Discovering inside Shorefield

Many of us will know of Shorefield Country Park, but how many of us have been there to explore.  A quick look on Google Maps shows the impressive size of the site.  (click here)   When venturing inside you discover a self-contained community and an impressive array of facilities.  Simon Pollock (MD & Chairman) and his team are generous sponsors and supporters of Milford on Food Week and see themselves very much as part of Milford on Sea village. 

We approached Simon to discover more about Shorefield’s history and life today.  So, here you go, The History of Shorefield’s:

Shorefield Holidays Limited has been welcoming guests and visitors to its parks for over 50 years.  Shorefield was formed on the 4th July 1958 by the late Dr Robert Pollock, when he was unable to find a touring pitch for the family’s annual holiday. He was thus inspired to purchase a worked out gravel pit at Milford on Sea and so the company was born. Dr Pollock ran Shorefield Country Park for 18 years as well as working as a doctor in General Practice in Bedford. When he retired in 1976, he moved to Milford and spent many years talking and listening to the staff and customers while mowing the grass or walking Troy, his Great Dane.

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The company has gone from strength to strength and now consists of six parks all situated along the beautiful south coast. Lytton Lawn Touring Park was purchased in 1988 and eight years later Oakdene Forest Park was acquired. Forest Edge Holiday Park was bought in 2001 and in 2005 Priestway Holiday Park, later renamed as Swanage Coastal Park was purchased. Merley Court Holiday Park is the latest acquisition bought in 2006.

The family has watched the company grow and develop from those very early days to the prestigious award-winning company that it is today. “It has been lots of fun, lots of hard work and a fabulous journey” says Lesley Lawrence, Marketing Director, who joined the company in 1977. “I think we are successful because we listen to our customers and we encourage feedback good and bad and this makes us aware of what is wanted by all our customers, 50% of whom each year are return holiday makers. On the marketing front we often lead the way in our industry being the first to use video and dvd for holiday home sales and one of the first to have a website and introduce online bookings”.

Simon Pollock (Robert's son), joined the company in 1974, and is Managing Director and Chairman at Shorefield, says: “We are fortunate by the location we are in. Location, location, location is the watchword used by many tourism gurus. I also think that having a board of three working directors with a wealth of different experience, has managed to create a family business quite unique from others. We were one of the first in the industry to embrace short break holidays, to make up beds in letting accommodation, to invest in sustainable tourism and to create a day spa experience”.

Today Shorefield operate six holiday and leisure parks in the UK, each based in an enviable location on the stunning South Coast. Shorefield provides high quality holiday accommodation in fully equipped chalets, caravans, holiday lodges and touring and camping pitches. Their parks offer our clients an extensive range of leisure facilities and activities not to mention a huge variety of restaurants, bars and retail outlets plus the superb Reflections Elemis Day Spa.

Sara Bertin, Financial Director, joined the Board in 1980 and says: “I think the secret of our success is the varied expertise that each of the directors brings to the boardroom table and the team of managers that we have. The business is always changing so it’s never dull. Our hands on approach to the business and our personal involvement on a day to day basis mean that we know what is working and what isn’t working. We passionately believe in the safety and enjoyment of our customers and this is supported by a high level of staff training.

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Shorefield Country Park is situated on the outskirts of Milford on Sea and is a fabulous 5 Star rated holiday park set in 100 acres of delightful landscaped parkland. The perfect setting to relax in, or explore the rural surroundings. Shorefield Holidays Limited prides itself on its 50 years’ experience and has achieved the David Bellamy Gold Award for Conservation and the ETC, 'England for Excellence' Award and the prestigious Rose Award for very high levels of quality and cleanliness.

The leisure facilities at Shorefield Country Park can only be described as excellent, providing activities for all the family. The club house features bars, eateries and regular entertainment for the whole family. Leisure activities include: A small stocked lake for fishing (rod license required), nature activities in the nature centre, superb leisure club featuring heated indoor pool, sauna, steam room and spa bath. There is also a state of the art fully equipped gymnasium and the Reflections Elemis Day Spa.

Shorefield Country Park also offers a wide range of function rooms and spaces that are perfect for your next special event. These are also available for hire by people from Milford on Sea.  Whether you’re thinking intimate or grand, a casual buffet or a formal sit down dinner, whatever the occasion, their dedicated events team with their wealth of experience will ensure that your every expectation is met and your every need accommodated.

The site also consists of: Large club with ballroom & entertainment, Indoor & outdoor swimming pools, Sauna, steam room & spa bath, Cheers Bar & Carvery, Bistro, & Country Pumpkin pub, Children’s party venue, ‘Reflections’ Beauty & Day Spa, Outdoor tennis court & five a side football court, Crazy Golf, Supermarket with off-license, Launderette, Small fishing lake, Wi-Fi in club area, Fully equipped gym and fitness studio.

Shorefield Holidays Limited is one of the area’s leading employers and is proud to hold the Investors in people award, offering a diverse range of jobs across six holiday parks. They believe that central to their continued success is the training and development of their employees. This not only helps them to achieve their potential, but also improves the experience guests receive. The benefits they offer employees include leisure membership to the facilities on our parks. They are also proud to say that over half of Shorefield Holidays Limited permanent employees have been with them for over 5 years and a quarter have been with them for over 10 years.

Shorefield have certainly come a long way since Dr Robert Pollock's, intial inspiration in 1958!

Discover more about Shorefields at www.shorefield.co.uk