We took a week off this summer - and guess where we chose to spend it? Yes, Somerset, the land of cheese and cider and so many other wonderful things
We started off with a spot of glamping on our week off and ended our week at 109 The Bay, a lovely two-bedroom static caravan at Home Farm Holiday Centre at St Audrie's Bay.
The caravan
At 109 The Bay you will find a sense of peace and relaxation (unless you are running around after a four-year-old like me!) Unlike some of the other, larger holiday parks, Home Farm, an independently run site, was very laid-back and calm, even in the middle of August. Wi-fi is payable at a reasonable price, but who needs it on holiday?
On our arrival, we were greeted with a fantastic welcome tray with sweet and savoury treats and a bottle of something special. A really great start to our holiday.
The van has the wonderful bonus of a lovely garden and decking area, which proved to be a fantastic addition. Owner Karen supplies a set of boules if you fancy a go, but we took a box of garden toys with us and spent many hours outdoors.
In the evening sit back and relax under the decking lights, with a view across the bay.
Inside, the van has a small twin room, suitable for a couple of children and a master bedroom with its en-suite.
Karen leaves some little goodies on your pillow for your arrival - a lovely thought.
Having two bathrooms really made a difference as it meant not disturbing our daughter if we got up at night.
The lounge area is stylish - I know that Karen got an interior designer in when she bought the caravan and it shows. I should add that one of the two sofas is a sofa bed, so can accommodate a further two adults if needed.
The kitchen is well equipped and it was good to see that a few basic condiments and cleaning essentials were supplied too. You would be amazed how many places miss this out.
The site
At Home Farm Holiday Centre the personal touch is clearly important to the site owners.
It has its own private beach with sea fishing and a waterfall - a lovely cooling spot in the height of summer. I turned up at this crabbing hotspot with all the equipment - looking like a pro, and embarrassingly I didn't catch one of the little blighters, but I had fun trying!
The site has its own indoor pool with half-hour sessions bookable to a maximum of two families at a time, so it never felt crowded.
There is the Harness Room bar, which is a bit of a throwback to the 90s. When I walked in and heard Whitney on the speakers, I immediately fell in love with it and its pretty beer garden.
The garden also has table tennis and a children's play area and just across the way is a tree house and football field.
Food is available for much of the day and was really good value - and you can get a basket meal! I love them - another lovely little throwback! Now my four-year-old wants all her meals 'in a basket'.
While you're there
West Somerset Railway
While you're in the area you absolutely should take a trip back in time on the West Somerset Railway.
There are a number of stations to visit along the route, each with its own attractions.
Sadly we visited during a heatwave and understandably all steam services were suspended in favour of diesel. But we still had a fabulous time, waving from our yesteryear carriage at passers-by.
We got on at the wonderful town of Watchet with its lovely harbour and journeyed to Blue Anchor for some tea and cake and some 'treasure' hunts amongst the pebbled beach.
We then went on to Minehead where we did the typical tourist activities of 2p, pushers, ice-cream and crazy golf, before returning tired, but happy, back to base.
