We recently spent a weekend staying at the Haven resort in Burnham-On-Sea with my parents. This resort is fairly local to us so the majority of time was spent at the site itself, enjoying the amenities on offer
Is Haven Burnham-on-Sea Worth It?
Overall, Haven Burnham-on-Sea does exactly what it says on the tin. It offers a range of caravans and a few lodges in a classic seaside resort, with a short walk to the beach.
There is an indoor swimming pool, plenty of live entertainment and places to grab something decent to eat.
While prices can be high during school holidays, midweek breaks, especially off-peak, can be very reasonable.
It’s also within easy reach of the M5 and can be accessed by train via Highbridge and Burnham train station (around a 30-minute walk). I would recommend a taxi from the train station to the Haven site if this is how you plan to travel.
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Checking In & First Impressions
Checking was easy as we had our booking reference number ready. We were given a map showing where our caravan was located, and we were only a few minutes or so drive from the main entrance.
Even though our caravan didn’t have its own dedicated parking space, there was plenty of parking nearby.
Overall, the site looked clean and well-maintained.
What Are the Caravans Like?
Haven offers a wide range of caravans – from the super budget-friendly saver options to caravans with their own veranda and a lakeside view – plus there are a few luxury lodge options too.
On this trip, we stayed in a bronze caravan in the Withy Grove area. Our caravan was designed to sleep six people with a double bedroom, a bedroom with two single beds, and a pull-out sofa bed in the living room.
While I think this style of caravan would be fine for a family with younger kids, my advice would be to upgrade to a three-bed if there are six adults or a couple of teens in your party – you’ll definitely appreciate the extra space.
While there was parking nearby, our caravan, 13B Withy Grove, was at the end of a row of four, meaning it was a short walk with our luggage, and there was no parking right next to it.
It’s worth noting that towels are generally not included at Haven (apart from in some of the more luxurious caravans), and this includes both hand towels and tea towels.
There is also no basic sundries package – not even one single toilet roll – so you’ll need to bring your own as well as things like washing up liquid, dishwasher tablets (if your caravan has a dishwasher), washing up cloths, and other cleaning supplies if you think you’ll need them.
Bin bags and food waste bags are also not provided.
Overall, our caravan was cleaned to a good standard on arrival. While I did notice the odd bit of dust and cobwebs here and there, I know the cleaners get a very limited amount of time to clean, and previous guests don’t always leave places as clean as I personally would.
There were a few small niggles about our caravan:
- We booked for six people, but had to go to reception and ask for an additional duvet and bedding as it hadn’t been provided for the pull-out bed. In fairness to Haven, this was delivered to the caravan very promptly.
- The bathroom door was dodgy and kept locking, which we then couldn’t open. Luckily, there was an en-suite in the main bedroom, which we used instead.
- The chairs around the dining room table were too tight for the space.
- Only three full-sized dining plates in the cupboard. We managed as I’d brought plastic plates for the kids. No baking trays, and the dishwasher and parts of the cooker didn’t work.
- The T.V in the living area was on a very narrow shelf – I spent a lot of time worrying that our toddler would accidentally knock it off; it could have done with being wall-mounted. The remote control wasn’t very responsive either and needed replacing.
- No wi-fi or phone signal. I’d happily pay for wi-fi at a site like this if it were an option, as it would allow us to do things like order food to the caravan and check the entertainment schedule (apparently this is slowly being rolled out across Haven sites, but is not available yet)
What Is the Swimming Pool Like at Haven Burnham-on-Sea?
The swimming pool at Haven Burnham-on-Sea is quite small and, to be honest, could probably do with being bigger considering the number of caravans on site.
Swimming sessions are limited to one hour per day during your stay, although I believe you can ask for additional sessions if the pool is quiet.
This system is clearly designed to make sure as many guests as possible get a chance to use the pool without it becoming overcrowded, but for us, it just didn’t feel long enough, especially with little ones.
By the time they were starting to build confidence and properly enjoy themselves, it was already time to get out.
The pool itself does feel a little dated, but it was clean, bright and perfectly functional. There’s a shallow toddler area, buckets that fill and tip and one water slide, although two of the other water features weren’t working during our visit.
It’s definitely more of a fun pool than a swimming pool. There’s no lane swimming, and most of the water is fairly shallow, which makes it better suited to younger children and families.
Sessions are managed using a coloured wristband system.
You’re given a band when you arrive and, once your colour is called, it’s time to leave the pool.
We actually found the lifeguards quite hard to hear at times, and it was only because I was keeping an eye on the clock that I realised our session had ended.
A tannoy system would definitely make things clearer, and I was surprised there wasn’t one in place.
The changing rooms were clean, and I really liked that there were plenty of larger family changing rooms, which made things much easier with my young children.
Tips for using the swimming pool at Haven Burnham-on-Sea
- Make sure you book your swimming sessions in advance – this can be done via the Haven app four weeks before your break.
- Bring £1 coins for the lockers – these are quite small, so you may need a couple if you have children and lots of clothes and towels to store.
- Children under 8 must be supervised in the pool, usually at a ratio of one adult to two children, with stricter rules for younger children and non-swimmers.
- Non-swimmers are given an orange bracelet on entry.
- Don’t forget to bring your play passes – you may be denied entry to the pool without them.
- Swimming is not included if you’ve booked a Haven Hideaway break. This is usually clear when booking, but worth double-checking if you’re unsure.
- You can buy swimming aids onsite in the pool shop; however, these are quite expensive – I always recommend buying beforehand if you can.
You’ll be asked to remove your shoes and socks before entering the changing room area. Bringing flip-flops or sliders would make this easier to manage.
There is also an outdoor pool which is open during the summer months, typically from the end of May until the end of August.
Entertainment & Evening Shows
Overall, the entertainment at Haven is fantastic. My children enjoyed taking part in the Disco with Ned and Polly and joining in with the Tiger Club. We also watched one of the shows with the Haven mascots.
Children’s entertainment usually finishes around 8 pm, and adult entertainment includes things like live bands, singers, karaoke and game shows.
Earlier in the evening, there is linked bingo – the last time my parents visited this site, they were told it would be £40 each to take part, which seems extortionate, so it’s not something we have revisited.
There is family bingo during the weekends, which is much more reasonable at £1 per ticket.
One show featuring the Haven mascots was cancelled at the last minute – I understand that this can’t be helped, but there was no explanation or anything, it just didn’t happen on the outdoor stage.
Haven has recently scaled back some of their daytime, midweek entertainment, so if you have a break coming up, you might want to check whether it’s still running before making plans.
Food, Restaurants & On-Site Shop
While staying on site, we ate from both Cooks Fish and Chips and Burger King takeaway. My parents also had a meal at the Mash and Barrel restaurant.
Having a ‘Just Eat’ style delivery option via the Haven App seems like a great idea, but as there is no Wi-Fi in the caravans and basically no signal on site, it’s pretty useless unless you’re near the main building, which means you’re near the food places anyway.
Both times I tried to order food for delivery, my chosen slot had gone by the time I’d finished putting my details in, and I had to change it. Frustrating to say the least.
Also, as our caravan was 13B, it wasn’t actually listed on the app, only number 13 was (surely this would be easy to fix?!), and there was nowhere to add a note, so I had to wait outside for the delivery to ensure it got delivered to the right place.
That said, the food was very nice.
Cooks have a family deal which includes two fish and chips, two kids’ sausage and chips and a choice of two sides for around £37, which we thought was great value considering how much the cost of fish and chips has increased recently and the fact that holiday parks tend to be a little more expensive anyway.
There are also midweek offers, including sausage and chips for £8.
Burger King was also very nice. Here we took advantage of another family deal – two kids’ meals and two adult burger meals plus chilli cheese balls for £26. We then just added another meal for the final person in our party. Everything was nice, and we didn’t have any complaints.
On Sunday, my parents decided to head to Mash and Barrel for a Roast Dinner, which was on offer at two for £20, another very reasonable deal. They enquired in the morning as to what time the roast was served until and were told all day, but the offer was only until 4 pm. They arrived at 3 pm only to be told there were no roast dinners left.
Now, I know that restaurants don’t have unlimited amounts of food, but this was still disappointing as the roast is supposed to be available all day – running out after three hours is not acceptable, in my opinion.
They settled for curry and lasagne instead, which was fine, just not really what they wanted.
We also had waffles, doughnuts, candyfloss and coffee from Seaside Treats, which were all fine. We did try to order ice cream a couple of times, but the machine was broken.
The mini market is well stocked and has Co-op-branded food, as well as acting as a gift shop. Prices are what you’d expect for this type of place.
Perfect for grabbing an on-the-go lunch – there are sausage rolls, sandwiches, crisps and fresh bread. There are also plenty of easy dinner options, such as ready meals.
We bought ice creams here when the ice cream machine wasn’t working, as they stock magnums and various ice lollies too. They also stock Krispy Kreme donuts which are always a favourite of mine.
The Launderette at Burnham-on-Sea Haven
We needed to use the launderette while staying here, thanks to a potty-training toddler who had a few more accidents than expected, I think, thanks to the excitement of being somewhere new.
The Launderette is located near the swimming pool but faces the other direction, and it’s not obvious from the back how to get inside. There needs to be a sign with an arrow pointing to the entrance so it’s a bit easier to navigate.
Once inside, there is no explanation of how or where to get tokens for the washers and dryers. We headed to reception to ask, but the staff weren’t really helpful or interested.
Next, we headed to the shop, where there is a small sign on the door explaining the cost of tokens and that you need to buy your own washing detergent. Why there isn’t the same sign at the laundrette, I have no idea. Even the sign at the shop was small and easy to miss.
We did eventually get to washing and drying our clothes, thank goodness, but it felt like a bit of a palaver to get there.
What Is There To Do for Kids?
Haven Burnham-on-Sea offers plenty of activities for children, both free and paid.
I’ve included the main activities we enjoyed and some of the most popular paid activities below; these can be subject to change with little notice and will vary depending on the time of year.
Our toddler is space mad, so he really loved the space-themed craft session, which was followed by a Ned and Polly in Space show.
Free kids’ activities at Haven Burnham-on-Sea:
- Two adventure playgrounds
- Character meet and greets
- Ned and Polly space show
- Space-themed craft activities
- Tiger Club
- Character Shows
- Kids Disco
- Swimming
- Outdoor Pool (end of May to August)
- Sports Court (when not being used for booked activities)
Popular Paid kids activities at Haven Burnham-on-Sea:
- Build-A-Bear style teddy bear making
- Bungee trampolines
- Arcades
- Mini Ariel Adventure
- Pottery Painting
- Climbing wall
- Crazy Golf
- Football Fun Factory
Things We Loved At Haven Burnham-on-Sea
Here are some things we loved about Haven Burnham-on-Sea
- Easy to get to – less than ten minutes from junction 22 of the M5, and the check was quick and easy, with no queues at 3.45 pm
- The onsite entertainment was fantastic – my children loved the discos and getting involved with the Tiger Club. They also enjoyed the free Space-themed crafting session, puppet show and the meet and greet with Annie and Jaz.
- The Main children’s adventure play area was great with plenty to do for all ages.
- Great offers on food and drink help with budgeting – we had the family bundles from both Cooks Fish and Chips and Burger King, which we felt offered great value for money.
- We liked being able to order drinks to our table in the Live Lounge, and these typically came quite quickly, even during busy periods.
- There is a parking next to the main building (which houses the entertainment, arcades and activities)
- The outdoor stage area is lovely, and we spent plenty of time here enjoying the sunshine, food and drinks from the nearby concessions.
Things To Know Before You Go
- We didn’t find getting around the site particularly child-friendly – no proper pathways, just a lined section at the edge of the road – tricky with a toddler. No paths around the car park at the main building either.
- My Dad uses a mobility aid, and there were a few areas of the park that he found difficult to navigate. The arcades feel quite tightly packed, and during busy periods, it could be hard to move around easily. We found the same in the Live Lounge, where the sheer number of people and chairs often meant walkways became blocked.
- Swimming is quite limited – hour-long sessions that must be booked in advance. We found just as our kids were gaining confidence, it was time to leave. The outdoor pool is small and only open in the summer months.
- Some areas are quite tired and in need of renovation. For example, in the children’s play area, only one out of four swings was present. The adventure play park by the Mini Market just didn’t feel very safe right next to the road and wasn’t gated, plus some equipment was damaged.
- There is no Wi-Fi in Haven Caravans (although there might be Wi-Fi if you book a privately owned caravan, directly with an owner), and the signal is very limited across most of the site.
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I love the idea of being able to order food to your caravan through the Haven App, but in reality, it didn’t work for us because the signal around the park wasn’t reliable enough to place an order. We ended up having to walk up to the main complex to connect to the Wi-Fi, which defeats the object, because by that stage we were already at the food places anyway.
- The arcade is mostly card-only. You have to load a debit-style card with money and then tap it when you want to play games, although you can use your own 10ps and 2ps.
- Some Haven sites have been scaling back their daytime entertainment on midweek breaks – worth checking before you book if this is important to you.
- Towels are not included, and while you can hire at some Haven sites, this was not an option for our break.
Would We Return To Haven Burnham-On-Sea?
This weekend probably confirmed that, as a family, we prefer holiday parks where there’s enough going on that we don’t really need to leave the site – places like Center Parcs or Butlin’s and that don’t have a limit on swimming, as that’s a big part of the holiday for us.
So, would we return to Haven Burnham-on-Sea Holiday Park?
In all honesty, probably not, but that’s more about our personal holiday preferences than anything the park did wrong.
Because Burnham-on-Sea is quite local to us, we already know the surrounding area well and didn’t really plan to head out and explore during our stay.
For a weekend break, there was plenty to keep us occupied with the on-site facilities and entertainment, but I think if we’d stayed any longer, we probably would have wanted to venture out a bit more to keep everyone entertained.
That said, there’s nothing inherently wrong with this Haven site at all.
In fact, it actually makes a really good base for exploring this stretch of the South West coast, including Burnham-on-Sea, Berrow, Brean and even up towards Weston-super-Mare.
Finally, having looked into booking for next year (for my parents) it does look like paid wi-fi might be something that is being rolled out soon.
More Haven Content:
Haven Devon Cliffs Review (April 2022)
Things To Do Near Haven Devon Cliffs Holiday Park
