GERMAN indie-folk band fellerband have written an ode to their favourite English holiday park - after falling in love with it.

The up-and-coming musicians from Mülheim Ruhr first discovered Hillcrest Park while searching for places to stay during a 2012 visit as part of Darlington’s twin towns scheme.

The band consists of songwriter Klaus, 61, and Monika Felchner, 46, their daughters Victoria, 19, and Jeorgie, 17, as well as friends Wolfgang Walter, Reiner Krafft, Hans-Werner Gottschalk and organiser Andrea Schmeling.

They instantly fell in love with Hillcrest Park - situated amidst the scenic County Durham countryside between Winston and Caldwell - and they now stay at least three times a year with owners Kate, 44, and Ed Nichols, 45.

Their song, The Moon over Hillcrest Park, describes their 800-mile journey to their cottage accommodation at the park - whose boundary fence marks the border with North Yorkshire.

It takes them around ten hours door-to-door and is made in just one van packed with all their instruments and food.

The song is included in their fourth and latest English language album, In Spite of all the Dark Clouds, and has been performed around the region from gigs at The Witham, in Barnard Castle, to Darlington deputy mayor Tom Nutt's surprise 70th birthday party.

They have also been busy gigging at venues throughout the area this week as part of their latest tour and performed the song for listeners on Radio Teesdale on Monday.

“It is the first time we have presented the song and it’s simply because I was staying here in January writing lots of the new songs so I have written this as a compliment for the area,” Mr Felchner explained. “The place is great, it’s always like coming home and every time we come it’s fantastic.”

The songwriter, who is also an organic fruit and vegetable farmer, added: “The Moon over Hillcrest Park explains the whole route from home.

“We are happy we got a chance to play it here.”

Mrs Nichols described her joy at hearing the song performed live at the Bridge Inn, in Whorlton, on Tuesday night.

“The atmosphere was great, I thought we were all going to dance at one point,” she said. “I felt a bit teary when I heard it.”

Ms Schmeling said the band were already planning on another visit next year and were looking forward bringing some new music back to their second home.

“We will take the time to get something for next year but we will definitely be back because we love it,” she said. “It’s quite different from our region but it’s lovely.”

The Moon over Hillcrest Park

We leave the farm in fog and drizzly rain,

A three-hour drive to the French coast.

We reach the car port, the border control runs well,

We enter the ferry boat to Dover.

And on board we chill or sleep

And think of the place we love.

Chorus: It is the moon over Hillcrest Park,

It is the love that grows in the dark.

And our friends we’ll meet on tour

Eight hundred miles away from Mülheim/Ruhr.

The boat trip is over,

In a long queue we leave the docks

And concentrate to left-driving.

We follow the lorries, but only for a few miles,

Then we are on the way to London.

In a big tunnel we undercrossed the Thames

The M11 leads us to Cambridge.

Chorus/instrumental

The inner fight against tiredness at the wheel

We roll on the A1 to Leeds.

One hour later we exit at Scotch Corner,

Our last miles to Caldwell.

We are hungry, but we enjoy

The hilly side of the Yorkshire Dales.

Chorus x 2