Exeter Road
Dawlish
Devon
EX7 0LX
Date of stay - 2nd - 6th March 2023
Price per night - £17 including Dog (no extra charge for dog) & EHU
Our rating: 4/5
Keira's rating: 4/5
Pitch - The first pitch we were placed on was incredibly sloping and we struggled to get level, be warned, many of the pitches are VERY SLOPING! We were then moved to the lower pitches near the complex and these were much more level. It was fairly quiet when we went as it was off peak but I would imagine when it’s busier, your chances of a level site are possibly slim! Our pitch had EHU but it was only a short walk to get fresh water, empty the toilet and shower and toilet blocks were also close by. As I’ve said, it is a very hilly site, so if you were on one of the further pitches, you may find you’re carrying your waste and water up a steep hill! Being close to the complex did mean we got a bit of noise late into the evening with people coming back to their vans. Again, I would think this would be worse in the summer months. However, the pitches were quite large with plenty of space for awning and chairs/tables without feeling on top of each other. Again, this could feel a bit more claustrophobic in the summer, but they were still decent size pitches.
Our pitch had electric hook up only and we had to walk to get water and empty the toilet. To empty our waste water meant a drive round to the drain in the car park! You can get a fully serviced pitch (where you have water and waste emptying on your pitch as well as EHU), but we didn't book one of these.
Park & facilities - There were plenty of toilet and shower blocks around the park so you’re never very far from one and these were acceptably clean, although a little dated in some areas. We were off peak though so it wasn’t very busy. Other facilites included a dog wash (if you could find it!), plenty of washing up points, large children’s play area, dog walking field and laundrettes. Because it is a holiday park, there was an entertainment complex with nightly entertainment and Bingo, restaurant, an amusement arcade, shop, swimming pool with flume and even a hairdressers on site. This does mean that it attracts a lot of children, so great if you want to keep the kids entertained but if you’re looking for a quiet getaway then this may not be the best place (although off peak when we stayed there weren’t many children as it was term time and it was fairly quiet). We didn’t eat in the park, but the food that was being served looked like basic pub grub and seemed average! All the facilities are free with your entertainment pass which is included in the price.
Dogs - There is a lovely large (but steep!) dog walking field with plenty of dog waste bins dotted around. We weren’t charged extra for the dog which was nice and the park was very dog friendly. They were allowed in the restaurant/entertainment complex but had to stay in a certain area which was not a problem. They also had a dog washing area but despite it being on their map of the site, it was very well hidden and I didnt manage to find it until the last day of our stay! You will need your own dog shampoo though.
In the area - the park is a short walk to both Dawlish and Dawlish Warren. Both pretty little towns/villages but be warned, it is a steep walk back up to the park. Thankfully, the way we chose to walk, there was a pub (The Mount Pleasant Inn - see review here) about half way up the hill, so made a great stop off for a mid-hill beverage!! We walked down into Dawlish Warren and from there you can walk all the way along the sea wall to Dawlish. There is a train track along the coast as well and the odd train passes very close by when you’re walking along the sea wall!
Overall thoughts - Very cheap to stay off peak for a motorhome and on that basis alone we would definitely stay again! Good facilities but with that comes a much busier park. As a motorhome user, off peak you cant fault it for value for money but in the summer I can imagine it would be much busier & noisier.
Phone reception - phone reception was good throughout the park, we were hot-spotting our phones and getting good 4g speeds.
WiFi - free in the public areas, if you wanted it on your pitch you had to pay extra. We didn't as we had very good 4g and a good data plan!