Record sales at upmarket North York Moors holiday park as Britons seek 'safe haven'

The 10-acre £500,000 Wayside Lakes development, which is owned by Yorkshire businessman Mark Goodson, has proved popular with families seeking a safe and healthy place to go on holiday. It stands next to the Wayside Holiday Park, which is also owned by Mr Goodson.

Mr Goodson, whose family ran cinemas in Filey, Tadcaster and Sleaford, revealed that the holiday park’s turnover had broken the £1m barrier for the first time in its 45-year history.

A record 10 lodges were sold this year, leaving only eight pitches available for sale.

Mr Goodson commented: “2020 was an extraordinary year for us, breaking all records. The Covid-19 crisis closed us down from March until July, but the demand after that for our lodges was unreal.

"We have never sold 10 in a year before. It was astounding.

“On one level, it seems wrong to have such a successful year amid such a ghastly global pandemic. But on another, we are proud to have provided a safe and healthy bolthole for people wanting to escape from the virus and all the pressures it brings.

"The majority of our new lodge owners came from across the north of England. They all wanted peace, beauty and the chance to live without fear.”

"We were happy to oblige. I would also like to pay tribute to the patience and understanding of all our existing caravan and lodge owners at Wayside, who have had the strangest and most

disruptive of years.

"It was particularly hard for them when the park was closed for almost four months, but they have been tremendous.”

One highlight of the year for Wayside, which is between Kirkbymoorside and Pickering, was the visit of Rufus Bellamy, the son of legendary television personality and conservationist David Bellamy.

Rufus presented the David Bellamy Gold Conservation Award to the park for Wayside’s promotion of ecology.

Mr Goodson said it was very difficult to say what 2021 would bring, given the unpredictable nature of the global pandemic.

He added: “But it is likely that holidays abroad are not on many people’s agendas and the idea of a ‘staycation’ will continue to be very attractive. What better than making that staycation permanent by investing in a high-quality but affordable lodge in beautiful surroundings?

“Most of our new owners are 50-plus, professional and white collar workers who are retired or semi-retired.

"They have decent pension pots and want a comfortable and attractive home, away from the bustling world, but close enough to beautiful countryside and sophisticated tourist attractions. They find our development fits this bill perfectly.”

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