Watermouth Valley Camping Park is named the best in the UK

Watermouth Valley Camping Park has been named the best campsite in the UK at the annual Camping and Glamping Awards.

The site between Ilfracombe and Combe Martin took the top spot in the South West and in the whole country in its category at the awards, which are held by listings website campsites.co.uk.

North Devon also took a second award, as Ocean Pitch Campsite at Croyde won the Best Coastal Campsite accolade in the national awards, as well as being runner up in the South West region for best campsite.

At Watermouth Valley, picturesque coastal park has been owned and run by the Wassall family for 30 years, who originally visited as guests but decided they liked the place so much they would buy it.

Speaking on behalf of his parents Dave and June, who originally fell in love with the site and continue to be part of the business, their son Nick Wassall said: “We used to be campers ourselves, in fact we used to camp here at Watermouth Valley, so we try to do for our customers what we would have liked. Keeping it to traditional, fun camping for all the family.

“We have been here for 30 years now as a family, and we enjoy our work as much as we hope our guests enjoy their holidays - there aren't many jobs that you can say that about!”

Nick said as a family run business, it meant they all cared about it that much more.

He added: “Having that view of Broadsands Beach is something that we never get fed of seeing also, and peoples reaction to it on first seeing it confirms that we live in a really special part of the world here.

“It also amazes us when people arrive who we know from when they were children coming here and now they are bringing their own children to create those special memories. We work to make sure those memories stay with those little ones forever.

“Mum and dad are so happy the next generation are taking the site forward, (not that it stops them working) and this award means a lot to both myself and my sister Lisa and my niece Ellie, who runs our on site shop during her school holidays.”

Other North Devon winners included Hele Valley Holiday Park at Ilfracombe, which was South West region runner up in the Best Caravan Park category, plus Hallsdown Farm Touring Park in Barnstaple, which was runner up in the South West Best Adult Only Site category.

Martin Smith, the founder of Campsites.co.uk said: “Choosing gets tougher each year, but these sites went the extra mile.

“A huge congratulations to our winners, thank you for setting the camping bar so high!”