• Home
  • About Otis and Us
    • Meet Otis
  • Blog
  • Work with us
  • Contact us
  • Nav Social Menu

    • E-mail
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • Days out
  • Festivals
  • Accessories and Reviews
  • Competitions

Otis and Us

  • Van Life
  • Campervan recipes
  • Glamping
  • Travel
  • Travel Tips

Andrewshayes Holiday Park, East Devon: REVIEW

Blog· Travel

13 Aug

Andrewshayes Holiday Park : REVIEW

Every year we like to plan a road trip in our campervan. I always think there is something special (and adventurous) about moving on every two or three days, and owning a campervan has given us the opportunity to do just that. It means that we can pack up and head to our next destination quickly and with ease. It also allows us to visit many wonderful places in a short amount of time, and this year we have been lucky enough to visit Pembrokeshire, Scotland, Dorset and York up to now. When we were asked if we would like to stop at Andrewshayes Holiday Park in East Devon, we didn’t need any persuading, and decided to plan our Summer road trip around our stay in East Devon.

Andrewshayes Holiday Park


Andrewshayes is an award winning holiday park. It is a family run campsite on the edge of the Blackdown Hills near Axminster in East Devon. The holiday park is also a few miles from the Jurassic Coast, meaning you can enjoy the best of both worlds of a countryside and coastal break.

The site offers self-catering holiday homes, and pitches for touring caravans, tents, motorhomes and campervans. For those of you who are not seasoned campers and want to try something a bit different, there are also two brand new glamping pods available to hire.


Facilites

The holiday park is a small, family friendly park with great facilities for the kids. The site boasts a great children’s playground (top of our three year old’s wish list) a heated swimming pool with a retractable roof (free to use), a baby and toddler soft play room, a games room and sports field. What I loved is there is so much space to enjoy the fresh air and countryside, there is a designated dog walking area (for those of you who have pooches) a large sports field, and a private woodland walk.

 Our Stay

Our journey, although long, was relatively smooth and we arrived at the holiday park in good time to set up in the sunshine. On arrival we were greeted with a warm smile, provided with the park information and directed to a good sized pitch near to the wash facilities (perfect for our 1am toilet runs with the little ones!) The pitch was a great size, and offered stunning views of the countryside.

S U N S E T S – I love a moody sky. We have had the best time on the first part of our road trip. We have made new friends, laughed, had a swim in the pool, jumped in muddy puddles @andrewshayes_holiday_park and met some friendly otters and squirrels. Devon you have been fun!. . . . . #familytravel #devon #camping #campervanlife #familytravelmoment #trips100 #sunset #capturingcolour #igtravels #travelwithkids #travel #picoftheday #moretoexploreoutdoors #moodysky #MySundayPhoto #inspiremyinstagram #lifewellcaptured #lifewelltravelled #roadtrip #momentsofmine #slowlivingforlife #lovelifeoutside #nature_brilliance #sky_brilliance

A post shared by MrsS (@otisandus.blog) on Aug 5, 2017 at 1:18am PDT


The wash block was great. It was really clean with hot water, a hairdryer, and a family room available – perfect for us. There is also a laundry room with a washing machine and tumble dryer and a microwave and freezer, which I can tell you is really useful if you need to warm milk, sterilise baby items or arrive late and want to heat up food.

During our stay we had a day where we experienced torrential rain, but the facilities at the park proved a lifesaver. We were able to splash in the covered heated pool, and let the little man crawl around in the soft play area without rolling around in the mud and puddles.

     

During the evening we decided to sample the food at Gregs cafe on site rather than attempt to cook on the camping stove in the pouring rain. Gregs cafe also has a takeaway service offering a choice of food including Steak, pizza, fish and chips and burgers. The takeaway is open in the evening from 5.30pm and did get busy. The dining area has recently been refurbished and looked stylish and modern. The food was delicious, a reasonable price, and great portion sizes – so much so we didn’t have room for desert.


 

Things to do in the area

There is so much to do in East Devon you will be spoilt for choice. The park has a great information room with an abundance of leaflets and posters to inspire you.

The Jurassic Coast is a few miles from Andrewshayes Holiday Park; with Seaton, Charmouth, Sidmouth, Beer and Lyme Regis only a short drive away. West Bay (for all the Broadchurch fans) is also about 30 minutes drive away.

We stopped by at Charmouth beach where we found lots of sand and pebbles, beautiful beach huts, cafe and shops where the girls bought a fossil or two. The Charmouth Heritage Centre should be your first stop if you want to find fossils, and if you are in the area for a day or so, there are organised fossil finding walks.

There are so many family friendly days out in the area from adventure parks, wildlife centres and parks nearby.

Claire over at Tin Box Traveller recently headed to The World of Country Life  – an award winning all weather attraction in Exmouth where you will find a mix of animals, museums, play areas and entertainment – find out more over at Tin Box Traveller.  

The Seaton Tramway is a nearby attraction featuring a narrow gauge electric tramway running from Seaton To Colyton. Find out more over at Dais Like These when they spent a day on the Seaton Tramway during their stay in Devon.

Joanne over at Kids Day Out Reviews recently enjoyed a visit to The Abbotsbury Swannery in Dorset whilst staying in Devon. The Abbotsbury Swannery is not only home to the world’s only managed colony of nesting mute swans, but boasts tractor rides, a giant maze, go karts and a play area.

Charly over at PodcastDove enjoyed a fun day out at Crealy Adventure Park. Crealy Adventure Park is a great family day in out in Devon, set in 100 acres of countryside with over 60 rides and attractions.

We headed out to Wildwood Escot for the day and I can totally recommend a visit – we enjoyed a really lovely day out meeting otters, wolves, birds of prey, exploring the Anglo-saxon village and getting lost in the maze.

Yesterday we had a great time over at @wildwoodescot . We saw Lynx, Wild boars, red squirrels, wolves, birds of prey, and my most favourite – Otters. The littles ones loved the Anglo-Saxon village- particularly toasting the marshmallows… I’ll share more of our day soon but for now here are a few pictures from our day 🙂 . . . . . . . #devon #wildwoodescot #myfamilyadventures #countrykidsfun #Curiouslittleexplorers #raisingragamuffins #daysoutwithkids #travel #campervanlife #Goexplore #UKexplore #instatravel #instakids #mycolourfulkids #whatevertheweatherkids #lifeisoutdoors #myhappycapture #moretoexploreoutdoors #justpassingthrough #beyondthewanderlust #explorerkids #funseekingkids #lifewithinfourcorners #pottyadventures #lovelifeoutside #watchthemlearn #naturelearners #adventurelikebeatrixpotter #ad

A post shared by MrsS (@otisandus.blog) on Aug 2, 2017 at 2:21am PDT

For more inspiration for days out and things to do in Devon, head over to www.flipflopsorwellies.co.uk

 

Our Verdict

We enjoyed a lovely family friendly stay at Andrewshayes Holiday Park. There is something for everyone here, and there is so much to do on site whatever the weather. All of our little ones absolutely loved the pool and the play park, and having the option of a cafe and takeaway on site is a real added bonus. There is so much to do and see in East Devon, three days just didn’t seem long enough….we will just have to return!

For more information, and how to book – head over to www.andrewshayes.co.uk

Pin for Later

I love to hear what you think of my blog, do leave a comment. You can find us over on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter.

Flying With A Baby

 

23 Comments

Previous Post: « Travel in Style – Moccstars Baby and Toddler Footwear: Review
Next Post: Summer Style: Blade and Rose Summer Set REVIEW »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Cathy (Mummytravels) says

    August 19, 2017 at 11:56 am

    I’m really impressed by the sound of the facilities – perfect with kids especially in a less than sunny summertime.

    Reply
  2. susanna says

    August 19, 2017 at 3:31 pm

    3 days is never enough! Hope you go back soon, it sounds amazing x

    Reply
  3. Karen says

    August 19, 2017 at 3:56 pm

    My little one would love all the activities, especially the pool. Amazing !

    Reply
  4. Clare M - Flip Flops or Wellies says

    August 20, 2017 at 7:59 pm

    Great review, thank you for sharing my blog link. Yes there’s so much to do in the area, you must stay for longer next time!

    Reply
  5. Joanne Brady says

    August 21, 2017 at 5:18 pm

    We really liked Andrewshayes on our visit too! We have monstrous weather and the pool was awesome. Thanks for including our trip to Abbotsbury Swannery!

    Reply
  6. David - PottyAdventures says

    August 22, 2017 at 8:58 am

    This sounds like it has great facilities for kids. Moving on every couple of days is definitely a big advantage of having a camper van. #explorerkids

    Reply
  7. Baby Isabella says

    August 22, 2017 at 9:45 am

    Sounds like a great bolthole for kids! We’ll definitely check this out. Andrewshayes sounds like it could be a great spot for us. We stayed in South Devon recently and it was beautiful so it’s time for a change. Popping over from #ExplorerKids x

    Reply
  8. Sarah says

    August 22, 2017 at 3:52 pm

    Oooh I’m super jel, that looks like a lovely holiday park. One day it is my dream to own a campervan. Sarah #ExplorerKids

    Reply
    • otisandus says

      August 22, 2017 at 7:07 pm

      It has been our dream for so long too, one day you will get that campervan!!!!!!

      Reply
  9. Zena's Suitcase says

    August 22, 2017 at 8:07 pm

    It sounds like a really lovely holiday park. I love the facilities, and it’s great to see a covered pool. It’s not been a great summer for weather has it

    Reply
  10. Wandermust mummy says

    August 22, 2017 at 8:08 pm

    Looks like a fab place

    Reply
  11. Jonny (daisythebus) says

    August 22, 2017 at 8:46 pm

    Super! We have occasionally looked for a dog-friendly and well-equipped campsite on/near the Jurassic Coast and never quite found one to our liking. Looks like this one slipped under the radar because we were looking for Dorset, not Devon. Thanks for the tip and greetings from Daisy to Otis! #ExplorerKids
    p.s. I think my kids would prefer the mud and puddles to the soft play area 😀

    Reply
  12. Emma Raphael says

    August 23, 2017 at 12:33 pm

    I love how you just pack up and set off. No stupid airports or anything to worry about! This sounds like a great place to stay with kids as well! The little pods are really common in our favourite campsite in Austria, that wouldn’t take you too long to get to, honest! 🙂

    Reply
  13. Nell (Pigeon Pair and Me) says

    August 23, 2017 at 1:26 pm

    I love the look of those glamping pods! Holiday parks are great for getting back to nature, aren’t they – in a way that’s more comfortable than camping! We’ve mainly stayed in holiday parks in France and other European countries, but this does look tempting.

    Reply
  14. Daisy (Dais Like These) says

    August 24, 2017 at 12:00 pm

    We had a great time at Andrewshayes too – our boys absolutely loved the pool and the playground, and our dog had a blast on the dog field!

    Reply
    • otisandus says

      August 28, 2017 at 7:37 am

      The facilities were great, something for everyone (and the little pooches taking a holiday!)

      Reply
  15. Marina says

    August 25, 2017 at 1:05 pm

    Your son looks so happy in that play area! The glamping pods look like they’d be amazing inside. I may have grown up camping in a tent, but I’d definitely be happy to stay in one of those things.

    Reply
    • otisandus says

      August 28, 2017 at 7:36 am

      Thanks for stopping by and commenting! We may have a van- but I would never say no to stopping in a glamping pod either! They looked lovely!

      Reply
  16. Su {Ethan & Evelyn} says

    August 27, 2017 at 11:44 am

    This is such a great review. The place has so much to offer. It is very kids friendly and everything is there without you having to worry about hot water for the shower. I like that it is all inclusive and you don’t need to pay extra to use the facilities. It makes it all the worth while.

    I really like how you also added other blogger’s recommendation of the surrounding site seeing too. Great job! I’d love to own my own caravan too – one day. 😉

    Thanks for linking up with us on #ExplorerKids Linky. x

    Reply
    • otisandus says

      August 28, 2017 at 7:34 am

      Thanks so much that is so kind of you. It was such a lovely site and you are right about the all inclusive activities. It really does make a difference particularly in the school holidays when prices seem to go sky high! Thanks for hosting explorer kids #2

      Reply
  17. Plutonium Sox says

    August 28, 2017 at 4:21 pm

    Oh this looks brilliant, I love the fact that the campsite itself has stuff to do if it is raining, this is always the thing that I struggle with when we’re camping, we have to pack up and drive to somewhere to find something for the children to do. I was very jealous when I saw you tweet about heading here, glad it lived up to expectations!
    Thanks for linking up to #familytraveltips
    Nat.x

    Reply
  18. Donna Vallance says

    August 30, 2017 at 1:15 am

    The pool looks fabulous! And I love those beach huts!

    Reply
  19. Carrie -Flying With A Baby (Family Travel) says

    September 2, 2017 at 8:08 am

    The facilities look great and the location is perfect to explore Seaton, Charmouth, Sidmouth etc.Thanks for linking up to #familytraveltips I really like the look of the pods!

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published.

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Let’s Connect

  • E-mail
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Latest on Instagram

otisandus.blog

Vanlife Family • Travel


Ad🌟Top Tip 🌟

Fairy lights dotted around a
Ad🌟Top Tip 🌟

Fairy lights  dotted around a climbing frame
 
= A few more extra hours outside over the winter months 

Add in a flurry of snow ....

#1000hoursoutside 

#wickeyadventure #wickeyplaytime #lockdown3


🚐Vanlife with kids 🚐

I often get messages a
🚐Vanlife with kids 🚐

I often get messages asking “where do you all sleep” and where did your toddler or baby  sleep in the camper ?

We bought our #t5 when our eldest was just 2, and we have had to adapt as our family has grown. We didn’t have the roof converted until much later so we tried a fair few sleeping options! 

I thought It might be helpful if I listed all of the sleeping options we have tried in our vwT5 because I often get questions about sleeping options with young kids.

⭐️Our new born baby slept in a sleepyhead in the camper as it was easily transportable and worked as  crib.

⭐️ We then found a deluxe travel cot that fit perfectly at the base of our rib bed and this worked from about 6 months 

⭐️We then moved on to a toddler inflatable air bed placed again at the bottom of our bed. We  found the toddler beds fit perfectly across the width of the van 

⭐️moving on we purchased a hammock that fitted over just the driver and passenger seat  and this worked great from about 3+

⭐️ Finally as our family grew... We  had our pop top roof added and the children slept well in the roof. We had a safety net fitted to the opening  of the roof and this allowed all our children to sleep in the roof safely and gave us some peace of mind - particularly as our son was young.

I’ve linked my post in my stories but do let me know if you have tried any other options that work for young children, particularly if you don’t have an elevating roof! Always here if I can help with anything or if you have any questions.

🌈


A vintage rainbow 🌈

Mucho love tonight - hope
A vintage rainbow 🌈 

Mucho love tonight - hope you are all doing okay x


💫Still one of my most favourite captures 💫

💫Still one of my most favourite captures 💫 

Just popping on to wish all of you a Happy New Year 💕

Here we are .... Still hanging out in tier 4, (but hey I have three lovely days off 🤩) we have all got this🙌🏻

For now I’m going to keep dreaming, planning, doing a bit of vanlife shopping and redesigning our campervan 😂 (so if any of you lovely vanlife peeps can share and tag me in a picture of your interiors I would be eternally grateful). 

Hey I may even get this dissertation done 🤣

If it’s okay I’ll keep sharing the little bits in between, and of course our van life tips and tricks over the new year, until we can explore once again. 

Thanks for sticking with us - happy new year to my faves, lots of love and stay safe 

The Otis and Us tribe xxx


🌲 And that’s me signing off for Christmas. 🌲 

Let’s hope 2021 brings some sunshine, plans, adventures and a glimmer of hope. 

To all my lovely friends, family and wonderful vanlife peeps, thanks so much for all the love and support this year. 

Wishing you all a Happy Christmas and New year from Otis and Us xxx

Ad / We are still loving our @wickey climbing fram
Ad / We are still loving our @wickey climbing frame, and so grateful to have this wonderful play area in our garden for the kids since the lockdown number two. 

It’s my last day of annual leave today. So we have spent the afternoon adding a few fairy lights to the MultiFlyer climbing frame - sprinkling a bit of magic and festive cheer out in the garden....

Moving on to the the camper next :) it definitely needs some fairy lights and a tree - Don’t you think? 🌲 

#wickeyadventure #wickeyplaytime #vimage


Load More…


Follow on Instagram


Browse by Category

Trips100 - Travel Blogs
Trips100

BritMums

Amazon Associate

“We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.”

  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookies Policy
  • Disclaimer
Ad🌟Top Tip 🌟 Fairy lights dotted around a Ad🌟Top Tip 🌟

Fairy lights  dotted around a climbing frame
 
= A few more extra hours outside over the winter months 

Add in a flurry of snow ....

#1000hoursoutside 

#wickeyadventure #wickeyplaytime #lockdown3
🚐Vanlife with kids 🚐 I often get messages a 🚐Vanlife with kids 🚐

I often get messages asking “where do you all sleep” and where did your toddler or baby  sleep in the camper ?

We bought our #t5 when our eldest was just 2, and we have had to adapt as our family has grown. We didn’t have the roof converted until much later so we tried a fair few sleeping options! 

I thought It might be helpful if I listed all of the sleeping options we have tried in our vwT5 because I often get questions about sleeping options with young kids.

⭐️Our new born baby slept in a sleepyhead in the camper as it was easily transportable and worked as  crib.

⭐️ We then found a deluxe travel cot that fit perfectly at the base of our rib bed and this worked from about 6 months 

⭐️We then moved on to a toddler inflatable air bed placed again at the bottom of our bed. We  found the toddler beds fit perfectly across the width of the van 

⭐️moving on we purchased a hammock that fitted over just the driver and passenger seat  and this worked great from about 3+

⭐️ Finally as our family grew... We  had our pop top roof added and the children slept well in the roof. We had a safety net fitted to the opening  of the roof and this allowed all our children to sleep in the roof safely and gave us some peace of mind - particularly as our son was young.

I’ve linked my post in my stories but do let me know if you have tried any other options that work for young children, particularly if you don’t have an elevating roof! Always here if I can help with anything or if you have any questions.

🌈
A vintage rainbow 🌈 Mucho love tonight - hope A vintage rainbow 🌈 

Mucho love tonight - hope you are all doing okay x
💫Still one of my most favourite captures 💫 💫Still one of my most favourite captures 💫 

Just popping on to wish all of you a Happy New Year 💕

Here we are .... Still hanging out in tier 4, (but hey I have three lovely days off 🤩) we have all got this🙌🏻

For now I’m going to keep dreaming, planning, doing a bit of vanlife shopping and redesigning our campervan 😂 (so if any of you lovely vanlife peeps can share and tag me in a picture of your interiors I would be eternally grateful). 

Hey I may even get this dissertation done 🤣

If it’s okay I’ll keep sharing the little bits in between, and of course our van life tips and tricks over the new year, until we can explore once again. 

Thanks for sticking with us - happy new year to my faves, lots of love and stay safe 

The Otis and Us tribe xxx
🌲 And that’s me signing off for Christmas. 🌲 

Let’s hope 2021 brings some sunshine, plans, adventures and a glimmer of hope. 

To all my lovely friends, family and wonderful vanlife peeps, thanks so much for all the love and support this year. 

Wishing you all a Happy Christmas and New year from Otis and Us xxx
Ad / We are still loving our @wickey climbing fram Ad / We are still loving our @wickey climbing frame, and so grateful to have this wonderful play area in our garden for the kids since the lockdown number two. 

It’s my last day of annual leave today. So we have spent the afternoon adding a few fairy lights to the MultiFlyer climbing frame - sprinkling a bit of magic and festive cheer out in the garden....

Moving on to the the camper next :) it definitely needs some fairy lights and a tree - Don’t you think? 🌲 

#wickeyadventure #wickeyplaytime #vimage
If this year has taught us anything, it’s defini If this year has taught us anything, it’s definitely to not take anything for granted. To take each day as it comes and to enjoy the simple things in life, finding  joy in those ordinary moments. 

I don’t need reminding of this but family and friends are everything. As are good old hugs. (I miss hugs!) And plans. Blooming love a plan. 😍

So ill keep on bobbing on here if that’s okay? I’ll keep planning, writing about our campervan adventures and sharing our van life love and outdoor life. Because we have to have hope and we have to keep dreaming.... 

Hope you are all doing okay, sending a virtual hug if you need one this weekend. My inbox is ALWAYS open, always.
🚐 4 years! 🚐 4 years blogging!! Wowzers tha 🚐 4 years! 🚐

4 years blogging!! Wowzers that has flown by!! 

I’ve had lots of new followers lately so thought I would pop on and say hello and tell you a little bit about us.

I’m Katy and I am behind Otis and us travel blog. I started the blog during my maternity leave - really because I love taking photos and wanted  a place that the kids can look back on and to document our van life adventures. I  am a full time specialist nurse and also currently working on an MSc. I am a whirlwind and life is definitely jam packed but I wouldn’t have it any other way :) 

We love our beautiful T5!! We have made so many memories and taken some wonderful roadtrips over the years. We haven’t managed to get out in the van much this year, but hey I’ve still been dreaming ... hopefully next year🤞🏻🤞🏻

We have three free spirited kiddies who love nothing more than a road trip,  sleeping in the poptop roof, exploring, beach life and toasting marshmallows. 

Mr Otis and Us, what can I say? The chilled one who has so much patience😆. He drives the many miles, lives on coffee and never ever says no to my crazy road trips and ideas. 

So here we are - the Otis and Us tribe, popping on to say hi. 
 
Thank you so much for following along, for all your interaction and love. It means the world. I love to hear from you all, every message and every comment. Thank you 🙏🏻 

Hope you will stay with us for 2021 , 

Stay safe 

Katy xx 🌈

📸 credit @canonuk

Copyright © 2021 · Otis and Us | All Rights Reserved

This site uses cookies, to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. Find out how to disable cookies in your browser by reading the full policy.AcceptRead the policy