Latest News

Hot, glorious summer...

Summer appears to be flying by as the weather feels more friendly than in past years - let's hope it carries on.

The Well Dressing week was very popular, and now the Ashbourne Festival has started, it runs until July 3rd with street theatre, comedy, music drama and exhibitions. Catch an event from the Ashbourne Festival Programme.

Our wardens Garrie and Glyn are back for 2 months from July 1st which will result in a near permanent presence at the Park which I know is what some of you prefer. We are seeking full time wardens for next season so if you know of anyone suitable, please let us know. We will be advertising in the Caravan Club and Caravan and Camping magazines in September.

The sheep have been sheared, one ewe sadly died with two lambs but her lambs appear to be growing OK and are very much part of the flock. Bert, Bart and Beatrice are thriving, getting used to solid food and grass, but still very noisy for milk in the morning and evening. Bailey who was very very small at birth, has been reared on his own, but hopefully should join the other 3 B's in the next couple of weeks or so.

Thank you to all taking part in the lamb feeding, and we hope to see you all again before the summer is over!

2010 caravaning season is upon us!

10 days away from opening, sunny winter days and crisp frosts each night, and the snowdrops are popping through – just in time for Woodland Caravan Park opening on March 22nd!

Returning visitors will find some changes to the Park this year. We have installed 14 new pitches in part of the dog walking area, but the dog walking pen is still there if reduced slightly in size. Prices remain at the same level as last year, which was a very good year in terms of visitors and we hope that those of you who enjoyed staying with us last year will come again.

Further afield Tissington Well Dressing starts on Thursday May 13th for about a week. I say about because the wells remained dressed for as long as the weather is clement or a for a week. The boards at the back of the wells have pictures made from petals stuck in clay, which deteriorate in wet weather. Well Dressing is popular in the East Midlands but as a biased Derbyshire dweller I think the quality of the well dressing in Tissington is very high. Ashbourne Festival starts in June which is always fun with street theatre and other outdoor (and indoor!) attractions.

Last, but certainly not least, Ludwig, Amadeus and Archie – see their photographs - are looking forward to seeing all their friends from last year. They all now have a very nice wool coat, and their appetites are undiminished. I suspect they will have some more lambs joining them this year towards the middle to end of May, so volunteers to help feed them in the evenings will be very welcome.

July and August herald local shows

July and August heralds the months of the local shows - Ashbourne, Bakewell and Manifold Valley, as well as regional shows like The Game Fair at Beavoir Castle, and the Country Show at Chatsworth. Ashbourne Festival was a great success and many of our guests were amazed at wide variety of events going on in Ashbourne at the end of June/beginning of July.

Linda Jane and I are taking a back seat in July and August as our very capable wardens Garrie and Glynne Brookes are running the Caravan Park until September 1st. You will see their mobile number on the website soon, and please get in touch with them if you have any questions.

The weather for once has been kind to us and The Park and surrounding fields are well advanced for the season - long may it last! We have reared 3 orphan lambs this summer and some of the children staying on the Caravan Park have had great fun helping with the daily 8 pm bottle feed - many thanks to them (and their parents) and I suspect we will have some more lambs to rear next year.

We are very grateful for your kind comments on UK Campsites and other websites. Thank you and we will do our best to keep the welcome and service at Woodland Caravan Park at the level that you have come to expect over the last two seasons.

Top marks in national review of parks

Charles and Linda Jane Stanton, owners of Woodland Caravan Park, are celebrating this month as, just two years after opening their gates, they have scooped two top notch national caravan park awards.

The site was nominated as 'excellent' by readers of Practical Caravan Magazine, which secured the park a place in their 'Top 100 Parks 2009' listing.

Woodland Caravan Park has also been accredited by the David Bellamy Conservation Awards, made each year to those parks that demonstrate policies showing active concern for the environment.

To secure accreditation, David Bellamy looks at virtually every aspect of park management - from the protection of plant and animal habitats to the efficient use of energy and recycling.

Commenting on their recent wins, Charles Stanton said,

We are both delighted and proud to have won these awards. We are trying very hard to create a really beautiful and relaxing setting that takes the needs of both visitors and the surrounding wildlife into account.

I would like to thank all those visitors who voted for us in The Practical Caravan Awards and hope you'll come and see again so we can thank you in person , he concluded.

Bookings for the forthcoming 2009 season are already noticeably up on last year and Charles and Linda-Jane had a record breaking turnout over the Easter weekend.

---

2009, looking forward to the year ahead

We are preparing Woodland Caravan Park for opening on April 2nd and I cannot help reflecting that last Easter we had a ‘white’ Easter, whilst in our opening year, two years ago, it was so hot I was in shorts!( and people still came back to see us later on in the season!!) Let’s hope for a really sunny start to the 2009 season and good weather throughout the summer for all of us.

We have been approached by Peak Tourist Authority about accommodating visitors to the Peak District Walking festival (25th April to 4thMay) We are in negotiation with the Tourist Authority to arrange a walk around the Estate and surrounding land as part of the Festival. Linda Jane and I feel that this year we should also offer guided walks around the Estate, as I know some of you found following our signs for the private walk rather difficult.

Tissington Well Dressing takes place on Ascension Day May 21st. This is a unique and ancient practice which is well worth a visit. Tissington is renowned as the ‘world centre’ of this fascinating floral art that dates back to the Dark Ages.

Linda Jane and I would like to thank you for your great generosity in putting our name forward to the Practical Caravan top 100 Caravan Parks in the UK. It is a wonderful start for our third season, coupled with our Silver David Bellamy Conservation award. Thank you again and we look forward to seeing you in April

---

Easter 2008, a cracking time to visit Derbyshire

As we count down to the start of the 2009 season, Linda-Jane and I have been busily sprucing up the caravan park ready for opening to the public next weekend. And we've had plenty of company; the woods around the pitches are literally teeming with birds, busily building nests and singing their hearts out.

We've had a reasonably dry winter so the estate is great shape for walking and the spring flowers are in evidence now everywhere you look.

We love this time of year as we watch this place shake off its winter garb and literally burst into life. The first lambs are lolloping around the surrounding fields and daffodils line the lanes around the caravan park.

All the big country houses near here such as Chatsworth, Kedleston and Sudbury all open their doors next weekend with a frenzy of Easter egg hunts and crafts for kids as well as the usual walks and talks to spring everyone's imaginations into action.

We have a few spaces left, so let us know if you'd like to drop by.

---

Our Dog Policy

We welcome most breeds of well behaved dogs. However, we do not allow the following breeds of dog:

• Doberman
• Rottweiller
• Pit-bull
• Staffordshire Bull Terrier.

We recommend that all dogs are up to date with their vaccinations. If in doubt please consult your vet.

Please contact us if you have any doubts or questions.