Center Parcs UK facts for kids
| Industry | Leisure |
|---|---|
| Founded | July 1987 |
| Headquarters | New Ollerton, Nottinghamshire, United Kingdom |
|
Number of locations
|
5 villages |
|
Area served
|
United Kingdom |
|
Key people
|
Martin Dalby (chief executive) |
| Products | Short breaks, family holidays, leisure activities |
| Owner | Brookfield Asset Management |
| Parent | Brookfield Properties Corporation |
Center Parcs UK is a company that offers short holidays in five special holiday villages across the United Kingdom. Each village is like a big forest, about 400 acres (1.6 square kilometres) of woodland. The very first Center Parcs village in the UK opened in 1987 at Sherwood Forest in Nottinghamshire. Their fifth village, Woburn Forest in Bedfordshire, opened in 2014.
There's another company called Center Parcs that runs similar holiday villages in Europe. Even though they have the same name, they are separate companies. Center Parcs UK celebrated its 30th birthday in 2017.
Contents
History of Center Parcs UK
The idea for Center Parcs started in 1968 with a Dutch businessman named Piet Derksen. He bought a forest in the Netherlands so his sports shop workers and customers could relax in tents. This idea worked well, and soon the tents were replaced with small holiday homes called bungalows.
In 1987, Center Parcs opened its first UK holiday village at Sherwood Forest in Nottinghamshire. A company called Scottish and Newcastle liked the idea so much that they bought Center Parcs.
Later, in 2001, Scottish and Newcastle sold Center Parcs UK to a group of investors. In 2003, the European Center Parcs sites were sold to different companies. This is why the UK and European Center Parcs are now separate, even with the same name.
In 2003, the UK Center Parcs resorts were sold again for £285 million. They were then sold to the Blackstone Group in 2006. In 2015, the company was sold to a Canadian company called Brookfield Properties Corporation for a lot of money – £2.4 billion!
How Center Parcs UK Works
The first Center Parcs holiday village in the UK, Sherwood Forest, opened in July 1987 in Nottinghamshire. Two years later, a second village called Elveden Forest opened in Suffolk.
The third park opened in 1994 at Longleat Safari Park in Wiltshire. This village is quite hilly, so it has fewer lodges than Sherwood Forest and Elveden Forest.
In 1997, another company opened a holiday village in Cumbria called Oasis Lakeland Holiday Village. Center Parcs UK bought it and renamed it Center Parcs Oasis Whinfell Forest. This village is different because its main area is under a roof. Center Parcs has updated many of the lodges at Whinfell Forest and added new types.
In April 2002, a fire destroyed the main plaza and sports centre at Elveden Forest. Luckily, no one was seriously hurt. Elveden Forest reopened in the summer of 2003 after being rebuilt with a slightly new design. Some lodges were made bigger, and a spa was added.
The boss of Center Parcs UK, Martin Dalby, said they might build a fifth village. In 2004, they found a spot near Woburn in Bedfordshire. Building this new village, called Woburn Forest, cost about £250 million. It opened in spring 2014 and is the smallest Center Parcs UK village.
In 2008, Martin Dalby said that Woburn Forest would likely be the last new village built in the UK. He suggested that if a sixth village was built, it would probably be in Ireland. This came true! In September 2015, Center Parcs announced a new village called Longford Forest in County Longford, Ireland, which opened in 2019.
Center Parcs UK Resorts
| Opened | Resort | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | Sherwood Forest | Ollerton and Boughton, Nottinghamshire | The first Center Parcs in the UK. |
| 1989 | Elveden Forest | Brandon, Suffolk | Rebuilt after a fire from 2002 to 2003. |
| 1994 | Longleat Forest | Warminster, Wiltshire | Located near Longleat Safari Park. |
| 1997 | Whinfell Forest | Penrith, Cumbria | Used to be called Oasis Lakeland Holiday Village before Center Parcs bought it in 2001. |
| 2014 | Woburn Forest | Warren Wood near Flitwick, Bedfordshire | The smallest Center Parcs UK village. |
| 2019 | Longford Forest | Ireland | The first Center Parcs village outside of Great Britain. |
Things to Do and Places to Stay
Places to Stay
Each Center Parcs village has different types of lodges, which are like small houses. These lodges can have one to six bedrooms and can sleep up to 12 people. Some of the bigger lodges even have a games room and a hot tub! The lodges are usually grouped together and offer a good amount of privacy. At Elveden Forest, instead of one-bedroom lodges, they have Lakeside Apartments for one or two people.
Since 2007, Center Parcs has been updating all its lodges. They replaced all the beds and introduced a new type of 'Woodland Lodge' as the most affordable option. The 'Executive Lodges' were also improved.
Things to Do
Guests at Center Parcs can book and enjoy many different activities.
| Place | What it's used for |
|---|---|
| Arrivals Lodge | This is where visitors arrive. You can use the village facilities from 10 am on arrival day and check into your lodge at 3 pm. |
| Security Lodge | Each village has a security lodge open 24 hours a day. Security staff manage the gates and can be reached by phone for emergencies. |
| Subtropical Swimming Paradise | This is the main swimming pool area. It has a wave pool, slides, water rides, outdoor pools, 'Wild Water Rapids', a children's pool, and cafes. |
| Village Square/Plaza | This is the main area with restaurants and shops. It also has Guest Services and the Medical Centre. |
| Sports Plaza/Jardin Des Sports | This building holds indoor sports areas. You can find squash courts, badminton courts, pool and snooker tables, a gym, table tennis tables, indoor wall-climbing, and an aerobics studio. There's also a restaurant and shops here. |
| Boathouse | Here you can rent boats and other watercraft to use on the lake. |
| Aqua Sana | This is the spa area. It has many different experience rooms, treatment rooms, and an outdoor pool for relaxing. |
| Activity Den | This is the children's activity centre and creche, where younger kids can play and be looked after. |
| Leisure Bowl and House of Games | This area has a bowling alley and arcade games for fun. |
| Country Club | This building has another restaurant and play areas. |
| Shops/Retail | You'll find various shops like "ParcMarket" (supermarket), "Refresh" (newsagents), "Just Kids" (toy shop), "The Store Room" (gift shop), "Treats" (sweet shop), "Spirit" (clothing and shoes), "Time for Shade" (sunglasses), "Sportique" (sports and fashion), and "Aquatique" (swimwear). |
Images for kids
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The Subtropical Swimming Paradise is famous for its wave pool and slides.
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The boating lake at Sherwood Forest with The Pancake House on the right.
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Elveden Forest Village Square South.
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Elveden Forest Village Square North.
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Main entrance to the Center Parcs resort in Longleat Forest.
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Footpath along the outer edge of Whinfell Forest boundary fence.
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A plaque recording the 1998 visit of Elizabeth II to the Oasis Lakeland Forest Village.
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The Plaza Dome at Woburn Forest.
