Walking on water, skating on ice and playing pirates are among the new attractions which have given Ladram Bay Holiday Park in Otterton its busiest spring on record.

Walking on water, skating on ice and playing pirates are among the new attractions which have given Ladram Bay Holiday Park in Otterton its busiest spring on record.

Now the family owned business has declared its million-pound investment in new facilities earlier this year a “fantastic success” in attracting extra visitors to the region.

General manager Claire Williams said the park was inspired to make Ladram Bay an even bigger draw for families after it was named as a finalist in last year’s Devon Tourism Awards.

“Tourism is a highly competitive industry, and if you want to stay on top it’s important to constantly invest in improving your product,” said Claire.

“So we decided to raise the bar even higher, and spent much of this winter developing a host of new projects which we managed to complete just in time for this season.”

Youngsters and grown-ups have also voted Ladram Bay’s new all-year open air ice rink a winner, not least because of its breathtaking cliff-top position overlooking the bay.

A major upgrade of the park’s play area has provided youngsters with waves of new challenges, including an assault and agility course, plus a huge timber-built pirates galleon to clamber over and the park’s new “water walkerz” - giant transparent balloons in which children can run, roll, flip and spin across the water.

In addition, said Claire, the park also decided to increase the range of premium accommodation available to guests.

Options now include three new luxury apartments with spectacular sea views which sleep up to six people, and a prestigious new detached holiday home called “The Lookout”.

The Lookout’s long list of five-star refinements include an architect-designed interior decor, luxury furnishings and equipment, plus a private hot-tub on the veranda overlooking the coast.

Despite a price-tag of over one thousand pounds a week in summer, Claire says there has been no shortage of demand for this and other accommodation on the park this year.

Ladram Bay began life just over seventy years ago as a small camping site on a former farm run by Frank Carter and his wife Margaret.

The park is still overseen today by Mr Carter, who is 93, and is run by his four grown-up children.