Great news – the sun is back here in Dorset! We hope that’s the wet weather behind us now, because we’ve got lots of really exciting things lined up for the next few weeks. The Queen’s Jubilee is going to be one big party for the whole country, and we mean to celebrate in style here at Newlands! Here’s a couple of things we’re looking forward to in the coming weeks…

Royal Navy Ship in Lyme Regis 18th – 20th May

HMS Edinburgh, a type 42 warship from the Royal Navy, will be sailing into Lyme Bay on 18th May, marking the official start of the Diamond Jubilee Celebrations in Lyme Regis. It will join the giant Silverlines Cruise Ship, which will be mooring in the bay to allow its American passengers to disembark and enjoy the pleasures of the town and learn about its rich history.

These impressive vessels moored in the bay will bear witness to a weekend of fun, pomp and celebration, including a grand ceremony planned to mark the renaming of the central pavilion in honour of the Jubilee. Can’t wait!

Jubilee celebrations at Newlands Holiday Park

Over at our caravan park in Dorset, we have a packed line-up of events going on throughout the week. One of the main highlights is The Big Lunch BBQ, which takes place on Sunday June 3rd from 12 noon to 2pm on the patio and conservatory.

Griff Griffiths will be providing live music, and there will be face painting and prizes for best fancy dress. Demand will be high, so it’s a ticket only event (available from reception). Prices are £7.50 for adults and £5.25 for children.

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West Dorset is a cyclist’s dream. The area has many purpose built cycle paths, with lots of easy, relaxing routes that are suitable for inexperienced cyclists and families with small children. Cycling is one of the best ways to explore the countryside, especially during the summer months when the long sunny days make it an absolute joy to be outdoors.

As well as the spectacular scenery, one of the great things about cycling in Dorset is that there are so many great spots to stop for refreshment. Whether it’s pretty country pubs or traditional English cafes that take your fancy, you’ll find plenty of places to rest your legs and enjoy a drink and a bite to eat before continuing your journey.

Our Dorset caravan park is located just outside Charmouth. From here, a great idea for a cycling trip is to head north along the national cycle path route to the incredible Iron Age Hill forts Coney’s Castle, Lambert’s Castle and Pilsdon Pen. Cycling all the way to Pilsdon Pen is hard work – it’s about 8 miles from Charmouth, and some of the route involves quite steep hills. But it’s definitely worth it for the extraordinary views of lush, green Dorset countryside you are rewarded with when you finally get to the top of the Pen.

There’s a couple of pubs on the route in Marshwood, Shave Cross and Birdsmoorgate, which are ideal places to take a break from all the cycling if you want to. And if you fancy taking a different route on the return leg, then you can head down to Charmouth via Morcombelake, possibly even taking a detour to Seatown if you have the energy left!

Here’s a printable map of the route, with all major points of interest (yes, including pubs!) marked on it.

If you are interested in visiting Dorset for a cycling holiday, why not give us a call on 01297 560259. We have a great choice of comfortable, spacious accommodation on our park, perfect for relaxing and unwinding after a hard days cycling!

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Here we are – it’s the first day of the Fossil Festival, and we’ve definitely caught the fossil fever here at our Dorset holiday park. There’s a super exciting programme of events and activities lined up for the weekend ahead, so here are a few things to look out for:

Jurassic Airlines Ride

New for 2012, the Jurassic Airlines ride is a state of the art flight simulator with a Jurassic twist. It transports you back millions of years, flying above the Dorset and Devon coastline before diving into the sea and swimming alongside the prehistoric creatures that once inhabited these waters. This one is definitely not to be missed!

Where: The Shelters, Marine Parade

When: 4-10th May

Natural History Museum Science Team

Palaeontologists, botanists, mineralogists, and many other kinds of scientists from the Natural History Museum will be on hand to chat and share their expertise with visitors. They will also be showing off some of their favourite fossils from the Museum, and will have some hands-on activities for everyone to have a go at.

Where: Grand Marquee

When: Friday to Sunday 10am – 5pm

Fossil Fair

The fossil fair is a great opportunity to admire, handle and even buy fossils of all shapes and sizes. There will also be a wide variety of jewellery, arts, crafts themed around fossils, as well as dinosaur toys and gifts.

Where: Grand Marquee

When: Friday to Monday 10am to 5pm

What on Earth Happened?

Author, historian and ex-Sunday Time Journalist Christopher Lloyd’s unique interactive workshop What on Earth Happened? is a fascinating journey through millions of years of natural and human history. With help from his two metre high “world’s biggest book”, Christopher offers a fascinating take on the story of planet earth, which will entertain and surprise audiences of all ages.

Where: Marine Theatre

When: Saturday & Sunday 11am & 3pm

Head to the Fossil Festival website to see the full programme of events and activities. Have a great weekend!

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One of the most exciting and memorable annual attractions in Dorset is the hatching of the baby swans at the Abbotsbury Swannery. It usually happens around mid May each year, although last year the first cygnet hatched on 3 May – nearly two weeks earlier than usual!

The swannery is an ancient institution dating back to 14th century, when the swans were tended to by monks from the nearby abbey. The monks have gone, but other than that little has changed, and the swans are still fed, managed and cared for in the same way they have been for hundreds of years.

It’s now one of the biggest tourist attractions in Dorset, and has even been used as a filming location for one of the Harry Potter movies!

One of the great and unique things about the swannery is that it is not a zoo, so there are no cages or bars and the swans come and go as they please. The swannery is criss-crossed by a network of footpaths, which allow you to get up close to the nesting swans, and if you time it right, may actually get to see cygnets hatching a few feet away from you! It’s a Fantastic experience for all ages, but is especially unforgettable for kids.

For prices, opening times and more info on the Swannery, check out the Abbotsbury tourism website. And if you’re looking for somewhere to stay, our Dorset campsite is just a short drive/bus ride away in Charmouth, which makes it an ideal base for visiting the swannery and the other fabulous attractions on the Jurassic Coast.

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As anyone who has picked up a newspaper or seen a news report recently will know, this summer is shaping up to be absolutely huge for Dorset. The Olympic sailing events taking place in Weymouth Bay will be one of the biggest things to happen to the county in living memory, so we’re expecting an unprecedented influx of visitors from the UK and around the world coming to experience the Games in August.

Our dorset holiday park is just a half an hour drive or bus ride away from Weymouth, with the route taking in some of the most beautiful countryside in Dorset, as well as some truly stunning views of Chesil Beach and the Jurassic Coast. This makes Newlands an ideal base this summer for anyone who wants to see the Olympic sailing and enjoy all the festivities that have been arranged in and around Weymouth to coincide with the Games.

However, not everyone has caught the Olympic fever, and there will be plenty of people coming to Dorset over the summer for reasons other than watching sport. For many of these visitors, it is the age-old beauty of Dorset that is the biggest draw of all, along with the prospect of a peaceful, relaxing holiday on one of the most celebrated and picturesque stretches of coastline in Britain.

These individuals will want somewhere well away from the hustle and bustle of Weymouth and the nightmarish traffic that the Olympics are certain to bring. Newlands also fits that bill rather nicely. For visitors driving to our caravan park in Dorset, using the M5 will mean you stick to the Western side of the country, meaning you neatly avoid the manic traffic maelstrom of people driving to both London and Weymouth over the period of the Games.

From the fossil-rich beaches around Lyme Regis to the stunning coastal landmarks of Durdle Door and Lulworth Cove, the traditional charms and pleasures of the Jurassic Coast will be on the whole unaffected by the Olympics. You can simply relax and get used to a slower pace of life on this idyllic piece of English coastline.

Whatever your reasons for visiting, any holidays in Dorset this year are sure to be an exciting and memorable experience. Whether you come for the Olympics or any other reason,

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We hope everyone has enjoyed the first week of the Easter break, or if you have been at work, we hope you have a great long weekend lined up from tomorrow. We have lots going on here at the park, and although you can’t entirely rely on the weather at the moment, what you can rely on is a fun-packed and relaxing weekend here at our holiday park in Dorset.

This week on the blog we wanted to tell you about our Dorset holiday lodges. These are perfect for when you feel the call of the wild but don’t want the wind and rain and mud to spoil your holiday.

Set in our secluded woodland grounds, these pine lodges really live up to their 5 star billing. Our latest addition is the Elite model, a spacious, luxurious dream lodge with 3 bedrooms, a full kitchen and its own decking area outside.

All the best fixtures and fittings are included within, such as a dishwasher, large fridge/freezer, washing machine, and TV/DVD player – everything you need for a top of the range family enclave, from where you can enjoy your evenings and plan your days out exploring the magical Dorset coastline during your stay.

Should the weather take a turn for the worst, our lodges are also centrally heated, meaning you stay warm no matter what our unpredictable climate brings. If sleeping under canvas doesn’t appeal, our pine holiday lodges in Dorset may be just the thing to enable you to enjoy the salubrious coastal air and our lofty woodlands, cosy and isolated from the hustle and bustle of the world beyond.

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In recent years our Dorset caravan park has become a favourite with university geology departments looking for accommodation for field trips to the Jurassic Coast. We recently put up a great bunch of students from Birmingham Uni, and we thought we’d share a few photos with you here.

The pics were taken at Blue Lias near Charmouth, and over in Lulworth.

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What Makes Lyme Regis so Special?

So many things. The maritime magic of the old harbour, the glorious beach, the plethora of charming boutique shops and cafes. It’s all here, and much, much more besides. Perched on the Jurassic Coast in one of the sunniest parts of the UK, it’s not hard to see how Lyme Regis earned its nickname the Pearl of Dorset.

When Should you Go?

Lyme Regis is great all year round, but as you would expect, most people come during the summer months. This summer is likely to be a particularly busy one, as special celebrations are planned in the town to mark the passing of the Olympic flame through the streets, in addition to popular returning events such as the Fossil Festival and the Lyme Regis carnival.

With this in mind, if you’re hoping for a quiet, crowd-free holiday then you might want to consider a Springtime visit this year. The first buds of Spring have already appeared and we’re starting to see the weather warming up, which we expect will continue in the coming weeks.

Getting There and Getting Around

Travelling from the Western part of the country is pretty straightforward – just follow the M5 to Taunton, then head to Lyme Regis via Axminster on the A35. Coming from London direction, take the M27 and then A31 to Ringwood. The A35 will then take you through Dorchester, Bridport and on to Lyme Regis.

Once you’re staying here on the Jurassic Coast, you will probably find that you want to walk as many places as possible, in order to take in the sea air and the stunning views. If you do decide to give your legs a rest though, then what better way to see the winding streets of Lyme Regis than by taking a ride in Tukxi, the funky little tuk tuk taxi that will whizz you around the town in style!

Where to Stay?

Why, here of course! Newlands is one of the nicest and most popular Dorset holiday parks, and is just minutes from Lyme Regis, making it an absolutely perfect base for your Lyme Regis Holidays.

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We were really excited to hear about the plans for a top-end American cruise ship to visit Lyme Regis this May – a first for the town!  100 American tourists will arrive on 20th May on the Silver Explorer and spend a day in and around Lyme discovering our rich history and literary heritage, as well as learning about the Jurassic Coast.

The idea is to give the passengers of this first ever Lyme Regis cruise ship visitors an extra special welcome, with a party of ‘Lyme ambassadors’ planning to go on board and provide an introduction to the town, giving advice and answering any questions the passengers have before they disembark.

Once on dry land, the visitors will have the opportunity to go on a literary walk around the town, go on a fossil hunt or take a coach trip to Abbotsbury Swannery. So much here to do and only one day to do it, so hopefully they’ll go away eager to come back and spend some more time in Lyme Regis soon!

The visit of the Silver Explorer is part of the council’s strategy to turn Lyme Regis into a cruise ship hot spot and attract affluent new visitors from overseas who will help to boost the local economy. It is expected that this visit will generate as much as £20,000 for local businesses, which is absolutely fantastic in these straightened times.

Lyme Regis is also helping to boost its international profile by forming such strong links with Barfleur in France, with a view towards making an official twinning between these two historic towns. Plans are under way for a French/English food festival to celebrate our respective cuisines – think cheeses, pate and of course lots of wines to sample!

We all know how fantastic Lyme Regis is, and it feels like the rest of the world is finally waking up to its charms too. Hopefully this summer goes well and we see lots more visitors from overseas discovering the pleasures of a Lyme Regis holiday in the coming years.

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There are many reasons to take a caravan to the Jurassic Coast. A caravan holiday allows you to experience the outdoors and wake up each morning surrounded by glorious countryside, but without the exposure to the elements that comes with staying in a tent in the ever-unpredictable English weather. It’s your trusty family home from home, and there are few better places to bring it to than the stunning, unforgettable ancient coastline that spans Dorset and East Devon.

Our Dorset Caravan Park

Arriving at our Dorset caravan park, you pull up and park your caravan in a beautiful leafy valley surrounded by green hills, with the sea only moments away. You can then relax and take your time settling in, knowing that all the facilities you will need through your stay are close at hand, with a nearby laundry room, baby-changing facilities and under-floor heated toilets and showers.

Water and electricity is all provided for you (16amp electric hook up), so what better way to toast your arrival in Dorset than by soaking up the scenery and sitting down to a nice warm cuppa while you plan how you’re going to spend your time in the county? The great thing about the Jurassic Coast is that you do things at your own pace here – there’s plenty of opportunity for relaxing as well as for adventure over the course of your stay.

Seasonal Pitches for March to November

Our hard standing pitches are able to accommodate English standard touring caravans up to 23ft (7 meters), made after 1996. Awnings can be left up for the majority of the season. Due to cancellations, we currently have a limited number of seasonal pitches available this year, so if you are interested please give us a call on 01297 560259

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