Devon holiday park set to mark 80th anniversary with year of celebrations
Eighty years of providing happy holidays on the Devon coast are being marked in 2023 by the family owners of Ladram Bay Holiday Park in Budleigh Salterton.
The five-star park is possibly the oldest in Britain to have remained under the same family's ownership for such a length of time – and a full year of celebrations is planned.
They will come to a climax in June when an all-stops-out party is planned to mark the same month in 1943 when Ladram Bay first began welcoming visitors.
It was then that farmer Frank Carter and his wife Margaret decided to allow Scouts to pitch up on their front field amid some of Devon's loveliest countryside.
The spectacular views of the bay and access to the farm's private beach soon won the site an enthusiastic following which quickly grew in numbers as news of it spread.
Eight decades on, Ladram Bay now welcomes customers from across the world, and provides one of the West Country's best equipped parks for family holidays.
Its high quality standards have won a top five-star grade for excellence from Visit England, and past accolades in the Devon Tourism Awards and South West Tourism Awards.
Ladram Bay is today owned and run by three of Frank and Margaret's children, Zoe House, Robin Carter, and Rowan Carter – and together they plan to make 2023 a very special year for Ladram Bay.
"Our parents were always keen that Ladram Bay should be remembered by guests not just for its wonderful setting, but also its friendly and welcoming character," said Zoe.
"With the help of our superb park team, I believe we are continuing to achieve that aim – and many of our guest reviews mention how incredibly well they felt looked after by our team.
"What's really satisfying for us is being able to welcome back second and third generations of the same families who started staying with as youngsters many years ago.
"Now they want the same experience for their children, and it's amazing to know that we are creating happy experiences that span literally decades," said Zoe.
In addition to the planned birthday celebration weekend on 09 June, there will be other themed events throughout the year, and a competition to try and find the earliest memory of the park.
And every guest aged 80-plus who pre-books their holiday in 2023 will be offered a cream tea.
Attractions at the park include an indoor climbing wall, indoor swimming pool and outdoor splash zone, watersports equipment hire, and adventure golf course.
Family entertainment including professional cabarets run throughout summer, and there are also bar, restaurant and take-away facilities providing freshly prepared food.
Ladram Bay offers holiday caravans and lodges to hire and to own, glamping accommodation, and pitches for touring guests – and everyone has use of the park’s stunning private beach.
There is more information about the park at www.ladrambay.co.uk
