Early Club Rally Photograph

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Photo showing a caravan and 3 people sitting outisde it around a table.

Club rally

This scene of Club members relaxing outside a caravan is taken from The Caravan Club’s New Forest Meet held at Cadnam, Hampshire. It was held during the week of 30 May – 8 June 1914, only two months before the outbreak of World War I.

Photo of the top of a caravan with the name Maisonette engraved on it.

1: The Maisonette Caravan

Until the 1950s all caravans were given names, in the same way that boats are named. This early horse-drawn caravan was named Maisonette, which means small house in French.

Photo of a pennant hanging from a caravan doorway.

2: Caravan Club Pennant

Even today Caravan Club members often fly a pennant, a type of flag, to show that they belong to the Club.

This is the first ever Club pennant, designed around 1908 in a competition. The V on the design was originally a horseshoe; however, this was changed due to the forward thinking that the motor car would soon replace the tow horse.

The horseshoe was reintroduced to the Club’s logo in the 1930s and its presence still remains today. The logo acts as a reminder of the horse-drawn heritage of caravanning.

Photo of a woman sitting in a camping chair.

4: J. Harris Stone (1853–1939)

Relaxing in this camping chair is the founder of The Caravan Club, J. Harris Stone. As well as being a caravan enthusiast, he worked as a barrister and journalist.

5: Tent

In the early days of The Caravan Club many members camped in tents. Today, The Club is more specifically aimed at caravanners, motor caravanners and trailer tent owners.