October 2026 News
As autumn settles in, there’s plenty to celebrate. For some parks it’s the end of the season, while others are celebrating new awards and exciting new developments.
If you’re thinking about an autumn break, or Christmassy getaway, there are plenty of offers and events to tempt you!
When it comes to inspiration for next year, we’re about to send our 2027 brochure to the printer, and we can’t wait to let you know about our three new member parks!
(Top photo: a misty autumn morning at Red Kite Touring Park in Mid Wales)
It’s not too late to vote for the 2027 Top 100
If you’ve enjoyed a stay at a Tranquil Park this year, please take a moment to vote for them in the 2027 Top 100. These awards mean so much to the park teams because they are based on your votes! We really appreciate your help. Vote here.
This year we saw The Old Oaks as Overall Winner, Green Acres Caravan Park Regional Winner for North-West England and Red Kite Touring Park Regional Winner for Wales.
Win a week in South Devon!
For this year’s Winter Giveaway, we’re delighted to offer you the chance to win a whole week at Parkland Caravan & Camping Site in South Devon, with no restrictions on when you take your seven-night stay during 2027.
Parkland offers a peaceful, dog-free, adults-only retreat with high-spec facilities, a guest lounge and a good bus service from the park entrance. Set in the South Hams Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, you can enjoy panoramic views across Kingsbridge, Salcombe and the rolling hills towards Dartmoor National Park. The park also welcomes guests throughout the year.
Tranquil Parks prizewinners
The team at Grooby’s Pit enjoyed hosting the winners of a Tranquil Parks prize in late September! Michael, Louise and their gorgeous boy, Dougie, won their 3-night stay in our special giveaway at the Caravan, Camping & Motorhome show at the Birmingham NEC last February.
We’re so pleased they finally got to enjoy their prize and experience the peace and tranquillity that Grooby’s Pit has to offer. If you are ever lucky enough to win a prize, please send us a photo!
The winner of the 3-night stay at Stretton Lakes is A Chesmore. We’ll announce the winner of our Red Kite Touring Park giveaway soon.
Awards and gradings
Dulas Meadow is WTCC Campsite of the Year
Congratulations to our new member Dulas Meadow on Anglesey, which has been named Wild Trails Camping Club Campsite of the Year 2026.
The award recognises the exceptional hospitality Dulas Meadow offers Wild Trails Camping Club members, the immaculate standard of the campsite and the care that goes into every stay. Members consistently praise the experience, making this a thoroughly deserved achievement.
Wild Trails Camping Club is an independent organisation that certifies low-impact camping sites across the UK that meet its high standards for responsible camping.
More good news with latest gradings
- Bath Chew Valley Caravan Park has achieved a VisitEngland five-star rosette with an impressive 99% inspection score. The park also received VisitEngland’s Pets Welcome rosette.
- Two Mills Touring Park near North Walsham in Norfolk has retained its five-star VisitEngland rating, with its score rising from 88% to 92%.
- Old Oaks Touring & Glamping Park has achieved AA 5-star Platinum with 98% and VisitEngland 5-star Gold with 99%.
- Parkland Site has maintained its 5-star Platinum rating, scoring 90% in its latest AA inspection.
- York Naburn Lock received
What’s new at the parks?
Briarfields opens new Orchard Bar
There’s a new place to relax at Briarfields Touring Park near Cheltenham! The recently opened Orchard Bar will start serving pizza from mid-November, adding another great food option for your stay.
The bar’s autumn and winter opening days are currently Thursday, Friday and Saturday. The team is working on Christmas and New Year arrangements, with details to follow.
Back of Beyond Touring Camping & Glamping Park has added a new powder room to the ladies’ amenities block, and guests have already given it a warm welcome.
Brookside Country Park has created a lovely new nook overlooking the woods, complete with a swing bench and views across the park. The team also plans to improve the entrance and roads with new tarmac, and we look forward to seeing the photographs in the November newsletter.
Green Acres Caravan Park has special Christmas decorations in two designs. Email the team at info@greenacrescumbria.co.uk and they will post it to you for £8.50, plus £1.55 postage.
At Fields End Water Caravan Park, Lodges and Fishery near Doddington in Cambridgeshire, there has been more work on the new dog field. The new equipment has arrived and the dog pond is ready for the water, which will be just under one metre deep.
For next year’s visits
Old Oaks Touring & Glamping Park has received planning permission for a new Garden Room adjoining the Acorn Lounge. This new dog-friendly space will house a self-service café and seating area (top left).
At Parkland Site, two additional Premier ensuite pitches will arrive over the winter, ready for spring 2027 (top right). The Cowshed guest lounge also has a new coffee machine, perfect for espresso and cappuccino lovers. Even better, the park will donate 25% of the takings to the local foodbank.
South Wales Touring Park has ordered a new reception and information point as part of its winter improvements. Here’s a simulated impression of the floorplan (bottom left).
Two Mills Touring Park near North Walsham, Norfolk, plans to update the top gentlemen’s toilets to bring them into line with the rest of the facilities (bottom right).
Special offers
If you’re looking for an excuse to escape this autumn or winter, the range of special offers provide some pretty good reasons! We’re just listing main points here – please see our Special Offers page, or follow the links below for discount codes and more information.
- Wells Touring Park ‘Boonus’– Four nights for the price of three during October
- Two Mills Touring Park – An extra night free when you stay three nights during October or November.
- Blue Rose Country Park –Two nights over Halloween weekend for £45 (instead of £68), including admission to the park’s party.
- South Wales Touring Park – Four weeknights for three from 1 November to 17 December.
- Old Oaks Touring & Glamping Park – Discounts on glamping cabins and touring stays, plus free Prosecco with two-night stays in mini lodges and shepherd huts.
- Parkland Site – Touring pitch offers, including seven nights for the price of five, three nights for two, and a special October/November midweek deal.
- Bath Chew Valley Caravan Park – Save 10% on pitch fees when you book at least five consecutive nights up to 21 December.
- Back of Beyond Touring Camping & Glamping Park – £100 off ensuite glamping huts and 3 nights for 2 between 1 November and 17 December.
Red Kite Touring park will update its 2027 tariff on Monday 9 November, so book soon if you’d like to secure your holiday at this year’s prices.
Christmas and New Year availability
(Information correct at the time of writing, but likely to change.)
Somers Wood will open for festive stays
Somers Wood Caravan Park is trialling opening over Christmas and New Year from this year, giving you the chance to enjoy a festive break in a beautiful woodland setting between 21 December and 2 January.
The park is adjacent to a golf centre with a welcoming clubhouse (dogs included), as well as a fun adventure course. There are also coarse fishing lakes a short walk away.
Located in the village of Meriden, known for being the centre of England, it’s also a great spot for meet-ups, and just four miles from the Birmingham NEC.
(Here are some guests enjoying autumn says.)
Festive season availability
- Back of Beyond – Christmas availability remains, although New Year is sold out.
- South Wales Touring Park – Choose from fully serviced and standard pitches over Christmas. You can also arrange a takeaway three-course Christmas dinner from the local pub.
- Red Kite Touring Park – Christmas pitches remain available, but New Year’s Eve is fully booked.
- York Naburn Lock Caravan Park – There was still plenty of festive availability, although New Year was booking up quickly.
If you would like to see all the parks are open during the winter, see Autumn and winter getaways for grown ups 2026.
Seasonal pitches
One seasonal pitch was available at York Naburn Lock, but the Store & Stay facility was fully booked.
Both Blue Rose Country Park and Brookside Country Park are taking applications for their 2027/28 seasonal pitches, starting in March 2027. Both parks offer fully serviced pitches with year-round opening. Contact the parks to register your interest; successful applicants will hear in December.
What’s happening on site and nearby?
Halloween haunts
- A wickedly wonderful evening at Delph Bank Touring Park in Fleet Hargate, Lincolnshire.
- A Hallow-scream fancy dress party in the clubhouse at Blue Rose Country Caravan Park, Brandesburton, East Yorkshire (£45 for 2 nights including the party).
- Singing duo Bex & Coles in Monty’s Bar at Back of Beyond on Friday 30th, followed by a best dress competition, bingo and a quiz on Halloween
- Halloween party with a circus twist at Eye Kettleby Lakes.
- ‘Season’s Edge’ at Bartref, the onsite bar at Cartref Caravan & Camping Site near Shrewsbury.
Christmas celebrations
Bath Chew Valley Caravan Park puts you within reach of the Christmas markets in Bristol, running from 6 November to 23 December, and Bath (top left), from 26 November to 13 December. There are good bus links to both cities.
For a relaxed meal close to the park, the Red Lion Inn in Bishop Sutton (top right) is only a few minutes’ walk away. It’s known for its friendly welcome, good food and popular Sunday roast.
Briarfields Touring Park is a handy base for both Cheltenham and Gloucester, where Gloucester Quays will hold Christmas Markets every Saturday and Sunday from 7 November until 20 December (above bottom row). You’ll find over 120 artisan traders offering unique gifts and street food, along with pop-up bars. Beautifully lit with festoon lighting, the Quays also put on seasonal entertainment and a superb open air ice rink.
York is ideal for a city break and easy to reach from York Naburn Lock Caravan Park (see the shop at Christmas left) and York Caravan Park, both of which are open until 7 January. York’s Christmas Markets run from 12 November to 21 December.
Expect lots of fun in the Delph Bank Touring Park clubhouse (right). There’s also a handy bus service to Springfields Designer Outlet and Leisure, where the spectacular Winter Wonderland Walk takes place from 11 November to 27 December (booking required).
A new farmers market has just started up a short walk from the Delph Bank entrance, on the 3rd Sunday of the month.
November brings a host of special events to the Two Mills Touring Park area in North Norfolk From Christmas markets and festivals, steam-train light shows at Sheringham and Holt, to festive lights and house-decoration tours at Blickling Hall. Norwich (about 16 miles away) ranks as one of England’s top festive hotspots.
The Black Swan Pub and Theatre, just 0.9 miles from Two Mills, has won Best Pub for Entertainment at the Great British Pub Awards 2026. The team is delighted for this local favourite, which offers Two Mills guests 5% off their total bill, as well as a homemade pizza and pint for £15.
In South Wales, the free Festival of Senses takes place around the picturesque town of Llandeilo from 13 to 25 November. You can find out about this and other events on the South Wales Touring Park website.
Exciting news if you love gardening!
The 2027 BBC Gardeners’ World Live exhibition is moving from the Birmingham NEC to the Packington Estate in Meriden. This means the event, which takes place from 17-20 June, will be even closer to Somers Wood Caravan Park, and actually within walking distance, since the park itself is set within the mature woodland of the estate!
Next year will be the exhibition’s 60th anniversary, and Somers Wood makes a very convenient base. You can follow footpaths towards the estate’s central area, around 1.2 miles away, and the park team can help with ticket information and walking routes. The drive takes about 7 minutes.
What makes a stay special?
It’s not just the facilities, awards and locations that make Tranquil Parks special, it’s also the people, the wildlife visitors and those unexpected moments…
Wonderful wardens
Gary and Lana at Green Acres Caravan Park are among the wardens who are coming to the end of this season. But the good news is that the couple will be back next year!
The Old Oaks held a special celebration for warden Michele’s 60th. Not only does Michele go out of her way for guests, she does a brilliant job greeting visitors at the Caravan Camping and Motorhome show on the Tranquil Parks stand.
Autumn’s natural wonders
Now is the time for mushroom spotting and there has been lots to see at Two Mills Touring Park and Somers Wood (top row).
Grooby’s Pit captured the moment a carp unexpectedly leapt out of the water against a dramatic sunset backdrop, while the team at York Naburn Lock Caravan Park helped a well camouflaged toad find its way.
A dog’s delight
If you’re a dog parent, you’ll know that having fun with your four-legged family is one of the best things about being away together. Low season means more freedom for dogs – especially on the beaches, as this photo from Yr Helyg / The Willows near Abersoch in North Wales shows.
Meanwhile at York Naburn Lock Caravan Park, the doggos have been having a great time in the large onsite dog field.
Quieter days as the season changes
The changing season also gives you a chance to enjoy the quieter beauty of the countryside, whether that means a misty morning (such as this one at Red Kite), a woodland walk or simply taking pleasure in the little things.