Practical Caravans Top 100 Parks Awards 2004

This site should be renamed ‘Angler’s Dream’. There’s not one, but two fishing lakes: one for carp; and the other for tench and roach. Keen fishermen won’t be sat twiddling their thumbs.

This is a small but popular Camping and Caravanning Club site, with only 80 pitches. Non-members are welcome at an additional charge, but most enjoy their stay so much that they decide to join up.

You couldn’t be much closer to the water than this: the pitches are arranged around the two lakes, and anglers can practically fish from their windows. But if you’d prefer to be closer to the play areas to keep an eye on the kids – or even if you just fancy a less watery view, the perfect pitch exists for you, too. Dog lovers will be pleased to note that there are two separate dog walks to keep their canine companions happy.

Expertly managed by Yvonne and Robert, this quiet rural site is a 20-minute drive from the M5. There is plenty to do in the local area. The Cotswolds are nearby, as is Tewkesbury and its beautiful Abbey. Children can run riot in the activity field, complete with goal posts and climbing frame, while convenient picnic tables allow parents to keep an eye on their kids while enjoying a snack. A games room will keep non-anglers busy on rainy days.

We visited this site very late in the season, but it was still busy. One camper told us how pleased he was to be able to get a space; he had been wanting to stay here for years. If you’re interested, make sure you book early.

Practical Caravans Top 100 Parks Awards 2003

The atmosphere at Brooklands Farm is so relaxed it’s almost horizontal. At night you can nod off listening to the sound of a distant steam tram and the occasional splash of water fowl on the fishing lake. During the day you are free to relax without so much as a car horn breaking your tranquillity.

Everything is neat and the majority of pitches are on well-kept Cotswold stone chippings or nicely mown grass. Some have views of the lake, while others are surrounded by trees. The whole park is well tended and tidy, and 57 of the pitches have electric hook-ups (16A). Many are also sheltered by trees.

Brookland provides visitors with vouchers offering money off trips to places including Sudeley Castle, and Birdland in Bourton-on-the-Water. The Gloucester and Warwickshire steam railway is also nearby and there are plenty of places to walk or shop, or you could spend a day at the races at Cheltenham.

The play area is well away from the lake and has a safe rubber base with swings. Most children make good use of the traditional West Country skittle alley. There are also pool, table tennis and table football facilities available. In the evenings thesouthas a clubroom for family or rally gatherings. It’s a case of ‘bring your own bottle’, and if you need of supplies the nearest pub is only a mile-and-a-half away.

The wash facilities are spotless and the laundry more than adequate for a family to use. In case you don’t fancy cooking, a fish and chip van comes every Saturday from March to October.