Escape to the country (From Living Northeast)

Escape to the country

12:58pm Tuesday 17th August 2010 in

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Eileen Smith explains how she joined the ranks of static caravan owners, a decision she and her family have never regretted.

OWNING a picture-postcard country cottage as a weekend and holiday retreat is an aspiration that remains beyond most family budgets.

Maybe, one day, we hope, courtesy of a Lottery win. But you don’t have to be wealthy to enjoy all the benefits of a home in the country or at a favourite location if a more modest “property” will suffice.

More than 25 years ago, following the birth of my elder daughter and with little prospect as a young family with our first mortgage of being able to afford weekends away, let alone holidays, we decided to try to buy a second-hand static caravan in the Lake District, an area we loved and which was only two hours drive from our home in South Northumberland.

A Wanted advertisement in the Cumbrian newspapers yielded several replies and we spent an enjoyable day visiting various caravan sites in the North Lakes to view the caravans on offer.

One stood out among the rest – a 28ft caravan of a few years of age that had been used for rental on a small, undeveloped site with absolutely stunning views from its elevated position overlooking Bassenthwaite Lake.

In those days, the caravans had no electricity or running water, so lighting and cooking were by gas and the essential functions of washing, showering and sanitation were carried out in a converted pigsty at the bottom of the site.

It was rough and ready but we loved it and quickly became part of a little community of like-minded fugitives from towns and cities across the North of England.

When our second daughter arrived, we upgraded the caravan to take advantage of the recently installed water and electricity supply and foul drainage, allowing us the luxury of fitted bathroom, hot water and a flushing loo.

A further upgrade ten years ago saw us move to the front row of the site with uninterrupted views practically along the full length of the lake and such comforts as double-glazing and central heating in a holiday home – the preferred name these days for a static caravan – that is almost 40ft long, has decking on two sides and is finished to a quality to which many good hotels and the finest self-catering establishments would aspire.

The caravan is truly a home from home, with its fullyequipped kitchen comprising cooker, microwave, fridgefreezer, plenty of storage space and even a dishwasher.

The lounge has comfortable reclining armchairs, strategically placed to give stunning views of the lake, and there’s a stereo sound system, TV and DVD player.

There have been occasions over the quarter of a century we have owned a static caravan when we have thought about stepping up to a small cottage in one of the beautiful villages of the northern Lakes but there are sound reasons for staying with the caravan.

The biggest stumbling block to bricks and mortar, particularly in popular holiday locations such as the Lake District, is the price. Even the smallest two-bedroom cottage in Bassenthwaite, a pretty farming village with a stream, village green and good pub, will cost upwards of £200,000. A very top-of-the-range static caravan fitted for modern, contemporary living with quality fittings and fabrics will run to about one quarter of that. However, budget models with double glazing and central heating come in under £20,000, ex-showroom.

The caravan sites usually take a commission from the supplier and you will be charged a one-off fee for siting and connection, but thereafter all you pay is your annual ground rent, which, in the Lake District, runs from under £2,000 (as ours is) to a maximum for the central Lakes area of £3,500 to £4,000.

For that, you can expect the site to be beautifully maintained so there’s no need for owner/occupiers to lift a finger. Holiday homes require the minimum of maintenance – ours gets the occasional wash on the outside, a service offered by some site operators, and we occasionally have to change a lightbulb. Apart from that, it looks after itself. My husband seems particularly proud that it has a galvanised chassis, which apparently means it won’t rust. These things matter to men.

Having gone to the Lake District most of our lives, we no longer feel the need to visit the tourist honeypot locations of Keswick, Ambleside and the like, preferring to keep to the quieter north end of the district, where the towns and villages, the fells, footpaths, lakes, pubs and restaurants are less busy.

The caravan is a place to unwind and take life easily.

It is occasionally used by the immediate family for short breaks and holidays and, in every respect, it is our second home.