AWESOME is a word that has become a little over-used, but it was my first thought when I looked out across Woolacombe Beach in mid-July.

Three miles of award-winning sands, from Baggy Point at the South end to Morte Point at the North Flag, it had it all – Blue-flag clean water, excellent surfing, plus spotless toilets, delicious food, a great-value shop and enough rock pools to keep a three-year-old and her pink fishing net busy for hours.

We were staying at Golden Coast Holiday Park, just a mile or so up the hill from the beach. The sun was shining and we’d travelled to the beach that day using the open-top Billy Beach Ball double-decker bus – brilliant!

We were in North Devon for a week, and it turned out to be an excellent spot all round, with fabulous beaches, great countryside and lots of family attractions should the weather let us down (and it did!).

Golden Coast is one of four parks in the area owned by Woolacombe Bay Holiday Parks, and for us it was definitely the best as it was packed with things to do.

As well as splashing about and riding the slides in the indoor and outdoor pools, we tried our hand at 10-pin bowling and decorated gorgeous plates in Waves Ceramic. Our one-year-old loved the special soft play area, while both children enjoyed the outdoor play parks and all the fab toys and messy play at the Playzone.

Our home away from home for the week was one of the three-bed Honeysuckle Lodges, which sleep up to eight people and are set out in little hamlets around the park.

Well equipped with televisions (also playing children’s DVDs on a daily loop), washer/dryers, microwaves and some with en-suite bathrooms, they also came with patio and garden furniture and were quaint and comfy.

During the day the park offered children’s clubs with craft sessions, talent contests and treasure hunts, while the evenings kicked off with fun children’s shows featuring the camp stars Billy and Betty Beach Ball and the energetic entertainment team.

And the entertainment continued way into the night, with cabaret and discos – long after we’d pushed our tired little ones back up to their beds at the lodge.

Eating out in the camp complex, like at most holiday camps we’ve been to, meant the usual burgers, fish and chips, baguettes and pizzas. But the site also has its own traditional pub, the Old Mill, a 17th-century inn, which has a children’s menu and pub favourites like steak and ale pie and barbecues during the summer.

There was also a well-stocked and pretty reasonable supermarket on site, plus a seafood van visited twice a week selling fresh food and our favourite – local crabs.

Woolacombe and the surrounding villages also had some lovely pubs and fish and chip shops where you could sample local fish and seafood.

Venturing out of the camp, we visited the three main attractions within a half hour or so’s drive, The Big Sheep, The Milky Way and Exmoor Zoo.

Situated on the North Devon coast just off the A39 Atlantic Highway, two miles west of Bideford, The Big Sheep had loads going on. We watched duck trials, sheep and brewing demonstrations, we bet on racing sheep and we had a great lunch in their café.

Even a shower didn’t spoil the fun thanks to their indoor soft play centre. We never knew sheep could be such fun!

We also received a really warm welcome at Exmoor Zoo, where the staff have tried to create a really natural environment for their animals.

Exhibits such as cheetah, puma, maned wolves, sitaunga and the famous “Exmoor Beast” can be seen among the unique and rare smaller animals for which the zoo provides “natural” enclosures.

One of their latest arrivals, Simples the orphaned Meerkat, even played with us for a while, and our three-year-old was thrilled to get the chance to hold a snake – brave kid!

On our rainiest day – and unfortunately there were a few – we went to the all-weather attraction, The Milky Way Adventure Park. Here, as the name suggests, most of the rides and shows are undercover and we bumped on the dodgems and watched Merlin from Britain’s Got Talent escape his chains inside a water-filled tank.

And when the rain stopped we ventured outside to ride the train and the rollercoasters and play in their wonderful adventure park, as well as watch the displays from the North Devon Bird of Prey Centre.

We came away from our break at Golden Coast in Woolacombe having enjoyed a packed and fun week.

If you’re looking for a great place for a family holiday we’d recommend it.

Getting there

Debbie Waite and her family stayed at the Golden Coast Holiday Park, one of Woolacombe Bay’s four award-winning holiday parks.

Prices start at £180 for a three- or four-night stay off-peak in a two-bedrooomed Honeysuckle Lodge.

For details, call 0843 2080 377 or visit woolacombe.co.uk for bookings and offers.