We had an amazing weekend with Cofton Holidays!

Since having b, the hubby and I appreciate holidaying in the UK. Pre-b we liked to head to the States or spend weeks in Asia. But things get a bit manic when you have little ones and we’ve found it’s just a bit easier to have a holiday in the UK.

Caravan and touring parks seem to have come on so much too. Shower facilities are clean, mobile homes are warm and cosy. When we were invited to spend a weekend with Cofton Holidays, we were really very excited! Just take a look at the website and see what I mean! The park looked amazing, the pools sounded fab and our holiday home came complete with a hot tub!

Cofton Holidays work with Visit South Devon who are a not-for profit tourism organization. You can find out a bit more about them here and take a look at what the area has to offer over the summer!

Today on the blog I share the ins and outs of our trip and we made a little video which highlights what we loved about Cofton! See for yourself!

Are we there yet?

Yes we are!

Cofton Holidays is not far from where we live at all. Around an hour and a half. Check in is from 4pm so I knew not to rock up too early. We actually took a little trip to Pennywell Farm which was a lot of fun! We also visited Powderham Castle and you can read more about that trip here! We got here around half 4 and our caravan was ready and waiting.

Check in was easy. I parked up and popped in to collect the key. We were told where we needed to go to find our accommodation and it wasn’t far from the main complex at all.

Luxurious Holiday Homes

Now I said that holiday homes had come on a lot since the hubby and I spent a weekend in one ten years ago. But oh my goodness, they really have! Just take a look at our pics and see for yourself. They really are home from home and have all the comforts you want when away on your hols.

The open plan lounge and kitchen diner are ideal for families to enjoy meals at “home” or relax in front of the TV. And the TV was huge! And curved! I haven’t watched a curved TV before so it was a bit of a novelty for me. We were able to access our favourite Netflix shows through the hubby’s laptop too, so this was great once b was asleep!

The bedrooms are carpeted and decorated in cream and dusky pink. They really are pretty and I slept so well. The bedding was so soft and the pillows were good – not to firm, not to soft. I even noted down the manufacturer  as I liked them so much – Soak and Sleep – and ordered some pillows!

Usually in holiday homes like this, hubby and I fight over bed space. We had no problem here as our bed was a king size. Lush. B slept amazingly well too and I think a lot of that was because we wore him out during the day.

One thing I really loved was that the small things were taken care of. So for example this handy cleaning kit in the kitchen and ecover hand wash in the bathrooms. I always pack our own but we didn’t need to.

There were also miniatures in the bathroom which are always handy if you’ve forgotten anything.

Hot Tub Fun!

We stayed in the Fenworthy Holiday Home and it came complete with decking and a hot tub. This was such a lush addition and b and I enjoyed playing in it. Yes it does cost extra but it really makes the holiday special.

Poor hubby couldn’t go in as his whole leg is still in the boot that can’t get wet.

When we return to Cofton we will absolutely book a holiday home with a hot tub again! It was such a shame for the hubby to miss out this time. Having the decking was great too and we enjoyed our breakfast in the sunshine.

Cofton also offer other accommodation options if you’re looking for something else. You can camp, park up your caravan or rent a cottage or apartment. There’s loads of choice, all located within walking distance of the main complex and entertainment.

That’s another thing I loved about the site. It wasn’t too big. It was easy to get around, no steep hills and steps. Even the hubby managed.

Food and Drink

If you cant be bothered to cook and wash up – (to be fair we did have a dishwasher!) – then there are loads of places to grab a bite to eat at Cofton.

You have The Swan Inn which is a traditional country pub, complete with 1970s styling. I loved this and it was definitely my favourite place to have a drink. The hubby liked it too as it had a choice of local ales.

We enjoyed a couple of meals here and the food was really delicious. B tried some of the kid’s meals and they offer a good selection with the usual nuggets and burgers but also some pasta dishes and a mild curry.

There’s plenty of seating outside the pub and by the pool too. Unfortunately it poured down when we got there so we snuggled in the pub with some good old fashioned sausages and mash!

Amelia’s is located on the first floor of the main entertainment complex and offers a similar  menu to The Swan Inn. There is a great selection for breakfast though if you want a traditional English fry-up! Amelia’s has views over the inside pool so if you have a hubby who cant swim, you can park him up with a beer here.

Upstairs you’ll also find the soft play area and pool tables. The soft play isn’t huge but large enough for little ones to tire themselves out before bedtime.

Finally you also have The Warren Retreat. This is the main entertainment area where all the evening shows take place. You can order food here while you watch the shows, or simply rock up and grab a drink. This is perfect if you want to eat while the kids have a dance and enjoy the evening shows. Personally I much preferred the traditional pub setting. I know, I know, I’m getting old but I loved the atmosphere and the food was fab too.

If you want to cook in your accommodation then you can pick up all the regular stuff at the onsite shop. We didn’t pack any fresh things and I popped down for milk, butter and cheese. Prices were actually pretty reasonable too. The shop also stocks loads of other bits and bobs you might need, from swimming towels and inflatables to camping and fishing gear.  You can also pick up souvenirs at the shop and fidget spinners! I mention these because all the kids seemed to have them at the disco and b wanted one too. They were only a couple of quid so I grabbed him one there.

Swimming Fun in the Pools

Cofton has so much to offer but for me, a huge bonus was the heated outside pools.

Yes, you read correctly, heated!

Now this for me is huge because there’s nothing worse than entering a freezing cold pool. And this is often the case when abroad. You feel hot, fancy a dip but the water is ice cold.

This is not the case at Cofton and you’ll find the outside pools warm, whatever the weather! It was fairly grey and drizzly most of our stay but the pool always had people in it.

B and I enjoyed playing in the baby pool for a short while. Around the pool area are loads of picnic benches and the whole area is grassed. You can park up for the whole day there if the weather is good.

If the weather isn’t great then you have the indoor pool too. The changing rooms are clean, there are plenty of showers, cubicles and lockers. They take the old pound coin right now so save one!

The indoor pool has a constant depth of 1.2 meters and includes fountains, sprayers and jacuzzi and jet areas. There is a splash park area for children to play in as well. I really loved this as b could play here while I had a swim on my own. I could keep my eye on him and he knew where I was. It was perfect.

If you’re child free and want some real rest and relaxation then head to the sauna and steam room for some proper chill out time. Bliss.

Fishing at Cofton

Another part of Cofton that I absolutely loved were the five fishing lakes. They weren’t far to walk to and even the hubby had a little hobble around.

These lakes are exclusive for Cofton guests and are packed full of all the usual fish you’d expect – carp, tench, roach, rudd, bream and some koi.

I used to fish with my parents when we were kids and it brought back memories of trying to get a maggot on the hook on our various fishing holidays! My dad would absolutely love the lakes.

If you’re not a keen fisher then you can always hire tackle from the onsite tackle shop and give it a go. They stock bait and equipment so it saves having to cram the car full too. This also brings back memories of being wedged in the back of the car with a smelly landing net hanging between me and the sis. Nice.

One evening b and I went for a walk around the lakes together and we spotted so much wildlife. Look at the baby geese. Although the mum and dad weren’t that happy with us passing and gave us a few hisses.

It was really beautiful and b just wanted to sit and watch the ducklings swim on the lake with their mum.

Here are some of the photos I took of us exploring 🙂 And also trying to find all the “Letter Boxes”

Letter Boxes

Dotted around Cofton Holiday park are 12 letter boxes. If you pop to reception you can grab a map and playing sheet. Use your map to explore the park and locate them all. At each box you’ll find a stamp which you can mark your playing sheet with. It reminds me of Geocaching which we love doing too. I believe letter boxing was the game before we all started using our mobile phones!

Evening Entertainment

If you’re looking for something to do on an evening then there is plenty on offer at Cofton. B really likes the kid’s entertainment and we took him here a couple of evenings. I really liked the format because they did a bit more than just stage shows. There was a live reptile show and then the final night, the kids were encouraged to decorate superhero masks to win a prize. B really enjoyed this and even made a friend.

The park mascot is Digby the Dinosaur and you can check him out in our video!

Overall we had the most amazing holiday with Cofton Holidays. The site has so much to offer families looking for a relaxing break in the UK. The absolute bonus for me was the heated outdoor pools. They look so inviting and the whole area is just lovely to relax, play and enjoy a drink. The fishing lakes are perfect if you want to test your skills and have a go. My dad loves fishing and I will be looking at coming again with the grandparents! They can babysit then while Mr d and I pop for an adult only meal out!

Have you stayed with Cofton Holidays? Are you planning a family holiday this summer and not sure where to go? We had such a wonderful weekend with Cofton and we will definitely be back!

Disclaimer: We were invited to stay with Cofton Holidays on the basis of providing an honest review. As with all me and b reviews, they really are honest! We had an awesome time and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend!

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