Member Article

Exclusive holiday lodge development gets AA seal of approval

An upmarket holiday park in the North York Moors National Park has been given a resounding seal of approval by the AA.

The award-winning Wayside Holiday Park, situated at Wrelton, between Kirkbymoorside and Pickering in the heart of the North York Moors National Park, has been described as “excellent” after a recent AA inspection.

The park is owned by Yorkshire businessman Mark Goodson, who said he was “absolutely delighted” with the AA’s verdict.

AA Inspector Brian Jones commented: “I received a warm welcome at this popular leisure destination. The overall presentation was excellent, especially commendable in view of recent spell of adverse weather conditions, with neat lush grass, well-trimmed hedges and shrubs and displays of pretty seasonal flowers, especially at the amenities block.

“I particularly liked the new stream water feature creating great interest for arriving residents, while the hedge-screened seasonal touring areas create privacy. Within the very well-equipped amenities block, the usual high standard of cleanliness was also observed.

“The AA Merit Score is raised to 84% to reflect the excellence of overall presentation following this visit,” he added.

This welcome news comes hard on the heels of a stellar start to the year for Wayside Holiday Park, which incorporates the flourishing £500,000 Wayside Lakes development.

So far this year, four lodges, worth a total of more than £300,000, have been sold at Wayside Lakes. In addition, a static caravan has also been purchased at the Holiday Park, making a total sales figure of £350,000.

Mr Goodson, whose family are steeped in the entertainment business and ran iconic cinemas in Filey, Tadcaster and Sleaford, is hoping that 2019 will be the most successful year for Wayside Lakes since it was launched in 2015.

The pioneering development, whose focal point is two picturesque lakes, caters for up to 38 exclusive lodges. Already 18 lodges have been bought and are occupied on site, with strong interest coming in for others from across the north of England. Prices start from £60,000, rising to £120,000.

Mr Goodson commented: “These sales, combined with the AA’s tremendous endorsement, adds up a stunning first half of 2019 for us – and bodes really well for the year. This is despite the uncertainty of Brexit and the difficult political times,” explained Mr Goodson.

“Indeed Brexit may well encourage our key demographic, the Grey Pound, to holiday in the UK. We currently have three demonstration Lodges at Wayside Lakes and four new static caravans at the Holiday Park. We are now experiencing strong interest in both the Lakes and the Park on top of the sales we have already made.

“Last year was also notable for the fact that we were short-listed for two prestigious awards, the York Press Family Business of the Year and the Ryedale Family Business of the Year. It was extremely gratifying for Wayside to gain such recognition in the county,” he said.

“Currently the fall in the strength of the pound means that holidays abroad are markedly more expensive and the idea of a ‘staycation’ is increasingly attractive. What better than making that staycation permanent by investing in a high-quality but affordable lodge in beautiful surroundings?

“Most of our new owners are 50-plus, professional and white collar workers who are retired or semi-retired. They have decent pension pots and want a comfortable and attractive home, away from the bustling world, but close enough to beautiful countryside and sophisticated tourist attractions. They find our development fits this bill perfectly.

“Location, of course, is crucial,” said Mr Goodson. “Wayside Lakes is ideally situated within easy reach of Yorkshire’s breath-taking coastline, historic market towns, world-class heritage and mile upon mile of superb walking country. Set amid North Yorkshire’s rolling, wood-fringed fields, its peace and tranquillity are perfect for those who want to escape, relax and recharge their batteries.”

“We have enhanced this beauty and tranquillity, too, by creating a wildlife haven, with special wildlife walks, where nature is unfettered. We are already attracting nature-lovers and bird-spotters and we believe that our new lodge owners will find the natural environment incredibly uplifting and joyful.”

Run by three successive generations of the Goodson family, dedicated to personal service, quality and stewardship of the land, the original Wayside Holiday park development provides static caravan holiday home luxury, together with a provision for seasonal touring caravans.

Mr Goodson stressed that Wayside Holiday Park development was an intrinsic part of Yorkshire, not just because so many wonderful tourist attractions, such as the North Yorkshire Moors Railway and the Yorkshire coast, are on the doorstep, but also because all the suppliers and contractors of the development are local.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Robert Beaumont .