Top green honours for couple’s wildlife-rich Exmoor holiday park

Exmoor’s Waterrow Touring Park has been named as one of the most wildlife-friendly places to stay in Britain by TV botanist David Bellamy.

The family-owned park has scooped a top gold conservation award from Professor Bellamy in his annual celebration of Britain’s greenest tourism businesses.

On top of the accolade, he also gave the Wiveliscombe park two special commendations for its efforts to protect honey bees, and its success in creating new wild flower habitats.

The honours mark a raft of environmental initiatives taken at Waterrow by Lynette and Jamie Cook, who own the park together with Jamie’s parents.

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The husband-and-wife team quit their successful careers in IT and customer services six years ago to take on the tranquil picture-postcard park on the fringes of Exmoor.

Since then, their projects have included the creation of a wildflower meadow which provides vital foraging for endangered honey bees, butterflies and other pollinators.

David Bellamy praised the park’s use of its own timber to build planters and park furniture, and the many bird boxes, feeders, and insect houses installed within the grounds.

The couple’s conservation award also highlights Waterrow‘s use of solar energy, and its harnessing of spring water for irrigation, plus the nature discovery trails through its woodland.

Commended too is the park’s support of local community groups, and its imaginative fundraising projects for organisations such as the Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance.

Lynette said that Waterrow’s triple triumph in the David Bellamy Conservation Awards was a fantastic honour, and that there would be no let-up in the park’s green endeavours:

“We have always tried to make our holiday park a natural part of these beautiful surroundings, and to do what we can to safeguard its amazing array of wildlife,” she said.

“Guests love being able to spot otters, deer, owls and other animal and bird species at Waterrow, and are always keen to learn more about our conservation work.

“This has been our busiest year so far at the park, and I think that says a lot about people looking for holiday escapes where they can totally switch off from the outside world,” added Lynette.

Waterrow Touring Park is a member of the Best of British group of high quality independently-owned parks, and there is more information on its website at www.waterrowpark.co.uk