Caravan Owners Testimonials
Nick and Mandy Belford may be collected the keys for their new holiday home in Heather View Country Park just six weeks ago but they are no strangers to the world of holiday home ownership.
Before Heather View, they owned a mobile home on a large holiday park in the North-East for many years and, despite enjoying the freedom and convenience of getting away for a break whenever they felt like it, gave it up because, in Mick's words, the park became too commercialised for their liking.
That was that then - until they took a ride up to Heather View with a friend one weekend and discovered the many attributes of this exlusive, owner-only static caravan country park in the Weardale Valley.
"We were captivated by it straight away," said Mick. "Everything about Heather View looked and felt just right for us - the setting and the views, the space and the facilities and, most importantly of all, the personal, individual feel of the place. We almost decided to buy on the spot!"
Since then, Mick and Many have indeed bought into Heather View and, together with their son Joshua and occasionally their niece Caitlin, have spent virtually every spare moment at their new holiday home. "It's a brilliant place to get away from it all, to break with the routine and demands of our working lives," said Mick.
"We love the open spaces, the peace and quiet, and the personal touch of the staff who are friendly and approachable but always extremely professional."
"The fact that we live 40 minutes away in Sunderland means we can also commute to work from Heather View. How great is that?"
The Crazy Bear Hunting Lodge has also been a big hit with the Befords who, on most Friday evenings, can be seen unwinding after a hard week's work over a fantastic family meal and a drink in the lodge's riverside bar and restaurant. For the rest of the time the Belfords enjoy soaking up the breathtaking scenery and tranquillity of the park and the surrounding North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, exploring the nearby village of Stanhope and enjoying country walks in and around the park, including along its own private stretch of the River Wear.
The Belford Family
"When I retire, I'm going to find a little piece of rural England for Trevor and me - not too far from home so we can pop backwards and forwards whenever we want - where we can soak up the peace, quiet and beauty of the countryside and make the most of our hard-earned spare time."
That's what Lynda Bruce promised herself a few years ago and she stayed true to her word when the time finally arrived.
She and husband Trevor set out on their quest and, though it took some time, they eventually found what they were looking for at Heather View, the exclusive, owner-only static caravan country park in the heart of stunning Weardale.
Two years on, Lynda and Trevor remain as smitten with Heather View as they were when they first set eyes on it.
"Everything about the park is perfect as far as we are concerned," said Lynda, who spends as much, if not more, time at Heather View these days than she does at home.
Trevor takes her up on a Wednesday or a Thursday, returns to Hartlepool to look after the family business until the end of the week and then makes his way back to the park to spend the weekend with Lynda in their luxurious two-bedroom holiday home.
"We love the attractive, beautifully-maintained grounds and gardens, and the lovely views of the unspoilt, surrounding countryside which gives us a spectacular show of colour with each changing season," she said.
"Nothing is too much trouble for the wonderful team of staff and the park's facilities are first-rate."
"The Crazy Bear Hunting Lodge serves up fantastic food at prices which are good on the pocket and the fact that the whole park has an extended opening season, from March through to late December/early January, is an added bonus."
But what Lynda and Trevor really love about Heather View is the freedom it gives them to do whatever they want, whether that's resting and relaxing or taking gentle strolls in and around the park, or across the fields to the neighbouring village of Stanhope.
"In a nutshell, it's got everything we want and need in a home away from home." said Lynda.
The Bruce Family
Heather View Country Park cast its spell on Paddy and Sheila Fagan of Yarrow, Tyne and Wear, about 14 years ago and is unlikely to relinquish its grip on them for the foreseeable future.
Not that they want it to. The magic, beauty, romance and atmosphere of this five-star, owner-only holiday park in the Weardale Valley continues to capture their imagination and provide everything they are looking for in a wonderful holiday experience.
"We fist discovered Heather View when, as foster carers, we were looking for somewhere to enjoy as an extended family." said Paddy.
"As soon as we saw the park, we knew we had found the perfect place. Even after so many years and more visits to the park than I can count, we still think it's brilliant."
The couple are on to their fifth caravan now (a lovely two-bedroom affair with all the comforts of home, including central heating, double-glazing and Sky television), take their grandchildren along now that their children have grown up, and have witnessed the park undergo a huge transformation.
"It has always had excellent facilities," said Paddy "but now they are absolutely fantastic."
The tarmac roads around the site benefit from new street lighting, while each holiday home has its own private driveway and landscaped garden.
"The entertainment and food at The Crazy Bear Lodge is marvellous and the team of staff - from the directors of Park Leisure 2000 which owns the park, to the grounds people on site who keep it immaculately clean and tidy day in, day out - so helpful, approachable, friendly and professional."
According to Paddy, Heather View's extended season from March 1 to January 7, including the festive holiday period, is another bonus and makes owning a holiday home on the park even better value for money, especially if you visit regularly.
"We are lucky because we live a comfortable distance from Heather View, but even if we lived further away we'd still make every effort to visit as often as possible." he said.
"We've made lots of friends on the park and around the area and are still discovering everything this lovely part of the world has to offer. We'd recommend it to anybody."
The Fagan Family
While Carl Robinson sends his summer working offshore, he's almost certain to be dreaming about fun-filled days at Heather View. Living that dream in the caravan that's proved to be their perfect holiday home retreat, will be his wife, Kelly, and their children - six year old daughter Summerlei and three month old son, Sunnie.
The family owns a luxurious holiday home on the exclusive, owner-only static caravan park of Heather View and take every opportunity that comes their way to jump in the car and head for their park where they can get away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life and enjoy some quality family time together.
The fact that Heather View is only a 50-minute door-to-door drive from their Middlesborough home means that within an hour of leaving home, the family can be unwinding in the glorious surroundings of Weardale in the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
"We could be in a totally different country," said Kelly, who aims to make Heather View her home-from-home during the summer school holidays. Carl will be joining them whenever he can.
"It's a fantastic spot to spend quality time as a family," said Kelly.
When it comes to choosing their favourite thing about Heather View, the Robinson's - like most of the park's regular visitors - have a hard time deciding on just one aspect.
"There's so much to do and, without any of the distractions of home life, so much time in which to do it all. We can't think of anywhere we'd rather be!" said Kelly.
While it can be hard work keeping children entertained, that's certainly not the case at Heather View.
"We have three separate play areas on the park to choose from - two of which are perfect for small children and toddlers like Summerlei," said Kelly. "The third one is geared more for older children with slides, climbing frames, rope swings and roundabouts."
Although baby Sunnie is a bit too young for outdoor play at the moment, Kelly does enjoy taking him and Summerlei out and about around the park as it's a great way to get back to nature - and to get some fresh air and exercise - without having to go too far from the comforts of their caravan.
"We love exploring all the walking trails around the park, whiling away some time on the banks of the park's very own stretch of the River Wear or simply relaxing in and playing around our lovely caravan." said Kelly.
At the end of a busy day the family enjoys not only the reasonably-priced meals at the Crazy Bear Hunting Lodge, but also the family-friendly atmosphere that the staff works so hard to create.
Apart from a menu packed with family favourites, the Lodge also has a programme of music, entertainment and activities which the friendly and dynamic Heather View team of staff organise throughout the year, but is especially evident during the summer holidays.
The Robinson Family
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