Timber Frame House or Caravan for Rent

What should a rental house in the UK be like

Caravan or static caravan. Throughout Europe and the USA, millions of people own caravans, many of which are permanently installed in holiday villages or holiday parks and all of them search for  cheapest caravan site fees uk.

When did it start?

Caravan development occurred gradually throughout the 20th century. It was heavily influenced by the Americans in the late 1930s, when trailer parks appeared and began to be developed in earnest, creating communications, roads and places for entertainment. Such parks became a way of life for many.

In the UK, the use of caravans for recreation had already taken root in the early 1900s. Wealthy families took them by train to their chosen holiday destination.

The first caravanners used roadside stops for overnight stays. But soon more and more owners began asking farmers and landowners for places where they could leave their caravan until the next weekend or holiday. Thus, caravan parks were founded. In this case, caravans were pitched for “static” use, remaining in the same place for years.

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In the 1930s

Seeing the growing potential, early caravan manufacturers such as Eccles (with their 1930 “holiday cottage”) and Balmforth Sanderson of Yorkshire began to develop larger models of 16-18 feet for their customers.

By the 1930s, a few caravan parks had been established. They were simple, with small toilet blocks, usually without roads, and with little landscaping. In bad weather, cars would get stuck in the mud, and the pitching sites were questionable.

In the middle of the century 

The Second World War had caused great damage to the industry. After the war, caravan production was slow to recover. A whole new generation of manufacturers (among them Willerby and Pemberton) emerged to meet demand. With more campsites available and domestic tourism on the rise, sales began to boom.

At the time, there were around 100,000 people owning caravans in the UK. Over time, sites grew larger and more organised. The static caravan market as a whole began to grow as more site owners began to buy caravans to park on their own sites and then rent them out during the holiday season.

In the 1960s, manufacturers launched even larger models. As site owners charged for making homes larger, buyers wanted the most for their money. The fold-out beds that had once been installed in most homes had all but disappeared by the late sixties, replaced by bunks.

In 1963 Bluebird joined forces with Sprite/Eccles to form Caravans International (CI). Within a few years Bluebird dominated the holiday caravan market. Better equipped models were becoming popular. Improvements meant that the holiday season could be extended to the end of October. Holiday caravans now also had electrics and plumbing. The more expensive models had a flush toilet. In the 1970s static caravans looked more like a chalet than a van. The pointed roof and squarer body with teak trim were the hallmark of ABI. Bright floral interiors led the way in holiday home design. 

In the late 1970s, Silverline Caravans used glued sides, but the traditional timber frame method was still based on automotive coachbuilding techniques.

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At the end of the century 

The early 1980s were tough times for many holiday home manufacturers. Even the largest company, Pemberton, fell victim to bankruptcy.

In the 1990s, manufacturers came up with new interiors and 12-foot wide designs.

In the 2000s, layouts improved, interior designs were updated, and caravans grew in size. Bathrooms became full-size, country-house-type bathrooms. Websites offered better planning, entertainment, and internet connectivity. Now, a holiday caravan is a complete country getaway at a fraction of the cost.

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