We’re a pretty well-travelled family – over the years we’ve been to Costa Rica, Egypt, Mexico and a few European cities – but we still love a good UK holiday, especially if it comes at a bargain price and it only takes a couple of hours to get there.
Susan found a great deal on a three-bed caravan in Prestatyn run by Jane’s Jolly Holidays – Monday to Friday for just £200! Looking at the map before we set off it was clear that there was more than enough to fill a week, and even if the weather was bad we had plenty of books, and Wimbledon and Euro 2024 on the TV. Sometimes just getting away from home is enough to give your mind a break.
The caravan is on Presthaven Beach Resort, and it’s out towards the back of the site, so nice and quiet and really near to the beach. On arrival we headed for the well-stocked shop and saw baby gulls on top of someone else’s caravan! This is the first time any of us had ever seen a baby gull – like little bundles of fluff sitting atop quite a scraggly nest – and it wouldn’t be the last on the trip.
On our first full day we drove into Prestatyn town centre where you can pick up the start (or the end, depending on which way you approach it) of the Offa’s Dyke Path. Instead we opted for a saunter along the beachside footpath. Despite the stiff breeze, the sun eventually popped out and we kept going until we ended up in Rhyl, about 3 miles from where we started. After a decent fish-and-chip dinner we were too tired to walk back, so we thought we’d give the train a try. It only cost a few quid for all four of us.
The next day we headed to Conwy Castle. You can read more about that adventure here; suffice to say we had a great time. It’s such a quaint little town with a great bakery, a pleasant harbour (but beware the gulls) and Britain’s smallest house. And the castle itself was brilliant – a spectacularly well-preserved building where you can really imagine what life would have been like in King Edward I’s day.
On our last full day we made a longer trip to Bodnant Garden, a National Trust property on the fringe of Snowdonia National Park. We got lucky with the weather again and found plenty to enjoy here, including a large contingent of visitors’ dogs and resident cats! After Bodnant we made a short 20-minute trip north for a view of the sea at Llandudno. This took us all by surprise as we were expecting a run-down seaside town. Instead we found, especially along the seafront, a beautiful display of Victorian-era hotels and guest houses, a lovely wide seaside path and a pier teeming with ice-cream shops.
As well as being close to numerous attractions, the other beauty of the caravan was that it was less than five minutes’ walk to the beach. There’s something life-affirming about getting blown about on a British beach, and we ended up strolling along the boardwalk on most evenings for a view of the Irish Sea. On our final day we walked a bit further, along a very accessible path, to find the lighthouse. We always had an eye out for local wildlife, and it was so nice to see dozens of common spotted orchids dotted among the long grass.
The caravan itself was really comfortable, and plenty big enough for a family of four. Each girl got their own room, and there were two bathrooms – one with a shower – so we weren’t all queuing to get ready in the mornings, or to brush our teeth at night. We certainly felt safe and secure tucked away, but we could have done without the 5am wake-up calls from the wildlife; but that is always going to be an issue when you’re this close to the coast.
Thank you to Jane, a fellow home edder, for providing us with such a homely base which had everything we needed. Thanks also for the good weather! We will be back…
