Meet the owners: Golden Square Caravan and Camping Park

Meet Jane Butler, daughter of the founders, Don and Barbara Armstrong…

How long have you been running your campsite?

As it is a family-run park, and my parents developed the park, I have always worked there, helping out. I took over the main running of the park six years ago and my son is now involved, so it continues to be a family affair.

Tell us a little about your site and how it first began

My parents, Don and Barbara Armstrong, developed the park approximately 40 years ago out of a piece of disused land on their farm. Years before, it had been a quarry, which was just overgrown with trees and bushes. This is why we have very good drainage, but you do need rock pegs if setting up an awning, due to the rocks beneath the surface.

What did you do before becoming the owners of this site?

When growing up I helped out on the farm, then the caravan park, then I was a baker at a local shop in Helmsley. Once I had children, I went back to the caravan park and I was able to sometimes take my children with me. From a young age they learnt how to clean toilets!

What made you want to own and run a campsite?

I never really knew what I wanted to do in life and I just progressed into it naturally. What do you like most about being a campsite owner/manager? Meeting and talking to people.

What are the challenges?

Keeping and running the park at its five-star rating is the biggest challenge, along with keeping customers happy and finding good, reliable staff who will stay.

What is a typical day like for you?

I am very hands-on, so there is the reception office; that’s mostly taking bookings, online or by phone. I also serve in the licensed shop which sells newspapers, bread, cakes, alcohol, toys, etc. And then, of course, there’s cleaning the facilities and ordering stock to keep the shop well stocked.

What do you feel makes your site special?

The site is laid out on different levels so, even when full, there is always a feeling of freedom. The views looking across to the North Yorkshire Moors are spectacular and we are a great park for family holidays, including two outdoor play areas and a football pitch.

What do you love about the region your site is based in?

We are in the countryside surrounded by fields and woods with views looking across to the heart of the North Yorkshire Moors, Heartbeat country. The author and vet, James Herriot, described the panorama from nearby Sutton Bank as ‘England’s finest view’. The coast is an hour’s drive away and York is 30 minutes. Helmsley is a small, popular, attractive market town two and a half miles away, where there are plenty of restaurants, pubs and an open-air swimming pool. We are situated near Rievaulx Abbey, Castle Howard and Flamingo Land. What do you like to do on a rare day off? My own housework, or catch up with friends and family.