Park Holidays UK
Encyclopedia
Park Holidays UK operate 25 holiday parks in the south of England, with more sites than any other Holiday Park operator along the South Coast. All of the parks have been graded by VisitBritain
quality in Tourism, and have achieved ratings of up to 4 stars. Many of their Holiday Parks have also achieved the David Bellamy Conservation award for work carried out to protect and enhance Britain’s natural environment. Park Holidays UK are members of industry trade associations the British Holiday and Home Parks Association (BH&HPA) and the National Caravan Council.
was the first park to be owned, and as the company expanded to include other Kent and East Sussex
parks the name Cinque Ports Leisure was introduced to emphasize the regional base, Cinque Ports
being a collection of five Kent
and East Sussex ports.
The company was transformed in 2001 with the purchase of ten parks from Haven Holidays, which extended the company's presence west into Dorset
and Hampshire
and north into Essex
and Suffolk
.
In total Park Holidays UK now operates six Parks in Devon
(Riviera Bay, Landscove, Waterside, Dawlish Sands, Golden Sands, Peppermint Park) one in Dorset (Sandhills), one in Hampshire (Solent Breezes), five in Sussex
(Beauport, Coghurst Hall, Chichester Lakeside, Winchelsea Sands, Frenchmans Beach) six in Kent (Marlie Farm, New Beach, Alberta, Seaview, Harts, Sheerness), four in Essex
(Steeple Bay, Oaklands, Seawick, St Osyth Beach) and two in Suffolk (Felixstowe Beach, Suffolk Sands).
In 2006 the business was sold to Graphite Capital
, with Peter Bull continuing his involvement and in 2007 he was awarded the Ernst & Young
London entrepreneur of the year award. The company changed name to Park Holidays UK in 2007, reflecting its more national coverage having expanded into South Devon
. In 2009 the company was nominated for 'Best UK Domestic Holiday Operator' in the British Travel Awards.
VisitBritain
VisitBritain is the name used by the British Tourist Authority, the tourist board of Great Britain incorporated under the Development of Tourism Act 1969....
quality in Tourism, and have achieved ratings of up to 4 stars. Many of their Holiday Parks have also achieved the David Bellamy Conservation award for work carried out to protect and enhance Britain’s natural environment. Park Holidays UK are members of industry trade associations the British Holiday and Home Parks Association (BH&HPA) and the National Caravan Council.
History
The company was originally called Cinque Ports Leisure, founded by Peter Bull and Jim Watson in the mid 1980s. Frenchmans Beach at Rye HarbourRye Harbour
Rye Harbour is a village located on the East Sussex coast in southeast England, near the estuary of the River Rother: it is part of the civil parish of Icklesham. Rye Harbour is located some two miles downstream of the town of Rye....
was the first park to be owned, and as the company expanded to include other Kent and East Sussex
East Sussex
East Sussex is a county in South East England. It is bordered by the counties of Kent, Surrey and West Sussex, and to the south by the English Channel.-History:...
parks the name Cinque Ports Leisure was introduced to emphasize the regional base, Cinque Ports
Cinque Ports
The Confederation of Cinque Ports is a historic series of coastal towns in Kent and Sussex. It was originally formed for military and trade purposes, but is now entirely ceremonial. It lies at the eastern end of the English Channel, where the crossing to the continent is narrowest...
being a collection of five Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
and East Sussex ports.
The company was transformed in 2001 with the purchase of ten parks from Haven Holidays, which extended the company's presence west into Dorset
Dorset
Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
and Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
and north into Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
and Suffolk
Suffolk
Suffolk is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in East Anglia, England. It has borders with Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south. The North Sea lies to the east...
.
In total Park Holidays UK now operates six Parks in Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
(Riviera Bay, Landscove, Waterside, Dawlish Sands, Golden Sands, Peppermint Park) one in Dorset (Sandhills), one in Hampshire (Solent Breezes), five in Sussex
Sussex
Sussex , from the Old English Sūþsēaxe , is an historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded on the north by Surrey, east by Kent, south by the English Channel, and west by Hampshire, and is divided for local government into West...
(Beauport, Coghurst Hall, Chichester Lakeside, Winchelsea Sands, Frenchmans Beach) six in Kent (Marlie Farm, New Beach, Alberta, Seaview, Harts, Sheerness), four in Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
(Steeple Bay, Oaklands, Seawick, St Osyth Beach) and two in Suffolk (Felixstowe Beach, Suffolk Sands).
In 2006 the business was sold to Graphite Capital
Graphite Capital
Graphite Capital Management is a private equity firm focused on middle market leveraged buyout investments, primarily in the UK. The firm also houses a fund of funds platform that invests in other private equity funds across Europe and the US...
, with Peter Bull continuing his involvement and in 2007 he was awarded the Ernst & Young
Ernst & Young
Ernst & Young is one of the largest professional services networks in the world and one of the "Big Four" accountancy firms, along with Deloitte, KPMG and PricewaterhouseCoopers ....
London entrepreneur of the year award. The company changed name to Park Holidays UK in 2007, reflecting its more national coverage having expanded into South Devon
South Devon
South Devon is the southern part of the county of Devon, England.South Devon may also refer to*South Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty*South Devon *South Devon College*South Devon cattle, a breed of cattle...
. In 2009 the company was nominated for 'Best UK Domestic Holiday Operator' in the British Travel Awards.