John Fowler Holidays caravan sites in Cornwall mark 70 years

In 1953 John Fowler left the Merchant Navy and invested his savings in a single caravan for £85, which he placed in a field near Newquay.

He advertised it in a West Midlands newspaper and holiday bookings soon began to come in – before long he was able to re-invest the profits in another caravan, and John Fowler Holidays was born.

The company now has 13 caravan sites across Devon, Cornwall, Somerset and Wales – and they all joined in with the anniversary celebrations.

At the start of the month the holiday parks laid on a programme of fun and entertainment, open to the public as well as guests.

I was invited to stay at the Killigarth Manor Holiday Park near Polperro in Cornwall for the weekend, and also visited the nearby Trelawne Manor Holiday Park for its big family fun day.

Arriving on a Friday afternoon, I was greeted by the extremely friendly staff and shown to my caravan in the Valley View area of the site. As the name of the area suggests, my caravan looked out on to a wide vista of gently sloping fields, edged with hedgerows and clusters of trees - a beautiful, very relaxing view.

The caravan was spacious, well equipped and immaculately, spotlessly clean, and the park as a whole was tidy and well managed, while retaining a laid-back holiday vibe.

On Saturday the anniversary celebrations began – and they were all about fun and entertainment for the holiday parks’ guests and any local residents who wanted to come along. As one member of staff told me: “We’re all about giving people a good time, so that’s what we’re doing for our anniversary.”

Killigarth Manor Holiday Park had an outdoor bar, ice creams and cocktails for sale, a barbecue and plenty to keep children amused: games, glitter tattoos, face painting, hair braiding and an inflatable slide. The celebrations continued into the evening with live entertainment, a game show and a late-night party and disco.

Meanwhile, over at Trelawne Manor Holiday Park there was a fairground complete with dodgems and a helter-skelter, along with an outdoor bar and music stage and a hog roast.

Again, there was plenty for the children, with bouncy castles, inflatable water walker zorb balls and hover archery, along with treats including ice cream and sweets. A group of people dressed as Star Wars characters wandered around the site, providing extra entertainment and photo opportunities.

All this was taking place against the imposing backdrop of the historic, Grade II listed Trelawne Manor, which has elements dating from the late 13th century. The ‘birds eye view’ photo was taken from the top of the tower, which is thought to have been built in the mid-15th century.

Looking back on John Fowler Holidays’ own history in its anniversary year, managing director Martyn Steer-Fowler said: “I am very proud of how the company has evolved over the years from a single caravan in a field with just an outdoor tap and lavatory to providing modern caravan and lodge accommodation, with the luxuries of en-suite bathrooms, showers, central heating, double glazing, verandas and hot tubs.

“Looking forward, we want to build a future as a family-owned brand of holiday parks covering the whole of the UK which focuses on quality and value.”

John Fowler Holiday Parks can be found in Devon at Combe Martin Beach, Sandaway Beach and South Bay (Brixham); in Cornwall at St Ives, Killigarth Manor (Polperro), Trelawne Manor (Looe), Perran View (near Perranporth), Tolroy Manor (Hayle) and Widemouth Bay (Bude); in Somerset at Sandy Meadows (Brean) and Sandy Glade (Burnham-on-Sea); and in Wales at Cardigan Bay (Pembrokeshire) and Llanridian (The Gower).

The parks have won multiple awards and in a 2022 Which? Report, their verdict was that John Fowler Holidays was ‘the best choice for a traditional holiday parks experience’.