Orchards Holiday Village

We moved into a brand new house when my son was 10 weeks old. Within a week the boiler packed up and we were informed that it would take a week before it could be replaced. Oh joy, a baby, a toddler, two adults, no hot water. I looked at booking a cheap week away in Spain but then my husband helpfully reminded me that we didn’t have a passport for my son yet.
A hotel or B&B was out of the question because you need your own kitchen facilities for a newborn baby. My husband suggested a caravan and I wasn’t keen. I’d never stayed in one before but I had a lot of pre-​conceived notions.
The first thing that was great about Orchards Holiday Village was the price. We booked, at last minute, a Monday to Friday deal in late May and paid £125 for a luxury caravan (although the prices do go sky high, as does everything, during school holidays). It was spotlessly clean, everything seemed fairly new and it was surprisingly comfortable and spacious.
The park itself is well laid out with a strictly enforced 10mph speed limit so you can walk around the park without having to worry about being run over. There is a good deal of space between the caravans so we were able to go out and kick a football around without annoying anyone or worrying that a stray ball would take a window out. We were also a 2 minute walk from the beach, with the park bordering the sea wall.
There is a lot to do here if you’ve got older kids — archery, football, a kids club and shows. They also have a 9 hole golf course, fishing lake, and live music at night so lots of things for everyone. There is an outdoor heated pool and we were fortunate enough to have good weather so we stayed outdoors, but the indoor pool was huge and looked well maintained.
In addition to the main café/​bar, there is a fish and chips shop and Chinese takeaway, both of which were surprisingly good.
There was an indoor soft play area, but was badly in need of updating when we stayed. I understand they have now invested some money in this.
The immediate areas of Point Clear and St Osyth are quaint — 1950s postcard seaside towns.
Although not exactly a caravanning holiday convert, I would certainly stay here again if only we could be guaranteed some decent summer weather!