Go on – you know there’s still time. Winter might soon be knocking at the door, but we’ve still got a string of lovely autumnal weekends in the offing. Summer has drawn to a close and the days are growing shorter – but not so short as to prevent a good number of outings with your touring caravan this Autumn.

Autumn is a time of year when the weather may stay surprisingly mild and, as the leaves begin to change colour, practically anywhere in the UK is a place to enjoy this “season of mists and mellow fruitfulness” – as the poet John Keats so aptly named it.

So, hitch up your ‘van and take a look at our latest destination ideas for this Autumn – some are open the whole year round, so don’t rule out those mild days in the dead of winter, too. And if there’re none here that takes your fancy, just revisit the alternative destination ideas for Autumn.

1. Folkestone, Kent

• You’re probably used to zipping your way past this all-year campsite on your way to the Channel Tunnel – but give the Folkstone Camping and Caravanning Club site a visit if you want bracing walks along the clifftop. From there, you’ll have stunning views along the whole of the Folkestone-Dover Heritage Coast.

2. Lydford, Devon

• Who knew that the West Country could be so peaceful, quiet, and uncrowded! Try Lydford Caravan and Camping Park in the very heart of the county to enjoy some autumnal seclusion within Dartmoor National Park, stroll along Lydford Gorge, and retire to the Castle Inn for your well-earned pint or two.

3. Hulme End, Derbyshire, Peak District

• The Peak District is worth a visit any time of the year and an autumn break at Upper Hurst Farm is guaranteed to come with the bounties that this southern part of the Peak District National Park can bring.
• Pitch your caravan at Upper Hurst Farm in the heart of the countryside close to Buxton for an award-winning, environmentally sustainable, and dog-friendly experience.

4. Belford, Northumberland

• The wild and rugged coast of Northumberland is a less visited spot but is well worth a visit this Autumn – whether you’re on a hunt for the iconic castle and monuments for which the region is famed, want to let the sea breezes blow the cobwebs away, or take a gentle stroll through wooded glades.
• South Meadows Caravan Park – just a mile or two inland from the haunting ruins of Bamburgh Castle – boasts a slew of awards, with eco- and dog-friendly facilities.

5. Aviemore, Scotland

• Yes, even in the heart of the Scottish Highlands you will find a quiet spot to berth your touring caravan for a night or two – even in autumn or winter.
• Oakwood Caravan and Camping Park is just a few minutes from Aviemore – the very hub of winter sports in the Cairngorms National Park – which is just 30 minutes or so away along the Aviemore Orbital foot and cycle path

We are blessed with a typically mild maritime climate here in the UK that allows the caravanning season to stretch well beyond the summer months in the Autumn – and even wintertime too.

Make the most of those milder – if shorter – days by hitching up your caravan, taking to the road and sampling the delights of an overnight stay or two at some of Britain’s all-year caravan sites.

This is a question we’re asked regularly here at Cover4Caravans – and we’re more than happy to discuss it at some length.

Before getting into that discussion, though, it’s important to emphasise one critical point: the only way of being absolutely certain of your answer to the question about what your caravan insurance covers is to carefully read the proposed policy documents or speak to your caravan insurance provider if you are unsure.

Policies differ from each other – sometimes by surprisingly quite significant amounts. What follows therefore is inevitably something of a generalisation.

On the road accidents

If you are towing your caravan on the public highway and the vehicle is somehow involved in an accident:

• any claims against you from third parties for the loss or damage they’ve sustained because of your caravan, typically should be covered by your car insurance policy – but you must check that is the case by looking at your motor insurance policy while noting that, in some cases, exclusions may apply;
• any damage caused to your caravan might not be covered unless your car’s policy offers fully comprehensive cover to include any caravan you are towing (and such policies are likely to be rare indeed) – in the majority of instances, therefore, you may be left in the position of having to prove liability rested entirely with another party (which may be very difficult) and seek redress from them and their insurance.

If you are trying to cover or bridge any apparent gaps in particular caravan insurance policies, you are likely to encounter difficulties in reconciling the various combinations of circumstances described above. For that reason alone, it might be worth contacting us so that we can explain the advantages of caravan insurance in these situations.

Claims from third parties – off-road

We live in a litigious society. That means that accidents that might once have been considered “one of those things” might now more often result in people looking for someone to blame – and on the strength of that liability, seeking damages through legal action. If you’re sued and lose such a case, the damages awarded against you might be substantial.

The insurance protection against the financial consequences of such successful claims is called “third party liability indemnity”.

Please remember that having third-party liability cover for your car is not the same as having it in place for your caravan. Since many incidents that might result in claims against you might occur off-road, when your caravan is un-hitched, it is very unlikely that they would be covered by your car insurance. Standalone caravan insurance is therefore typically required.

Note that some caravan sites may require evidence that you have such insurance in place as part of their conditions of entry.

Protecting your caravan

Most people understandably think of caravan insurance in the context of protecting their asset.

Broadly speaking, your caravan insurance is designed to offer just that protection against destruction or damage – in the context of the “perils” stated in the insurance policy documents. It is important to look carefully at those perils because they are not always identical between policies. For example, some policies might specifically exclude flooding as a peril, whereas others may not.

It’s also important to examine just what the policy proposes in terms of replacement (or replacement valuations) in situations where your caravan has been damaged beyond economic repair, destroyed, or stolen and not recovered.

That’s because some may offer “new for old” replacement based upon very open definitions whereas others may do so but only under limited conditions such as caravans that are under 12 months old and which have only had a single owner from new.

At Cover4Caravans, we are pleased to offer five years new for old cover regardless of the amount of previous owners.

Clearly, these are variations that could make the world of difference, should the worst happen to your caravan.

Protecting your possessions

Understandably, you’ll also want to cover any possessions and belongings inside your caravan. Once again, caravan insurance can help with the appropriate cover but look for differences between policies in areas such as:

• new for old versus a market valuation that allows for “wear and tear”;
• maximum levels of cover – the “sum insured” – both in total and for any individual item;
• possessions outside the caravan (for example, awnings and furniture) and those stored inside; and
• all the terms, conditions, and exclusions of your caravan insurance.

Summary

Caravan insurance might one day prove to be essential. Why not contact us to find out more?

When your age shows a few more miles on the clock and you’re looking for touring caravan insurance, you may have found it difficult or even too expensive to get covered on the terms offered by some insurers.

You might find that some companies will simply refuse to insure you, while others will try and charge you unexpected high premiums as soon as you hit that magic number of 60.

These providers sometimes appear to have overlooked the fact that your many years’ of experience touring may far outweigh that of younger caravanners. Yet it’s the latter who may not be charged as much for their cover.

That is why at Cover4Caravans, we’ve added a question to our website asking about how many years you have been towing ‘vans as we believe experience is key. Sadly, not all insurance providers see things that way.

The risks

When you’re thinking about touring caravan cover, first impressions might seem to dictate that insurers may reasonably consider that accidents and various risks are bound to increase simply because of your age.

It can just as easily be argued, however, that to a significant extent many of those risks can be offset by the greater awareness and experience that comes with increasing age. This has been recognised for some time and is supported by the personal experience of that relatively small number of more mature drivers who are guilty of driving recklessly.

Indeed, a factsheet published by the Department of Transport on the 25th of May 2022 revealed that the likelihood of a road traffic collision actually goes down the older you are – 1,384 collisions for every billion miles driven by someone aged 17 to 24 compared with just 211 for those aged 71 to 75.

By the time you are in your 60s, you are probably long past the stage where you enjoy counting off your birthdays as they arrive. Unfortunately, though, some insurers still seem to take delight in it.

The response by some insurers

All things considered, many older drivers probably accept that they may need to pay a little more for their insurance cover, but most are quite right to object when the increases are entirely disproportionate and unrealistic.

Some insurance providers appear to adopt an approach that amounts to actively discouraging applications from those over 60 and others seem to see it as an excuse to crank up their premiums.

Fortunately, at Cover4Caravans, we are not ageist!  We offer what we feel is affordable cover, no matter what your age. We do not impose age limits – upper or lower – on our tourer insurance, and we are happy to offer caravan cover for the over 60s, over 70s, and even the over 80s!

There is one other thing that people are typically known for as they get older – and that is being more discerning in their purchasing decisions.

So, if you feel that you are currently getting a raw deal from your insurance provider simply because you are over 60, then it might be about time you looked at how we can help.

Caravan cover for the over 60s

All of our customers – regardless of age – can benefit from one of our tourer policies, which share the following features in common:

• 240-280 days continental cover as standard;
• discounts on your premiums if you are a member of a recognised caravan club (such as the Camping and Motorhome Club or the Camping and Caravanning Club, for example), or agree to store your caravan at a site registered with the Caravan Storage Site Owners’ Association (CaSSOA);
• a low policy excess (the excess is the first part of any successful claim that you are financially liable for – it remains an uninsured loss);
• payment by credit card or direct debit so you can spread the cost; and
• no age limit on the caravan – although older caravans will be insured at market value only, as stated in Glass’s Guide.

As you can see from the snapshot of policy benefits above, we work hard to make sure you get the most cost-effective cover for your tourer and at a price that meets your budget.

That prompts a few more points you might want to consider when thinking about the price you pay for your caravan insurance.

Thinking about the price of your caravan cover

It’s perfectly natural to think carefully about expenditure and to look for some of the most attractive deals possible on your caravan insurance.

In that connection, here at Cover4Caravans we often receive enquiries asking about the cost of caravan insurance. Of course, we are always only too pleased to offer quotations and we pride ourselves on being very aware of the need for cost-effective solutions.

But it is equally important to try and think about cost in context. The harsh reality of life is that if you need to call upon your insurance policy in the future for financial support following a problem, then the only thing that is going to be important to you is the cover it provides. It’s almost certain that in such an event, you won’t be focusing all of your attention on how much you have paid for your policy to date.

What this means is that something you might consider to be a bargain at the time you take out your cover might prove to be anything but if you subsequently discover that it doesn’t cover the circumstances surrounding a potential claim.

This is not for one second trying to suggest that cost-effective solutions necessarily equate to massive compromises in terms of the extent of cover provided. The point being made is that simply setting out to ask how much cover is going to cost, intending to find the very cheapest possible policy you can, might not be in your long-term best interests.

What is important is your confidence that the cover provided meets your needs and circumstance in terms of the risks you want protecting and the practical way you use your caravan.

It is also important that you fully understand the terms and conditions of any caravan insurance policy, as they are what may ultimately decide the success or failure of a claim, should you need to make one.

Understanding the risks and how your touring caravan insurance can protect against them, therefore, is probably a better way of looking for and assessing the value for money of any policy rather than simply asking about the price.

We are here to help!

We are available online 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to provide a no-obligation quote. Alternatively, if you would rather talk to one of our team of experts, then please feel free to call us on 01702 606301 during office hours. We will be very happy to help.

If you’ve recovered from some of the sweltering temperatures we’ve had this summer, now might be a good time to kick back and catch up on the latest caravan news and holiday trends.

Here are some of the latest headlines.

Holiday caravan site approved near Ironbridge

The go-ahead has been given by Shropshire Council for the development of a holiday caravan site near the tourist spot of the Gorge World Heritage Site at Ironbridge, revealed the Shropshire Star in its edition on the 24^th of August.

The Buildwas Leisure Site– owned and managed by the Montague Property and Marnwood Properties – now has approval for 106 static holiday caravans and 48 lodges.

Concern had previously been expressed about the likely traffic congestion in the area of the 19.6-hectare site near the former Ironbridge Power Station, where there are also plans to build 1,000 new homes.

Dealers prepare for busy month of Warners Shows

Caravan, campervan, and motorhome enthusiasts are in for a bumper month of attractions as show organisers Warners are poised to launch no fewer than three big events during the month of September, reported Out and About Live on the 23^rd of August:

• 9^th to 11^th of September – the South West Motorhome and Campervan Show, to be held at the Bath and West Showground in Shepton Mallet;

• 23^rd to 25^th September – the Motorhome and Campervan Show, Season Finale, opens at the Lincolnshire Showground; and

• 30^th September to 2^nd October – the Malvern Caravan and Motorhome Show is held at the Three Counties Showground in Worcestershire.

Police issue security reminders after recent caravan thefts

On the 24^th of August, the Warrington Guardian reported that police patrols are stepping up their response to a spate of thefts and attempted thefts of both caravans and motorhomes in the rural areas in and around Warrington and the smaller communities of Burtonwood, Croft, Lymm, and Winwick.

The Rural Crime Team has invested in an additional, “enhanced caravan scanner” to help in the identification of stolen caravans against a background of mounting reports of thefts in the area – no doubt, encouraged by the successive sunny days of this year’s summer season.

Before you close down the use of your caravan or motorhome for this year, warn the police, make sure that it is securely locked and protected. Specifically, ensure that you have taken from the ‘van or motorhome all items of value, along with any documentation related to the trailer or vehicle.

Lock all doors, windows, and skylights and check that your caravan is registered with an approved identification and tracking scheme. Consider further security measures such as wheel clamps and hitch locks, suggest the police, restrict access to the caravan or motorhome by parking it behind locked gates or bollards and you might even consider installing CCTV.

Caravan owners face a £1,000 fine and 3 points if they don’t follow a relatively unknown mirror law

Do you think you can get away without using towing mirrors when your touring caravan is hitched up? If so, you might want to think again – and save yourself the possibility of a £1,000 fine and three points on your driving licence.

A story in the Mirror newspaper on the 10^th of August reminded readers that the law requires the fitting and use of towing mirrors that give you an unobstructed view 4 metres on either side of your caravan and at a distance of 20 metres behind the driver.

When you are no longer towing the caravan, the same law requires that the mirrors are removed.

Overall View

This is a member’s only, 5 pitch Certified Location (Adults Only), just off the A50 between Holmes Chapel and Sandbach.  Please see arrival video HERE.

It is situated to the side of the smallholding and has a horse and donkey in the next field.

The entrance is gated and level access.  It is recommended that you access the site, with the van in tow, from the North, using J17 of the M6 as per the handbook instructions.  Attempting to access from the south would necessitate an impossible 270 degree turn onto the site and the road can be very busy during work hours.

There is some road noise, but we did not find it overly intrusive and did not disturb us at night.

A deposit is taken on booking and balance payable on arrival, cash requested.

Facilities

There are the usual 5 pitches, well-spaced out with a tree at the rear of each pitch offering some shade.  There are seats, tables, and benches available for your use as well as a firepit.

All pitches are fully serviced with fresh water and grey water disposal available.  An EHU (10 amps) is at the rear of each pitch.

The field is level but there are several ruts throughout which necessitate careful driving, especially with the van in tow.

The upside to Pitch 5 is that it is right next door to the sizeable, totally secure dog walking area.  There is a bench to sit on and some small agility equipment you can use if you wish.  The site is very animal friendly.

The Chemical Disposal point is at one corner of the field, near Pitch 1.  An exclusive WC and wash hand basin are at the other side of the dog walk.

Fresh eggs are available on request, at cost.  The site owners are very friendly and helpful.

Free, high-speed WiFi is available on site. Mobile wise; both EE and Three had a good 4G signal. Online coverage checkers suggest the same for the other networks. TV signal again was more than sufficient.

Review of Site Pitch

The availability of fully serviced pitches on a CL, plus the dog exercise area made this a very attractive choice.

The field is mainly grass but each pitch has axle hard standing of flags and gravel.  Awnings are permitted and were in use whilst we were there.  It should be noted, however, that Pitch 5 awning area slopes away considerably and it was too high for us to use our porch awning. 

During our stay both motorhomes and caravans used the site.  Our neighbours were repeat visitors and often used the site to visit family.

Around and about

The site is situated about 5 minutes’ drive from the M6 and as a result offers you the opportunity to travel widely in the area.  It is in rural East Cheshire and is close by Holmes Chapel and Sandbach.  Shops are available in both places with Sandbach having the bigger supermarkets.

During our stay the nearest petrol station, a Gulf, was by far the cheapest priced fuel and is only a few minutes from the site.

Macclesfield and Congleton are easily reached with both offering access to the start of the Peak District – Buxton is slightly further afield after a pleasant drive over the Cat and Fiddle.  Not one to be attempted in inclement weather though.  Both have large supermarkets and fuel stations.

The nearest railway station is at Holmes Chapel and although whilst on the main line, stops are not always that frequent.

Caravan sales, accessory shops and service centres are well catered for with Leisure Sales at Brereton Green and Spinney at Cranage, the other side of Holmes Chapel.  Leisure Sales also has a good-sized café.

There are several NT properties in the areas, we visited Little Moreton Hall, near Congleton – this property does not allow dogs and there are few facilities for the person staying with the dogs.

Quarry Bank at Styal is a large estate and is very much more friendly towards dogs.  This is an industrial museum and village with a range of attractions to suit young and old.  There is a restaurant, café and full range of toilet facilities.  People with limited mobility would be advised to check ahead – however, the main museum is widely accessible due to the presence of a lift.  A range of live demonstrations of how the mill equipment worked were being run during the day and allowed the visitor to gain a good insight into what life must have been like.  There is the usual NT shop plus a second-hand bookshop which was well patronised. 

A buggy is available on most days and there are NT staff around who will readily call it up for you.  It is currently possible to visit the ground floor of the owner’s house – the upper floor is currently being renovated.  The workers village, about 5-10 minutes’ walk from the main site is interesting to see, however, the general public still live in the village so there is limited opportunity, unless you book a guided tour to see inside the couple of cottages set aside as recreated museum exhibits.

Teggs Nose is a country park, based on an old Quarry, near to Macclesfield.  It has a lovely little café, fully accessible toilets and there are a range of walks to suit all abilities. 

Another visitor attraction, although about 40 minutes’ drive from the site is the Heritage Railway – Churnet Valley.  During our stay they held a Diesel and Real Ale Festival.  The pre-booking of a ticket allowed you to travel up and down the railway line all day, stopping off at the various stations to partake of the considerable number and variety of real ales on offer.  Disabled parking, toilets and access is from Froghall Station at the bottom of the line.  There is also a café which offers light snacks, tea, coffee and cold drinks.  The station is very well kept and is a good replica of a 1950/60s branch line railway station.  The line then runs north stopping at Consall, (this was the main station for the ale trail and several large marques were put up).  There were adequate toilet facilities.  There was also a BBQ with the usual range of food available.  The biggest let down was the total lack of tea and coffee.  A small and very expensive cooler with a few bottles of water, fizzy drinks was not sufficient.   There is a historical small pub, (built specially for the ‘navvies’ who built the railway, tunnel and canal) with no road access, about 5-minute walk which was also offering food and some soft drinks, but it was so busy, waiting times were lengthy.  The next stop at Cheddleton, the last one where you can currently get off with a small offering of beers in the ticket office.  A 5-minute walk to the nearby pub, visible from the station attracted a sizeable number of people.

There are several pubs and restaurants in the vicinity of the site. The Bulls Head about 5 minutes’ drive from the site is very olde worlde, dog friendly and offers a good pub menu; we enjoyed some nice drinks and food during our stay. 

A little more upmarket is about a 10-minute drive – The Old Hall in Sandbach.  Part of the Brunning Price group it offers very high standards of food and drink and a considerable vegan menu choice as well.  We visited for Sunday Lunch and had a particularly good meal. 

Another, typical local’s pub, about 10 minutes from the site was the Lawton Arms in Church Lawton.  It had a lovely, relaxed atmosphere and we would have made a return visit if time had permitted

It would be remiss not to mention that Jodrell Bank Observatory is about 15 minutes’ drive from the site.  During our visit it was closed as there was a Blue Dot Festival running.   

Summary

For a CL it offers pretty much the same as a Club site – a couple of minor points as mentioned above.  It is a good base from which to discover the area with good facilities on hand.  It is certainly a site to which we would return.