John Fowler Holidays, Cornwall > Reviews (16)

We have stayed at three different John Fowler holiday parks in Cornwall (ang again next week) and have had a really good holiday. For us, we just want a base to come home to at night, as we spend the days out and about sightseeing.

There are 15 John Fowler Holiday Parks in Devon and Cornwall. Some of them in woodlands, some of them near beaches. All of them conveniently located.

I am only going to mention the three that we have stayed in.

ST IVES HOLIDAY VILLAGE
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St Ives is about 2 miles away. This park is near Hayle. We stayed here in September 2003. We payed around £70 for a four night break, Mon-Fri.

The chalets are set in over 100 acres of woodland, and there are squirrels running around outside your front door.

When you check in at reception they give you the usual pack of key, map, and leaflets on local attractions.

We stayed in a very basic Bronze chalet. This had one double bedroom and one twin bedroom. There was also a sofa-bed in the lounge. The amenities are very basic, but all necessary cooking utensils are there. The bathroom was tiny, but had a bath/shower in it.

There was a large heated indoor pool and the usual Club house with bar, restaurant, shop, takeaway etc. For children there is the Foxy Club and there is entertainment every evening for adults and children alike.

We enjoyed our stay here and had no cause for complaint. We visited St Ives, Lands End, Lizard Point, Fowey and many other places from here.

TRELAWNE MANOR HOLIDAY PARK
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- Billed as a Big & Lively park. This is in the grounds of a manor house, which is now the clubhouse. We paid £96 for a four-night break, Mon-Fri.

The park is near Looe

We stayed here in March 2004 and had no cause to complain.

We stayed in a first-floor apartment, not too far from the Clubhouse. There is ample parking outside. There are both indoor and outdoor pools here. Entertainment is provided nightly, there is the Foxy Club for children and the usual amenities of pool, arcade, crazy golf.

The apartment was on the ground floor of a two-storey building, in a terrace block. There was a double and twin bedroom, with a sofa-bed in the lounge, so could sleep 4/6 people. The bathroom had a shower in it.

The kitchen was small, but perfectly equipped. We did not have a kettle, but we asked at reception and one was delivered immediately. The park had only just opened for the year, so they were not fully up and running yet.

From here we visited St Austell, Charlestown, The Eden Project, Cornish Market World, Polperro, Looe, and many other places.

PERRAN VIEW HOLIDAY PARK
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We stayed here in March 2005. This park is billed as a Fun & Leisurely Park. It is 2 miles from Perranporth Beach and 10 miles from Newquay.

My partner actually proposed to me while we where there, on my birthday, so that was pretty amazing too. I should tell John Fowler, maybe they will give us a free holiday?!!!

We booked a two-storey villa for £96, which sleeps 4/6 people.

The villa was like a little 2 up 2 down house. In fact the whole park looked like a council estate! The kitchen was equipped with fridge, cooker, microwave. The tv was tiny. You only get a remote control if you stay in the top class accommodation.

The annoying thing about this park is that you have to park in a car park outside and then walk to your chalet. Ours was not too far, but any further and I would have been mad! It seems silly, as there is ample grass outside each house to park on.

There is a tennis court, Foxy Club, indoor heated pool with lifeguard, sauna, crazy golf, shop and food places. The Best of the West club was for the evening Bingo and Cabaret, but we usually tend to avoid that.

We were not given a map of the park, or any information on the pool etc, as that info had not been received yet as the park had only just opened.

From here we visited Newquay, Padstow, Tintagel and Boscastle, Port Isaac, Truro, Falmouth.

We live in Devon, so I doubt that we will visit many more John Fowler Parks, and we will have seen most of Cornwall when we return from this holiday, but I must say, we are very impressed with the places that we have stayed in. Having said that, I now discover that they have parks in Brixham, and Burnham on Sea, so there are two more that we can visit.

They are cheap and cheerful, and sometimes a bit shabby, but when you are out all day, and need a "home" to come back to, they are perfectly adequate. If you want a holiday to stay onsite all week, then there is plenty to do.

I would recommend these parks to families on a limited budget who want a short break. You can also of course stay for a full week.

PRICES
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There are always special offers on the website, and you can also request a brochure from there. This will give you full info on each park. For example, a 2/4 berth chalet in September would cost you £180 for a week. All weeks start on a Saturday.

For information telephone John Fowler on 01271 866766 from 9am to 10pm.