North Morte Farm Caravan & Camping Park

...this Park!

North Morte Farm Caravan and Camping Park in North Devon (pictures below) is one, if not the, most beautiful sites in Devon. It is a family run caravan park adjoining National Trust Land. I decided I must write a review about this hidden beauty as it is a holiday that gives me butterflies. It has many many positives and just a few negatives which I will go into more detail about.


WHEN DID I STAY AND ...
...since childhood were going to North Morte Farm and he persuaded me to give it a try. My response was, 'Pardon me, we are staying in England?' Initially I was reluctant as I am not the countryside type. The thought of driving 6 hours to get there and set up a tent in the cold was my worst nightmare but my 'I'll give it a go' personality shone through and off we went down the M5. I have to say I was not going to give in on camping the traditional way, ... more

Do you like camping?
Do you like caravanning?
Do you like the outdoors?
If you answered yes to any of the above then you are missing out if you haven't visited this Park!

North Morte Farm Caravan and Camping Park in North Devon (pictures below) is one, if not the, most beautiful sites in Devon. It is a family run caravan park adjoining National Trust Land. I decided I must write a review about this hidden beauty as it is a holiday that gives me butterflies. It has many many positives and just a few negatives which I will go into more detail about.

WHEN DID I STAY AND WHY?
Most of my holidays as a child were abroad, Cyprus, Italy, France and Spain to name a few. My partner's holidays since childhood were going to North Morte Farm and he persuaded me to give it a try. My response was, 'Pardon me, we are staying in England?' Initially I was reluctant as I am not the countryside type. The thought of driving 6 hours to get there and set up a tent in the cold was my worst nightmare but my 'I'll give it a go' personality shone through and off we went down the M5. I have to say I was not going to give in on camping the traditional way, I made sure we were fully prepared with equipment, i.e. large stove, air bed, 3 duvets, kettle and food stand. (I had to have a few home comforts or I knew I would have flipped!)
We first camped there in May07 then went back in August07, caravanned in April08, camped in June08 and then again in September08. Oh Yes, I did visit this place 3 times this year, I love it that much!

I am also in the process of arranging a caravan there for another 2 visits next year, as well as a holiday in the scorching sun of course.

ACCOMODATION
-Main Caravans (they call them Holiday Homes)
The caravans at the farm are graded A-D according to age, type and interior, A being the older caravans and D the newest. Because of this they are priced differently. Prices do vary according also to the time of year and are charged at a weekly rate however if you only want to stay a long weekend the office will do their best to accommodate you.
Category A caravans starts from low season £230 to high season £450.
Category B starts from low season £260 to high season £515
Category C starts from low season £280 to high season £530
Category D starts from low season £280 to high season £550.
There isn't much difference between the pricing but I cannot really base an opinion on the interior of the lower graded caravans as I stayed in a Category D and have nothing but positives.
My caravan was lovely and very modern. I had enough space outside for 3 cars and a wooden terrace set up on the same level as the caravan entrance. We had a flat screen TV with a few free channels, DVD player, fully fitted kitchen with instruction manual (great for myself who doesn't have a clue how to operate something that doesn't belong to me), cleaning equipment, the caravan itself was immaculately clean, a few books, lots of brochures about where to visit, linen, lovely modern and comfy seating area, 2 bedrooms and 1 bathroom with 1 toilet roll to start is off. I was very happy and the best was yet to come. We had a hidden electric heater under the sink, and 2 others in the bedrooms also a gas fire in the lounge, very cosy and warm. The best feature was when I walked over to the back window of the caravan and I had the most amazing view overlooking part of the main camping site and the sea, I could have stared out that window all day. (picture below).

- Touring Caravans and Motor Homes
There is a separate site for the above accommodation and they are set on level land. They are next to the toilets and can be hooked up to electric etc. They each have quite a bit of room so are not crammed together at all. If you are lucky enough to set up your caravan or motor home nearest to the toilets then you will get a lovely view overlooking the campsite and of the sea.
The prices per night are as follows, (includes 2 adults only)
High Season - serviced pitch £19.50, standard pitch £17.50, children £3, dogs £2
Mid Season - serviced pitch £17.50, standard pitch £15.50, children £3, dogs £1.50
Low Season - serviced pitch £15, standard pitch £13, children £2.50, dogs £1.50.

-Camping
The first time I stayed at the farm was the time I nearly cried my eyes out all the way there because I knew I wouldn't have a sofa to collapse on after the drive,,,,I was camping!!!! Anyways when we arrived my partner said that it was best we go and see what available space they had before we paid. I just agreed so he told the office we wanted to have a look and they let us though the barrier. You have to drive past the little shop on the left, through the caravans and onto the field before you reach the campsite.
There are 3 fields available for camping, all on slopes! You keep driving along the road to the main camp site which is adjacent to the caravans and also the toilets and showers. To reach the two other fields you keep driving along the road and they are hidden behind a little hill. I shall warn you that there are only a few spots which are on level land! This can be a compete nightmare because when we camped we were left with a little spot just big enough for our tent. Pitching up was not the problem but after sleeping in our tent a couple of nights we found that our bedroom was sloping down the hill and we both ended up on the far side of the tent with our faces pressing against the damp lining. We had to cope but what got us through was knowing that we would wake to the most amazing view. (picture below)
The prices for camping have changed a little, when we first went it was £8/pitch in high season, now it is £8/ person in high season. Still not a bad price, however there is nothing to do at the actual farm itself. No swimming pool, no bar etc. There is a dog walking area and children's playground but that didn't appeal to us as we have no dog and no children!
The prices per night are as follows,
High season - £8.50/person, children (2-15 years) £3, dogs, £2, storage tent £5.
Mid Season - £7.50/person, children £3, dogs £1.50, storage tent is free.
Low Season - £6.00/person, children £2.50, dogs 31.50, storage tent is free.

Negatives
- Sloping camping fields.
- Can be extremely windy.
- When soggy grass you will struggle to drive your car up the field back onto the road.

AMENITIES
North Morte Farm is exactly what is says, a caravan and camping park, it is not a resort so there are no extra delights to look out for. It is very basic and that is the way it is planning to stay for years to come. However it does have a local pebble BEACH 500 yards away which is very picturesque! It is called Rockham beach and to get there you have to walk through the campsite down the hill at the back of the farm and it is a 5 minute walk. It is a bit of a struggle to get back up again but certainly great exercise!
Toilets are bright, cleaned regularly and the showers are spacious. The only thing that annoyed me is that you have to keep pressing a button to keep the water flowing and before you jump under the shower make sure you press it a few times to get a good temperature as they start out lukewarm.
The shop is small and is not always best stocked. The gentleman who runs the shop seems to only stock up when the farm is very busy. When we stayed we had to rush down there every morning at 8.30am to make sure we got the papers as sometimes he only had 1 copy of each paper. A bit annoying but he didn't feel the need to get more as there wasn't enough business. When fully stocked the shop sells, tobacco, tinned food, fresh dairy produce, some meats, disposable barbeque facilities, fresh bread from a local bakery, seaside accessories and many more. All crammed into a little shop.
There is a laundrette opposite the office, a public phone box and an out of hour's office round the back of the laundrette that I believe guests can visit at any time if they have any problems. I think the manager and his family live there. They are very approachable people and you constantly see them out and about fixing things.

Disadvantages
- Stock in shop is weak at times.
- Pressing a button to get the shower flowing continuously.
- Temperature of the water in showers.

SURROUNDING VILLAGES AND TOWNS
- Mortehoe Village. (picture below.)
North Morte Farm is about half a mile up a narrow windy road from the village of Mortehoe. Mortehoe is very tiny and is set on a hilltop that has outstanding views of the Atlantic and Lundi Island which has features on many programmes about its nature reserve and general sea life. It is possible to get the ferry there from nearby Ilfracombe or Bideford. Mortehoe village consists of a post office, cream tea shop, village store, heritage centre, delicatessen but most importantly 3 pubs! The Chichester Arms, the Ship Aground, and the Smugglers Rest. I have eaten in all three and can honestly say first two pubs are the ones to visit; they have daily specials of meat and fresh fish and fantastic deserts homemade desserts. (The Banoffee pie in the Ship Aground is in its own right worth the 6 hour drive!) The locals are extremely friendly to new and returning visitors. You are made to feel at home and part of their village.
- Woolacombe Village. (picture below).
Mortehoe is approximately 1 mile (along the coastal road) from Woolacombe which holds the 'England for Excellence Gold Award' for best family resort 1999 and was voted the Best British Beach in the Mail On Sunday - October 2000. Its beach has been voted one of Britain's best and lies between Morte Point and Baggy Point. This three-mile long stretch of golden sand has won both the blue flag and Premier Seaside Beach awards for its cleanliness, water quality and facilities. Life guards ensure safe family swimming during the summer and surfers come from all over the country to enjoy the great waves and clean water. Woolacombe village is such a lively but quiet place with great pubs, restaurants and places to stay (can be expensive though). Visitors of all ages will find plenty to do away from the beach. There's a friendly, laid-back atmosphere here which visitors are sure to enjoy.
Whilst laying on the beach you will see the headland of Baggy Point as mentioned above which then has Croyde the other side. (I believe that one Michael Jackson's brothers have just bought a house there, very random but I can definitely see what attracted him to this part of Devon).
-Barnstaple (picture below).
If you decide you have had enough and want to do some retail therapy then Barnstaple is the nearest town to visit. It is approximately 15 miles away but you follow a straight road to get there. It has 2 main supermarkets, the largest being Tesco and most shops that you would find in your local town centre. There is a shopping centre with department stores and high street shops. An impressive good sized town down the road.

There is so much surrounding the farm so there is never any need to feel so confined to your tent or caravan.

Negatives
- Must be a confident driver to drive up and down the coastal road between Mortehoe and Woolacombe. There is another route that takes longer and is not as picturesque.
- Roads are very narrow so can be tight when two cars are passing.
- Transport is very irregular, there is a bus that goes from Mortehoe every hour (if your lucky)

MY OPINION
What else is there left to say apart from if you are planning to visit North Devon and fancy staying in a caravan or camping then this is the place to go. There may be no swimming pool or bar but there is much to do in Woolacombe that you will be spoilt for choice.

If it is good enough for one of the Jackson's, then is good enough for anyone!

Thanks for reading.

Christina.
x

Their website is www.northmortefarm.co.uk 

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