Curtains up on Cumbria holiday park’s great green venue

A top-to-toe makeover of a Cumbria holiday park’s clubhouse has created one of the brightest – and greenest – entertainment and eating venues in the county.

Park Foot Caravan and Camping Park in Pooley Bridge near Penrith put the finishing touches to its 220 square metre clubhouse in time to welcome summer visitors.

First opened over 30 years ago, the building now provides an ultra-modern environment in which holidaymakers can relax, dine, and enjoy the park’s popular nightly shows.

But although the clubhouse is designed to make a big impression on guests, its impact on the natural world will be much smaller.

That’s because the venue’s heating is supplied by a 199 kW biomass boiler which is fuelled by woodchips, and minimises Park Foot’s carbon footprint.

The system also provide heating and hot water to holiday homes and other buildings on the park, reducing the business’s reliance on fossil-fuel supplies.

Park Foot’s clubhouse is licensed for up to 500 people, and includes a well-stocked bar, plenty of seating, a dance floor, games zones and performance space for the park’s free summer shows.

As well as a popular meeting place where guests can relax, the clubhouse also hosts popular bingo sessions, quizzes, children’s discos and other events.

It adjoins Park Foot’s family restaurant and take-away which provides breakfasts, lunches and evening meals with most of the ingredients obtained from local suppliers.

Park Foot is run by Barbara Allen and Fiona Bell, the daughters of Jimmy Allen who founded the park more than six decades ago, along with Fiona’s husband Malcolm.

Originally a farm, Park Foot first started welcoming campers in the early 1950s. Now it has around 130 caravan holiday homes spread throughout the 40-acre grounds, and 400 touring pitches.

Its many accolades include the David Bellamy Conservation Award, and a vote from readers of The Sun newspaper as Britain’s best park on which to take a family holiday.

There is more information about Park Foot at www.parkfootullswater.co.uk