As part of our ‘Meet The Owners’ series, we’d like to introduce you to… Plassey Leisure Park in Wales! At Best of British, we focus on independently owned and run holiday parks, and Plassey is a perfect example of this.
Plassey is a 5 star family-run holiday park in the Dee Valley with an extensive history, having been owned by the same family since the 1960’s. It has changed considerably since its days as an Edwardian dairy farm but those foundations haven’t been forgotten. The park and surrounding retail village have been sympathetically developed to recognise many of the original features. The park oozes high quality, with pitches that are perfect for camping, caravan and motorhome holidays and the team are among the friendliest out there. Let’s meet the owners…
1. Tell us about the history of Plassey and the area in which you are based…
Plassey Holiday Park, Retail Village and Golf Course is an idyllic park near Eyton village in Wrexham, North Wales. Owned by the Brookshaw family since 1960, the Plassey Estate has developed from the original Edwardian dairy farm into the luxury holiday park we have today. Nestled in 250 acres of park and woodland in the picturesque Dee Valley, our luxury holiday park is more than just somewhere to stay.
Plassey lies on a moated site, dating back to around the 15th/16th century. In 1902, Frank Lloyd expanded the site creating The Plassey Dairy which was a model dairy of its day, including the beautiful milking parlour (Shippon). Frank Lloyd had his name and date inset into the Edwardian Building for all to see.
The Brookshaw family acquired the Plassey estate 1960 and ran it as a dairy and arable farm up until 1968. The original model dairy was converted into the ‘Shippon Restaurant’, with all of the original features and the stables were made into the ‘Stables Coffee Shop’ with the walled garden making an ideal Tea Garden for visitors of the Plassey to enjoy the panoramic views over the Dee Valley and established parkland.
In the early 70s, Della and Tony Brookshaw took the initiative to divert passing caravanners up to the Plassey and have small caravan rallies. The Caravan Park grew from this and over the last 40 years, it has become one of the leading multi award winning five-star holiday parks in the UK.
2. Please introduce your team…
I (John) took over the running of the Caravan Park in 1992 with my wife, Sarah, joining the business in 2002. We have been nurturing the success of Plassey over the past 20 years whilst being supported by a fantastic team, from Operations & Maintenance, to the team of Wardens, all of whom play pivotal roles.
As new accommodation and facilities have been added to the park, it has allowed further investment into the ever-growing team.
3. What values are your unique selling point as a holiday park?
We provide first class leading facilities for our touring caravan, motorhome and tent guests with every one of our 60 pitches being all-weather hard standing with the full suite of services including 16-amp electric supply, waste water, fresh water, lighting and TV hook up services.
Our most recent accommodation offering is our bespoke glamping accommodation which includes 10 bespoke luxury Studio Lodges and 4 stylish Safari Tents. We wanted to cater for guests who enjoy staying throughout the four seasons, and this involved us ensuring that we had luxury accommodation that remains snug all year round.
All holiday park guests have exclusive use of our indoor heated swimming pool, along with other outstanding facilities such as the golf course, retail village, Welsh castle-themed children’s play area, onsite restaurants, games room, nature trails and much more.
From all of the above, it’s instantly identifiable that our USP is that we aren’t just a caravan park, but perhaps our most significant asset is the personal touch of the family ethos and ensuring the emphasis on customer service excellence that Plassey Holiday Park is renowned for.
4. What is life as a park owner like?
Over the last 20 years and especially the last 12 months, I would like to think we have experienced most when it comes to park owners.
You have to be all things you might expect, dedicated, reactive, creative but really, you make it what you want to make it. We are both heavily involved in the day to day running of Plassey. For us, providing happy holidays has always been our main priority, knowing we are achieving this, makes it all very worthwhile.
5. What makes Plassey a 5-star experience?
Plassey is a unique and memorable place to be. Our expanding list of facilities creates the core of Plassey but every guest creates their own experience.
All holiday park guests have exclusive use of our indoor heated swimming pool, along with other outstanding facilities such as the golf course, retail village, Welsh castle-themed children’s play area, onsite restaurants, games room, nature trails and much more.
For lovers of the great outdoors, we have fishing ponds, nature trails, a nine-hole golf course, driving range and pitch and putt course. Swimmers will enjoy our heated indoor swimming pool, take on family members at a game of table tennis or badminton, or watch little explorers discover our own Welsh castle as they let their imagination run riot in our adventure playground.
6. What awards have you won?
It is fair to say, we have a few to our name! From our commitment throughout our service offering, we continue to achieve outstanding highlights and gradings from recognised sources including:
AA Wales Campsite of the Year Award and the AA Overall Campsite of the Year Award for 2020, Go North Wales Tourism for the Best Go Caravan, Camping & Glamping site for all of North Wales, Visit Wales 5* Grade since 2008, David Bellamy Conservation Gold Award since 2005 and the Honey Bee Friendly Park. TripAdvisor 5* Grade since 2015 “Certificate of Excellence”, Facebook reviews 4.8 out of 5, and Hoseasons reviews for our glamping accommodation is 9.5 out of 10.
Something we see as an award like no other are the guests who have been coming to stay at the park for many years and have gone on to bring friends and family who have made and continue to make great memories here with us at Plassey.
7. What local attractions would you suggest your visitors experience while staying with you?
If you find the time to venture out of Plassey, you will not be disappointed. There is so much to do in this stunning part of the UK. From exploring our local heritage sites to an adventurous bike trail, there is something to suit everyone.
North Wales is a beautiful area to explore with many hidden secrets.
8. How have you made Plassey a Covid-secure environment?
The health and safety of our guests and team is our number one priority. We have implemented our Stay Safe at Plassey COVID-19 Secure Charter which includes measures for social distance guidance and enhanced cleaning regimes across the park and in all of our public areas.
The team have full training in Health and Safety but have received further guidance and assessments in relation to the health of guests, themselves and the rest of the team. We have a selection of Hygiene Procedure posters displayed throughout the park along with a copious amount of anti-bacterial handwash.
Thank you very much to John and Sarah at Plassey for taking part in our ‘Meet The Owners’ series! To view more about the park and check availability, please click here.
