leicestershire is home to several historic sites and traditional market towns that embody its charm and heritage. One fascinating site is Burrough Hill (pictured), an ancient Iron Age hill fort located on the edge of the village of Burrough-on-the-Hill. This elevated site provides panoramic views over the surrounding countryside, and archaeological excavations have revealed many Iron Age artefacts. Other county attractions include Belvoir Castle, and the market town of Melton Mowbray, known as the ‘Rural Capital of Food’, which is celebrated for its famous Melton Mowbray pork pies and Stilton cheese. Stay ▲ Eye Kettleby Lakes Holiday Park An adults-only, five-star touring park set in 150 acres of…

It’s time for a very special celebration – of excellence in the caravan market. Britain’s collection of caravans for 2025 includes some that are awesomely on target for their market, some caravans that are awesomely luxurious – and many that are awesomely good value for money. Awesome may be an overused word, but it’s spot-on to sum up many of the models that are right now paraded before your eyes if you are in the market for a new tourer. And that made our judging team’s task a daunting one. We perused the models at manufacturers’ launch events in the summer, at the Harrogate show in September, and at the NEC caravan show in October. Throughout, we inspected some cracking caravans, and so had a really tough task in the…

This caravan is a star performer in a number of ways. It’s extremely light in weight. It’s a family caravan. And it’s only £21,499. Add in its eye-catching shape that is guaranteed to appeal to buyers who want their caravan to be noticed on roads and on sites, and you can be sure that this four-berth caravan is something really special. Yes, there are a few other caravans that come into the weight category for this award. But caravans don’t win awards on figures alone. And the judges felt that the efficiency of this model as a family caravan merited recognition. That is especially true in terms of the amazing spaciousness of its combined shower/toilet room, that provides enough space for more than one little caravanner to shower at the…

sudoku If you are looking for a way to exercise your mind, sudoku is great and will certainly get the cogs turning! just for fun Find the 18 winter-related terms crossword ACROSS 1 French port city (2,5) 5 It may be called (5) 8 Winemaker (7) 9 Father’s brother (5) 10 Prop for Hamlet (5) 11 Tonsil’s neighbour (7) 12 Sort of (2,1,3) 14 Hooey (6) 17 Isotope of hydrogen (7) 19 Breakfast sizzler (5) 22 Halloween spirit (5) 23 Eastwood series (7) 24 Change, chemically (5) 25 Containing water (7) DOWN 1 Cats have nine of them (5) 2 Follower of the eternal religion (5) 3 Ice cream flavour (7) 4 Cerumen (6) 5 Thug (5) 6 Reveal (7) 7 Feudal estate (7) 12 Figure (7) 13 Flagstaff setting…