Salute to park pair driving up north Lakeland tourism

A husband-and-wife team who helped popularise fresh air holidays in north Cumbria have been given a special “thank you” by their trade association.

Skiddaw View Holiday Park has received a special award certificate for its enterprise and loyalty to the British Holiday & Home Parks Association (BH&HPA).

The association is marking its 70th anniversary this year, and is celebrating its longest-serving members who have helped pioneer park holidays in Britain.

Skiddaw View, near Bassenthwaite Lake, has now recorded almost 30 years of active membership under its owners Philip and Barbara Carr.

The couple have turned it into one of Cumbria’s most popular holiday park destinations for both owning and renting holiday caravans and lodges.

Philip says that the staycation trend of recent years has seen a big surge in the popularity of holidays in the Lake District, and north Cumbria has benefitted especially:

“We like to think of this area as being especially attractive to true connoisseurs of Lakeland, not least because of its beautiful tranquil character,” said Philip.

“It’s wonderful being able to live and work in this unspoiled part of Cumbria, and to help other tourism providers by bringing visitors to the region.

“We have always supported our trade association and all the help it gives to smaller businesses like ours, so it’s great to have them saying thanks to use in this way,” he added.

Skiddaw View was seen by millions of TV viewers a few years ago when it became the setting of a popular BBC comedy called Home from Home.

Starring Johnny Vegas, it featured a family man who long cherished the dream of buying a lodge in the Lake District – and finally achieves his ambition at the park.

Philip and Barbara have always been keen to run their park along sustainable lines, and are long-time holders of the David Bellamy Conservation Award at its top gold level.

The couple have created many valuable habitats for birds and animals in their 20-acre grounds, and re-established a spring-fed wildlife pond on the park

They have also planted over 4000 native trees and shrubs, and encouraged wild flowers with high nectar-bearing blooms which provide foraging for honey bees, butterflies and other pollinators.

There is more information about the park at www.skiddawview.co.uk