As we continue to introduce you to the owners of the Best of British holiday parks, we're now heading to Shropshire! We focus on family/independently owned and run holiday parks, all of which are five star rated. Oxon Hall is a great example of one of our mid sized sites catering for both tents and caravans/motorhomes.
1. Tell us about the history of your holiday park and the area in which you are based…
Oxon Hall Touring Park has been developed from a green-field site on the outskirts of Shrewsbury and has been a popular spot for caravanners, motorhome owners and campers since 1997.
Shrewsbury, famous for being the birthplace of Charles Darwin, is one of the country's most picturesque medieval market towns with a wealth of real character. Many of the town's street names such as Butcher Row, Grope Lane and Bear Steps reveal insight into Shrewsbury's medieval past with over 660 listed buildings to be found in and around the cobbled alleys squares and streets.
The park is also the ideal location for exploring the beautiful and vast Shropshire countryside, including the Welsh Marches and the Shropshire Hills, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
2. Please introduce your team…
Morris Leisure is a family run business based in Shrewsbury and owns six touring parks and four holiday home parks across Shropshire and North Wales. The company is owned and managed by Edward Goddard, who acquired the first park back in 1992.
Oxon Hall Touring Park’s management team consist of Clive and Virginia Jones, Nick and Sandra Bellinger and Gareth and Judith Jones. Clive and Virginia have been working for the business for 22 years and have run our Oxon Hall Touring Park for 15 years. The whole team are an asset to the company and are one of the main reasons we have such a high rate of returning visitors each year.
3. What are the values that are your unique selling point as a holiday park?
We think there are many aspects of Oxon Hall that make it a fantastic place to visit.
Guests can enjoy a countryside setting with an abundance of greenery and wildlife while benefitting from being close to the local amenities. These include a Park & Ride Service, two takeaways, a fantastic restaurant and a supermarket at the entrance of the park. The park is also less than a 10-minute drive/bus ride into Shrewsbury's beautiful, bustling centre.
It's an excellent place for couples with an adult only area on-site for extra tranquillity.
The park is also one of few in the UK that can accommodate customers with large RVs as the site has unique supersize RV pitches. The park is also fantastic for dog owners, with an on-site dog walk and access to several excellent local parks and walks, including the Quarry, Haughmond Hill and a little further afield, the Shropshire Hills.
4. What is life as a park owner like?
Life as a park owner is hard work but very rewarding. The variation of tasks, challenges and customers means no day is ever the same. From managing bookings and ensuring customers have the best experience to maintaining the grounds, cleaning the facilities and everything in between. To work here, we always say it's not a job; it's a lifestyle. All of our Park Managers are very proud of the park and making it the best it can be!
5. What makes Oxon Hall a 5 star experience?
From our guest feedback, many reasons make staying with us at Oxon Hall a 5 star experience.
- Our hardworking, friendly Park Managers provide excellent standards of customer care, which creates a friendly and relaxed atmosphere.
- The fantastic location means that guests have access to a host of close-by amenities and attractions.
- The hardworking grounds team create a wonderful display of colour, whatever the season, and a balance of indigenous and cultivated planting combines with neat, lush grassed areas results in a feeling of peace and tranquillity.
- The quality of all the facilities, from the spacious gravel pitches to the modern, well-designed amenities block, is maintained to a high standard.
- This long-established park receives year on year investment to ensure that we consistently exceed customer expectations.
6. What Awards have you won?
The park has achieved several awards and accolades, including but not limited to:
- For 22 years, the park has achieved a 5-star pennant rating from the AA, which marks the quality and variety of facilities a park offers – including customer care and hospitality, toilet facilities and park landscaping.
- The park was awarded AA Campsite of the year in the heart of England 2018-2019 for the second time since 2006, which celebrates the best caravan parks and campsites across the country.
- The park has placed in the Practical Caravan and Motorhomes Top 100 Sites Guide for five consecutive years after being voted for by guests and readers of the two magazines.
- The park has retained a 5-star rating by Visit England for 22 years running; the VisitEngland have a team of trained assessors who thoroughly inspect the services and facilities offered every year, from the efficiency of the booking process to the level of service provided.
- The park has achieved VisitEngland’s Gold Award, which celebrates accommodation establishments that outperform in their category, offering exceptional quality within their star rating.
- The park has attained a TripAdvisor 2021 Traveller’s Choice award, recognising accommodation that consistently receives excellent tourist reviews.
7. What local attractions would you suggest your visitors experience while staying with you?
Within a 30 minute drive, there is a fantastic range of superb attractions in the local area. Within Shrewsbury's town centre, you can explore a decommissioned Victorian Jail (Shrewsbury Prison), visit a floral masterpiece in the riverside park (The Dingle) or visit a multi-award-winning market hall filled with a unique collection of cafes and stalls (The Market Hall).
There are plenty of family-friendly attractions to keep children entertained, from Jump In, an arena of interconnected trampolines, to Hoo Farm, a countryside attraction with over 100 different species of animal and the Ironbridge Gorge Museums, ten interactive, hands-on museums telling the story of the 'The birthplace of the industrial revolution', including Blists Hill Victorian Town, a fantastic living outdoor museum where all the staff dress in period costume.
Suppose you're looking for something a bit more relaxing. Attingham Park is an 18th-century estate and mansion with 200 acres of landscaped grounds to explore. Alternatively, take a trip to Hawstone Park Foliies where you can discover a range of dramatic and rugged natural sandstone hills with gullies, caves, bridges and a series of extraordinary monuments built over 200 years ago.
Others include Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury Museum & Art Gallery, Shropshire Castle & Regimental Museum, Haughmond Abbey, Wroxeter Roman City, British Ironwork Centre, Park Hall Countryside Experience and Powis Castle, to name a few.
8. How have you made Oxon Hall a Covid-secure environment?
Although Covid-19 guidelines have recently been relaxed, we are still doing our bit to reduce risk and ensure our guests and staff feel safe and comfortable. We continue to ask guests to check in and pay their remaining balance before arrival to minimise contact with Park Managers and reduce check-in time so we can limit the number of people in reception at one time. We are also still prioritising the cleaning and sanitising of our facilities and asking that guests be considerate of others.
We have introduced a 'book with total confidence 'policy, meaning if your booking is affected by any government restrictions or we close due to COVID-19, we will automatically put your credit on hold. You can then use this credit towards a booking at any of our touring parks within the next 12 months of your original arrival date. Alternatively, you are eligible for a refund.
We are delighted that parks are back open for guests to enjoy, especially after the challenging year many have had. We hope that people in the UK continue to staycation and explore more of this beautiful country that we call home.
Thank you very much to the Goddard family at Oxon Hall Touring Park for taking part in our 'Meet The Owners' series! To view more about the park and check availability, please click here.
