Travel review: We visited beautiful Yorkshire holiday park which is perfect for a week of family fun

As a child every summer was spent in a caravan somewhere in the UK - dodging the rain and enjoying sand-laced sandwiches on windswept beaches - and while today's children might have more discerning tastes for exotic locations I look back to that time of unrivalled joy and the swathes of seaside gems on offer right here in Britain.

And this is something I've been keen to recreate for my own children so I was delighted to be invited to visit Skirlington Coast - a Unity Holidays-owned holiday park on the Yorkshire coast.

The site has recently undergone a huge investment with new leisure and entertainment facilities and is open for holidaymakers and also tourers.

Caravans of today are far removed from the tin cans of my childhood which were impossible to keep warm or cool. In fact they're not much like caravans at all but luxury homes on wheels.

Our beautiful gold standard caravan boasted all the mod cons a family could need including a comfortable living room with lovely sofas (not the hard-backed seating of the 80s), a designer kitchen with all possible appliances, clean and tidy bathroom, three bedrooms with the master bedroom having an en suite and high end finishes throughout.

We had a beautiful view of the sea which really delivered the wow factor and it was delightful to sit out in the morning on the veranda with a cup of tea, soaking up the sunshine and the absolute peace and quiet all around.

The site is very clean and tranquil, set in countryside surroundings which includes a large fishing lake but it is very much family focused with entertainment, arcades and a very decent park with a large climbing frame that my children played on every day.

The on-site restaurant The Wonky Donkey has also undergone a revamp. It's a stylish, modern space with a combination of high-level seating and comfortable booths plus plenty of outdoor seating too.

The cute model donkeys in the beer garden were a nice touch and my girls enjoyed a 'ride' on them as well as trying out the colourful rabbit seats.

The menu offers a range of good value family favourites including burgers, hand-stretched, stone-baked pizzas and award-winning pies.

During our stay we tried out several meals. I enjoyed the mushroom and spinach pizza, my other half wolfed down the Katsu chicken burger which was topped with Korean slaw and curry sauce and there's also good selection of meals on the kids menu. My girls enjoyed sausage and mash, cheese and tomato pizza, macaroni cheese and a burger - with clean plates all round.

And as a fry-up is a traditional part of the holiday experience we also sampled a full English at the on-site cafe. It was very reasonably priced at £8.50 and included bacon, sausage, beans, egg, tomato, hash brown, mushroom and toast. It definitely set us up for the day.

The ice-cream selection is also excellent with all the flavours you could want as well as some pretty terrific looking desserts including the Seaside Sharer made up of warm Belgian waffles and chocolate brownies, served with a trio of ice cream flavours. We enjoyed caramel and classic mint choc chip in regular cones which were both delicious.

It's clear Skirlington Coast has invested in family entertainment and this was by far my six-year-old's favourite part of our stay.

In the evening the Pavilion Theatre came to life with cherished holiday favourites including music and variety acts on stage.

On the first night my little one was invited up on stage with other children to shake and wiggle to Taylor Swift's Shake it Off - winning a certificate for her efforts - and she was at the front every evening dancing to the party tunes.

One evening the Unity performers staged Dick Whittington panto. It was a really enjoyable production with all the classic jokes, an array of colourful costumes and professional singing and dancing.

The theatre was packed every night proving the old-school pleasures of traditional family entertainment is still very much a hit.

New for this year is the Adventure Gang - a very cuddly looking collection of characters. Dudley the donkey, Skye the seagull and Tilly the turtle who can be spotted around the park and youngsters can even enjoy a very special meet and greet breakfast with them.

Skirlington Coast is a well placed central location to visit surrounding attractions and during our stay we enjoyed a day in Bridlington and Hornsea. Some notable nearby favourites for us included Sewerby Hall and zoo, the Bondville Model Village and my favourite - seal spotting at Flamborough Head.

However you hardly needed to venture away from the park as there is plenty of entertainment on tap. My family made the most of the swimming pool (hour sessions had to be booked the day before as it was busy during the key holiday season), we spent some pennies in the arcades, there's also an outdoor sports court, small supermarket and a fish and chip shop contained within the resort.

Looking back I feel we packed lots into our five days - mainly plenty of eating if I'm honest - but it was the perfect family break and made even better with the beautiful weather.

It really did feel like a holiday even though we weren't too far away from home – which also cut out the stress of travelling far with children.

Skirlington is a lovely spot for families looking to explore the stunning Yorkshire coast and we will certainly return.

Prices for a three-night break at Skirlington Coast during the rest of 2025 are from £150, while prices start at £280 for 2026 breaks. That’s based upon a Bronze caravan that sleeps up to six people.

Touring pitches start from £35 per night in 2025, and begin at £30 a night for 2026 breaks.

For more details or to book, visit https://skirlington.unityholidays.co.uk/ or call 01262 411444.