James Parker and his partner Tracey Putt have managed to retain their Visit England 5 Star rating for Parkland Caravan & Camping site near Kingsbridge.

They achieved an even higher assessment score of 94 per cent and also won Diamond for Loo of the Year!

James is the fourth generation running camping and caravanning sites in this area and this particular one was started by his grandparents in the early 1970s.

They had been running another site nearby and in 1971 or 1972 were planning to retire and run a smallholding with a few cattle.

People came and visited them from their previous site and said it would be lovely to stay there so they found a bit of grass, got together a few friends and it started all over again.

He has been running it for 38 years and the couple have been together for 24 years.

Tracey told us the secrets of an excellent caravan park: “Excellent staff, customer service and the quality and diversity of facilities.”

The site inspection by Visit England was unannounced but how did they feel about the outcome?:

“Absolutely amazed.

“We had been members of Visit England for several years and always achieved a 5 Star rating but this time we were upgraded to Gold.

“In addition to this we got AA 5 Star Platinum which is a great achievement for a family run business.

“We have also just won Diamond for Loo of the Year which is a great tribute to our housekeepers.

Tracey added: “A huge thank you to our wonderful team and our loyal guests who make Parkland such a special place to stay. Here’s to many more happy holidays and unforgettable memories in beautiful South Devon!

Parkland Caravan & Camping Site is based at Sorley Green Cross, Kingsbridge.

Visit: www.parklandsite.co.uk