Dan Ellacott speaks with Iain Senchell, Managing Director of Firs Park Holiday Park.
ABOUT THE PARK’S BACKGROUND AND HISTORY
Can you share a brief history of Firs Park and how it came to be established as a holiday park?
The park came into existence in the 1950’s shortly after the war. Firs Caravan Park was one of the very first holiday parks in the area. Amperswick Ltd bought the park in 1999 and has since expanded with the acquisition of the park next door, previously known as “The Anchor.” Both parks have been extensively modernised and now provide a unique setting for families to enjoy quality time together.
Who operates Firs Park, and what is the team’s approach to running the park?
Amperswick Ltd is a family owned and independent company who are dedicated to providing a great environment for our holiday home owners to relax and enjoy their spare time. We take pride in our commitment to provide a level of service to our customers that we believe is second to none.
LOCATION AND SETTING
What makes the location of Firs Park so special for holidaymakers?
Firs Park is located right in the heart of the Tendring peninsular in the centrally located village of Little Clacton. The main town of Clacton is 3 miles and Frinton and Walton 7 miles. Our central location to the area makes us ideally suited to people who want to explore the area with great road connections. As well as offering a great base to explore, it allows a lovely peaceful retreat from the hustle and bustle of the busy seaside towns of Clacton and Walton.
FACILITIES AND AMENITIES
What facilities and amenities can visitors expect when they stay at Firs Park?
As a quiet family friendly park, we offer two small play parks for younger children, in addition to our well stocked fishing lakes and dog walking areas. We aim to provide an ideal retreat for holiday home owners and their friends and family to enjoy a restful and relaxing time. We also have our Function Suite which we hold band nights, charity functions, tribute nights and lots more as well as our lovely welcoming Pub On The Park where everyone is welcome to come along and enjoy the entertainment throughout the season.
Are there any unique or standout features at the park, such as activities or services, that set it apart from other holiday parks?
We have always offered our holiday homes at amazingly competitive prices. Unlike many other parks we only have a small hire fleet of three caravans and owners are not permitted to commercially let their holiday home. Thus, ensuring we have a great community feel where there is always a friendly welcoming face to greet you and your family as you enjoy your time at Firs Park.
Can you tell us more about the on-site leisure options and the convenience facilities available for guests?
For leisure we have a lovely large area to walk around which includes our fishing lake and pond. This is a private owners lake and pond so is for exclusive use of our customers.
“…A superb location for your static caravan holiday home…”
CARAVAN AND LODGE OPTIONS
What types of holiday caravans or lodges are available at Firs Park?
We always have a wide selection of holiday homes and holiday lodges. From holiday homes catering for the customers who are just starting out on their holiday home owning adventure with a lower budget all the way up to the most prestigious lodges on the market.
This year is our 25-year celebration of taking over Firs Park and to celebrate our 25-year Silver Jubilee, for a limit
ed period, we are offering free 2025 & 2026 site fees on purchases of our new on-site holiday homes. We also offer great part exchange opportunities and dependant on available plots potential bring on opportunities from other sites.
ENVIRONMENTAL AND COMMUNITY FOCUS
How does Firs Park contribute to sustainability and environmental responsibility?
We pride ourselves on being a “Park” as well as a holiday park. We are all responsible for the environment around us and over the 25 years of owning the park we have planted in excess of 10,000 hedging plants, created 100’s of meters of hedge and planted many trees to create an environment where nature can thrive.
In addition, we have also created two fishing lakes and allowed wild planting of different wild grasses to create a habitat for birds, fish and insects. We also believe that our customers can make a difference to the parks biodiversity by allowing plants and flowers on plots to make the park even nicer for customers to enjoy.
Alongside that, we offer customer recycling on site including, plastic, paper, cans and bottles.
Is there a strong sense of community at Firs Park, and how do you foster that atmosphere among residents and visitors?
Being a park run for the owners and their friends and family without offering commercial letting opportunities, means that everyone gets to know each other well and are always happy to see a friendly face. This lovely community feel makes everyone welcome to relax and enjoy the friendly environment that our customers have created. Customers help each other on a regular basis and are always welcoming to our Reception and Grounds Team in and around the Park.
WHAT SETS FIRS PARK APART?
In your opinion, what truly sets Firs Park apart from other holiday parks in Essex or the wider UK?
We may be in the holiday park industry but we do not have the same business model as many of our competitors. We offer a very relaxed environment without the normal stresses and strains of holiday home ownership that is often experienced on larger parks. Our belief is that our commitment to give a friendly and professional service to our owners is second to none. It is this make Firs Park the ideal relaxing, tranquil retreat from everyday life that our customers have come to expect.
What feedback do you often receive from guests that highlights the unique appeal of the park?
Our customers often remark on what a very well maintained and run, friendly holiday park it is. That sounds like buzz words but truly words that are often used by our customers. We often have enquiries from customers’ friends from other holiday parks wanting to come and see what we can offer them as they have been told how lovely it is here.
FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS
Are there any upcoming developments or plans for expanding Firs Park in the near future?
We will continue to expand on the work we already do to keep the park and hope to move from strength to strength. We hope to ensure our existing customers continue to enjoy their time with us and create new opportunities for new customers to join us here at Firs Park.
For more information
Phone: 01255 860279
Or visit: firspark.com
