Downton Abbey inspired getaways with The Caravan Club

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by Daniella Almeida

Feel as if you’re on Downton Abbey by pitching up at one of the many Caravan Club sites located within grounds of country estates

If you have ever wondered what it’s like to feel as if you were on Downton Abbey, now is your chance. Feel as if you are on the set of the famous program with a stay at one of the many Caravan Club sites located within the grounds of some country house estates.

These sites offer guests with the opportunity to revel in the picturesque settings while also taking in the history of stately homes all across the UK.

Be sure to hit up The Sandringham Estate Caravan Club Site which is located in the heart of the Royal Estate and is considered as one of the most famous residences of the Royal Family. It’s even said to be one of the Queen’s favourites.

The site offers up an adventure playground, sculpture trail, and 142 hectares to explore. Guests can also visit the house, museum, and grounds in order to take in the rich history of the estate.

A caravan pitch at this site starts from £6.60 per pitch, plus £6.50 per adult and £1.70 per child per day.

Next up is the Chatsworth Park Caravan Club Site which is set in an old walled garden on the Chatsworth Estate. This estate is best known for its feature in the BBC’s adaptation of “Pride and Prejudice” starring Colin Firth.

Guests can explore the gorgeously decorated rooms as well as visit the house, formal gardens, and the famous fountain. Be sure to explore the surrounding areas including the village of Baslow and the beautiful countryside.

A caravan pitch at this site starts from £7.30 per pitch, plus £7.10 per adult and £2.40 per child per day.

Finally, head over to the Tredegar House Country Park Caravan Club Site. The site is seven-acres complete with a lake, 17th century orangery, and woodland and walled gardens. Guests can take in all of the beauty located right on the site or visit Tredegar House.

Tredegar House is known as one of the architectural wonders of Wales and one of the most significant 17th century houses in the British Isles. Be sure to head out to the nearby city of Cardiff where you can visit the castle and National Museum.

A caravan pitch at this site starts from £6.00 per pitch, plus £5.10 per adult and £0.01 per child per day. Plus get 50 per cent off your pitch fee when staying Monday through Thursday night.

Members of The Caravan Club can take advantage of prices from just £11.10 per person, per night for stays at most of the country house estates. A non-member fee of £10 per night applies when staying on a Caravan Club Site so it might be worthwhile to become a member!

Join The Caravan Club by visiting their website here. To book any of these offers, contact the club directly on 01342 488713.

COMPETITION: Win more tickets to the Motorhome & Caravan Show 2015

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by Joe Jeffrey

Enter our latest competition to win one of ten pairs of tickets to the Motorhome & Caravan Show 2015 now!

Motorhomers and caravanners across the UK and further afield are getting set to attend Birmingham’s NEC in their droves for the Motorhome & Caravan Show 2015. And now you could be amongst them in our latest competition.

The show, taking place between 13 – 18 October, promises exactly what we’ve come to expect from organisers, NCC events, including a sneak peek at all of the new 2016 caravan and motorhome models from leading UK and European manufacturers – all under one roof.

Supported by The Caravan Club and The Camping & Caravanning Club, this year’s show will also feature every other type of leisure vehicle too, including campervans, trailer tents, innovative folding caravans, luxury lodges and holiday homes. There’ll even be a Guinness World Record attempt taking place, with show organisers planning on building the world’s largest LEGO caravan ever seen.

And with a lineup of celebrities on hand to make things even more exciting, including undisputed World Superbike racing legend and current I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! king of the jungle, Carl ‘Foggy’ Fogarty who will be on hand to open the show in true style, as well as Julia Bradbury and Matt Baker, there’s guaranteed to be something for everyone.

Following on from the success of our last competition, giving away tickets for this year’s show, CaravanTimes has teamed up with Motorhome & Caravan Show organisers, the National Caravan Council (NCC) to offer a further ten lucky CaravanTimes members the chance to win a pair of tickets for the show of the year.

All you need to do to be in with a chance of winning a pair of tickets is like our Facebook page here and complete the form below by midday on 9 October.

Good luck!

Terms and Conditions:

Fifteen winners will be picked at random on Friday 9 October and the winners will be notified via the email supplied in the entry form

Competition open to members of CaravanTimes only

Only one entry per person

No purchase necessary

No cash or alternative will be offered

The competition is open to UK residents aged 18 and over

The Caravan Club Towcar of the Year 2016 winners announced

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by Joe Jeffrey

Find out which cars won in The Caravan Club’s Tow Car of the Year Awards 2016 here

The winners of The Caravan Club’s annual Towcar of the Year competition have been announced.

The awards, organised by The Caravan Club in a bid to advise its members on the towcars to buy in 2016, are voted on by members of the caravan press, national motoring journalists and Caravan Club members and are designed to provide the Club’s members with sound advice for when it comes to hitting the road.

As with previous years, a panel of nine judges evaluated each vehicle by putting them through their paces at the Millbrook Proving Ground in Bedfordshire earlier this summer. This year, 43 vehicles were put to the test, using the same set of criteria which included assessing acceleration, brakes including parking break, reversing, driver ergonomics, hill start, visibility, traction, and the suitability of the gear box.

Cars competed in seven price classes and vehicles with 4-wheel drive features competed in a further two categories split by kerbweight, under and over 1800kg.

The prestigious title of Overall Winner over £50,000, All Wheel Drive over 1800kg was awarded to the Land Rover Discovery HSE LUX.

Additional winners in their classes went to:

Class Winner Vehicles under £17,500: MG6 S DTI-TECH

Class Winner Vehicles £17,500 – £22,000: Renault Captur Dynamique Nav dCi 110

Class Winnner Vehicles £22,000 – £26,000: Volkswagen Jetta SE 2.0-litre TDI BlueMotion Technology 150 PS DSG?

Class Winner Vehicles £26,000 – £30,000: Skoda Octavia Estate Scout 2.0TDI 150PS 4×4

Class Winner Vehicles £30,000 – £40,000: Volkswagen Passat Estate GT 2.0-litre TDI SCR 190 PS DSG

All wheel drive vehicles under 1800kg winner: Volkswagen Passat Estate GT 2.0-litre Bi-TDI SCR 240 PS 4MOTION

Class Winner Vehicles £40,000 – £50,000: Volkswagen Touareg R-Line 3.0TDI V6 4MOTION

CaravanTimes extends its congratulations to winners in each category.

Land Rover seems to be onto a winning formula when it comes to building cars capable of towing caravans to perfection if this year’s results are anything to go by, having won in the ‘Over £40,000’ category last year with the HSE Luxury too. It’s worth noting that no other cars managed to achieve this accolade within additional categories for a second consecutive year for 2016.

What do you think of the results? Did your car come up trumps? Take a look at The Caravan Club’s video below and let us know your thoughts.

Importance of tyre safety highlighted following report on road casualties

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by Daniella Almeida

The 2014 report on road casualties shows an “unacceptable” number, calling for increased importance placed on tyre safety

The Department for Transport‘s annual report of accident statistics was published today revealing the number of deaths and injuries attributed to all classifications of vehicle defects has increased to 3,230. As a result, TyreSafe is calling for renewed vigour in the campaign to raise awareness among motorists of the importance of tyre safety.

The report highlighting road casualties Great Britain 2014, has revealed the number of all casualties from accidents caused by illegal, defective, or under-inflated tyres as being similar to the average number over the last five reported years’ figures.

However, deaths and serious injuries caused by this have gone slightly up. This minor increase in deaths is believed to be a result of motorists neglecting routine checks which could keep everyone safe, according to TyreSafe.

In 2014, the number killed or seriously injured (KSI) motorists due to tyre defects rose to 224 totalling in 1125 casualties. Compare this to the annual average for the five reported years since 2010 which are only 198 KSIs with 1135 total casualties.

Over the past five years, in accidents attributed to vehicle defects, problems with tyres have been the largest single contributory factor (responsible for 36.1 per cent of casualties). 28 out of the 48 people killed in accidents attributed to vehicle defects were because of defective tyres.

Despite the progress made since its first year in 2006 (with 307 KSIs and 1627 total casualties), TyreSafe is unimpressed with how recent years have fared.

Chairman of TyreSafe, Stuart Jackson said: “While 2014 figures do not reflect a dramatic worsening of tyre-related accident casualties over the past five years, TyreSafe considers the current status quo unacceptable.

“The DfT’s figures support TyreSafe’s findings which shows too few of Britain’s motorists inspect their vehicle’s primary safety feature before taking to the roads. Every day, tyre retailers, the fire service, the police, and breakdown recovery services see examples of this neglect as they come face to face with a substantial number of tyres in appalling, unroadworthy condition.

“Unlike other vehicle components, tyres can easily be checked visually – it is ultimately the driver’s responsibility to ensure that their vehicle is safe and clearly need to take immediate action if tyres are flat, have lumps, bumps, or cut – or if they’re bald.

“Defective tyres dramatically reduce the effectiveness of a vehicle’s steering and braking systems, can potentially suffer catastrophic deflations and potentially add to the numbers of road casualties. With this year’s casualty figures from the DfT being comparable to the five-year average, TyreSafe’s main concern is the slow pace at which drivers are taking this message on board.

“TyreSafe’s enhanced partnership with Highways England is an example of the support we urge all road safety stakeholders to provide, especially now we are approaching Tyre Safety Month – a campaign TyreSafe believes can help drive the reduction of road casualties,” he finished.

Tyre Safety Month begins on 1 October, its aim to encourage motorists to carry out regular #SafeTyreChecks and poses the question, “When did you last do it?” to Britain’s motorists.

The campaign is a result of TyreSafe surveys which have revealed one in five drivers has never checked their tyres, and nearly 10 million dangerous and illegal tyres are likely to driven in Britain in 2015.

TyreSafe is recommending that all motorists ACT at least once a month: check tyres for Air pressure, Condition, and Tread depth.

For more information on Tyre Safety Month, visit Tyre Safe’s website here.

Jobs lost as caravan company goes into liquidation

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by Daniella Almeida

More than 20 jobs have been lost at Stowmarket Caravans & Motorhomes as company goes into liquidation

Suffolk caravan and motorhome company, Stowmarket Caravan Sales Ltd., is set to go into liquidation, forcing many to search for alternative employment.

The company, established in 1954, has given notice under the Insolvency Act of a meeting with creditors set to be held this Friday 25 September. In more recent years, the company has branded further afield and taken to selling both used and new caravans and motorhomes.

Some of the brands the company offered for sale included Coachman, Swift, Sterling, and Sprite caravans as well as Bailey, Chausson, and Autocruise motorhomes. Furthermore, Stowmarket Caravan Sales Ltd. also serviced caravans and motorhomes, offered caravan hire, and supplied awnings, accessories, spares, and parts.

The meeting to be held relates to the Sections 99, 100, and 101 of the Insolvency Act, which cover the appointment of a liquidator as mentioned in the London Gazette.

The liquidator appointed will be Andrew Dix of LB Insolvency Solutions, part of the LB Group. Dix was chosen by the directors of the caravan company, who have been identified at Companies House as Paul Simon Garrod and David Garrod.

According to Dix, most of the company’s employees, numbering at around 25, were made redundant on 14 September. Agents who had been given the job to oversee the disposal of the company’s stock were given a small number of the staff to assist them.

The company will be entering a creditor’s voluntary liquidation. This will allow for them to close their doors voluntarily without creditors launching insolvency proceedings.

Taking a look at the all-new Vision range for 2016 from Coachman

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by Joe Jeffrey

Coachman pulls out all the stops for the Vision range for 2016

To most seasoned caravanners, Coachman is renowned for its innovative, quality caravans – and 2016 looks set to be no different with the release of the company’s new Vision range.

Knocking those nasty myths about excessive weight back where they belong, the 2016 Vision range sees a significant reduction in weight, whilst also introducing a brand new innovative layout to the fold, by way of the Vision 570.

Taking what most of us have come to expect with caravan layouts and flipping it on its head, for 2016, Coachman’s five-berth Vision 570 – weighing in at 1525kgs – sees the introduction of not one, but two lounge areas, situated on either side of the caravan.

As we see in the video, the versatile layout makes great use of space, as well as an ideal opportunity for a comfortable family getaway, providing the opportunity for kids to have their very own space whilst mum and dad are also able to relax and holiday in style.

It’s not just the layout that adds to the family feel of the Vision 570 though, with the range’s light weights, as touched on previously, allowing even more family cars the ability to tow the Vision with ease.

To find out more about what’s new for 2016 with the Coachman Vision, check out our video above and let us now your thoughts.

Plan for a Langho caravan site has been rejected

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by Daniella Almeida

A controversial application to create a caravan park in Langho has since been rejected

A disputed application was placed to create a caravan site on land behind the Petre Arms in Langho, a small rural village in the Ribble Valley in Lancashire. After avid campaigning against the park by residents, councillors have given the site the red light.

The application called for 21 caravans, an outdoor play area, and a storage unit that would take up a majority of the already small land.

The development of the park was turned down by members of the Ribble Valley Borough Council on the grounds of the adverse impact it would have on the rural village.

On account of the rurality of the village, there would be no electricity, gas, or water supplied and therefore, generators would have to be used on the land. The noise, coupled with the odour, would emanate towards the school, community centre, church, and surrounding hotels.

Members also turned down the application on the grounds of traffic safety issues. Cars towing caravans would not have a clear view of traffic exiting the roundabout on the A59 and travelling down Whalley Road which is close to a bend.

The site, which could only accommodate 50 people, would bring with it an increase in the number of vehicles in an area that isn’t equipped to deal with too much confusion. These concerns raised by the members influenced the decision in the end.

Councillor Ged Mirfin said, in regards to the ultimate decision: “This decision was made after a long and detailed debate and it was certainly the right outcome for Langho for a host of reasons including the impact a development of this nature would have on residents, businesses, and the community.”

The final decision was made at a councillors meeting attended by the general public in the public gallery where several who had objected to the scheme watched on.

What was claimed to have been a recreational site was argued against by these objectors who said that they had evidence that the site was really a permanent/semi permanent site which violated the application.

The infringement upon the small community was entirely too much and the application was thrown out.

Xplore caravan range welcomes new six-berth layout for 2016

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by Joe Jeffrey

Six-berth layout added to full lineup of six Elddis Xplore caravans for new season

The Xplore caravan range has welcomed a new six-berth layout to its range for 2016, offering an ideal solution to caravanning with the whole family in tow.

The Elddis Xplore 586, featuring fixed bunk beds and a corner bathroom/dressing room to the rear, also comes complete with side dinette opposite the family-sized kitchen, which converts into a single bed with lift-up bunk. A final bedding option comes by way of the large, light and airy lounge area, the seats in which transform into a large double bed.

Additional Xplore layouts for 2016 include the two-berth Xplore 402, four-berth Xplore 304 and Xplore 574, a single five-berth Xplore 435, and the Xplore 526, joining the Xplore 586 in its six-berth status.

Still as light and competitively-priced as ever, with weights starting at 1,043kgs and OTR prices from £13,024, the Elddis Xplore range continues to be built with exactly the same SoLiD construction method than other more expensive caravans, and also comes with a ten-year water ingress and body integrity warranty. The weight of the range ensures that virtually any tow car is capable of towing it too.

Many new features are also available for 2016 across the range, including a new Whale Duo Control intuitive combination controller and space saving Rapid Heat-up 8 lite Whale heating, combined with Grade 3 thermal insulation, making the Xplore a range for all seasons.

Meanwhile, new luxurious ‘Cosimo’ upholstery with Ozio high-performance lightweight construction, complements the ‘Marone’ craftsman built cabinetry and contrasting ‘Fatasie brushed’ flus-fit kitchen units. The kitchen also features a luxurious granite effect deep worktop in Mineral Crème

Other features for the range include new overhead locker design with positive locking, AL-KO galvanized steel chassis, GRP underskin to the caravan floor, new Teleco Teleplus X2/39U directional aerial, new bathroom accessories and some updated new graphics featuring Kromex Elddis and SoLiD badges.

Pitch up this weekend for the Ashfield Gala

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by Daniella Almeida

The 2015 Ashfield Gala is a one day event filled with family-fun activities you can’t miss

The 2015 Ashfield Gala takes place this weekend Saturday 26 September from 12 midday to 6 in the evening and is filled with loads of activities sure to be fun for the entire family.

The event, which takes place in Nottinghamshire, was a direct creation of the Skegby community after the initial Ashfield fair was cancelled. The first gala event was opened last year to immense success and thus, a new tradition has begun.

The event is alcohol free and boasts a set of attractions to enchant the whole family. During their time at the gala, guests will be able to enjoy an inflatable laser-dome, dog show, face-painting, dance shows, tai-chi shows for the over 60s, vintage and classic cars, go-karting, a craft fair, petting zoo, and so much more!

Local traders will also have hot food and displays out for everyone to enjoy. Be sure to catch the free Punch and Judy Show this Saturday, as well.

The event will take place Healdswood Recreation Ground on Mansfield Road in Skegby, Nottinghamshire and is free for adults and children alike.

If you’re in the area, be sure to come out and enjoy the great gala. Travelers can look for places to pitch up by following The Camping and Caravanning Club‘s pitch up finder link here.

A closer look at the new 2016 Coachman range

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by Joe Jeffrey

Watch our latest video to find out what’s in store for Coachman for 2016

Upon being invited to Coachman’s headquarters in Hull to check out what they’ve got in store for 2016, CaravanTimes jumped at the opportunity.

Coachman promised us a look at the new season’s ranges as well as much more, and the company – known for their innovative steps in the industry – didn’t disappoint.

Increasing their range of caravans from 22 to 23 for 2016, whilst focusing on weight reduction meaning a standard saloon car is capable of towing a number of these, the new season looks set to be exciting.

Add lots of innovation, including a new layout courtesy of the front fixed bed layout in the Pastiche 470 and two lounge areas in the Vision 570, as well as new Alde heating, enhancements to Coachman’s ABC contstruction system and much, much more and we think you’ll find what Coachman has to offer pretty impressive.

Take a look at the video and let us know what you think in the comments below.

The Listening Project from BBC is coming to a Caravan Club site soon

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by Daniella Almeida

Burrs Country Park Caravan Club site will house The Listening Project next week and you can take part

The BBC’s radio initiative, The Listening Project, will be coming to
The Caravan Club‘s Burrs Country Park Caravan Club site and guests are invited to take part.

The next stop for the unique booth is Burrs Country Park Caravan Club Site, in Bury, Lancashire, next week (Wednesday 23 and Thursday 24 September), offering up the chance for your own voice to be recorded and archived for years to come.

The Listening Project has been a fairly popular radio initiative for a short time allowing people to have important conversations with friends, family, and colleagues that they always wanted to have but never mustered enough courage to do so. Speakers are encouraged to ask questions, share memories, and confess secrets to their closest acquaintances.

The initiative looks to paint a unique portrait of our lives today and was created as a partnership between BBC Radio Four, BBC local and national radio stations, and the British Library.

All of these conversations held will be recorded and become part of an audio archive that is stored at The British Library so that future generations will be able to listen to the sound of your voice.

Some of these conversations may also be broadcast on BBC Radio 4 and BBC Radio Manchester.

The BBC have toured with their project throughout the length of the UK and will continue to do so with their next stop at the site.

The tour has taken place inside of a mobile recording studio inspired by the iconic Airstream caravan. CaravanTimes previously covered the details of “The Booth” which you can read about here.

To book an appointment for a conversation with someone you know, call the Listening Project team at 0161 228 2255 now. Once that’s done, be sure to book your stay at Burrs Country Club Caravan Club Site here.

Visitors welcome at Elddis open house this weekend

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by Daniella Almeida

The Elddis & Freedom To Go Factory Open Event is this weekend, welcoming guest from all over the UK

Elddis, in conjunction with the Freedom to Go campaign, will put on their annual Elddis & Freedom To Go Factory Open Event this Saturday and Sunday. Thousands of visitors from all over the UK are welcome to the North West factory to take a first hand look at the manufacturer’s production line and enjoy a whole host of activities that have been planned.

This year’s event is packed with with so much to do, setting the bar for the event to be even bigger and better than those of previous years. Just the plethora of guest speakers alone is enough to make this weekend the best yet.

Some of Elddis and Freedom to Go’s caravan and motorhome ambassadors will be at the affair, including the adventurous Meek Family who recently revealed plans for an all European year-long trip, as covered by CaravanTimes

Also set to be at the event include surfer Melodie King and The Grey Gappers, who have been active ambassadors of the campaign.

In support of the event, both The Caravan Club and the Camping and Caravanning Club will be offering up information on club services, membership, and general advice on getting started.

Some of the activities guests will be able to take part at the event involves getting practical advice on caravan towing and motorhome manoeuvring and the opportunity to learn how Elddis caravans and motorhomes are made.

Guests can see how and where the caravans are made by taking tours throughout the factory, the doors of which will be open all day during the weekend.

Be sure to check out the many demonstrations available to satisfy your technical questions by some of Elddis’ key suppliers such as Whale, ALDE, and E&P Level System.

Finally, check out the latest machinery and investments as well the reveals of the 2016 Season ranges for Elddis, Compass, Xplore, and Buccaneer. You can even purchase one this weekend with special Open Event offers!

Time is running out! Book now and don’t miss out on a fun filled weekend.