Striking highlight of Cumbria holiday park’s £1m makeover

Holiday guests are having ball after the opening this month of a new £1m makeover and extension to the leisure centre at a top South Cumbria holiday park.

For among the extra facilities at Silverdale Holiday Park near Arnside is now a US-style ten-pin bowling alley with electronic scoring and computerised stats such as ball speed.

But bowling is not the only striking new attraction at the park. A new kids’ soft-play zone, function rooms, bar extension and extra restaurant seating have also been served up.

In addition, the leisure centre now includes an enlarged supermarket with an emphasis on locally sourced food and drink, from Lakeland artisan bread and cured meats to Cumbrian craft beers.

According to park owner Michael Holgate, its latest investment is already receiving the thumbs-up from both holidaymakers and local people belonging to its leisure club.

The new features join the leisure centre’s swimming pool complex with spa and sauna, and a professional gymnasium with state-of-the art exercising equipment

In 2016, Silverdale Holiday Park is marking its sixtieth year under the Holgate family’s ownership – and Michael says all the signs are that this could be its busiest season ever:

“We finalised plans for our new developments before Cumbria’s flooding problems arose, but were determined to press ahead so they would be ready for the new season,” he said.

“In the event, the initial fall-off in enquiries in December was quickly replaced by a strong upswing as the year got underway – and business levels are now higher than this time last spring.

“Cumbria will always remain a dream holiday destination for many people, and I think visitors have been given extra confidence by the resilience shown by our tourism industry,” said Michael.

Silverdale Holiday Park provides caravan holiday homes to buy and to let, pitches for touring caravans, motorhomes and tents, and luxury timber-built camping pods.

Its many accolades include Cumbria Tourism’s overall holiday park of the year award two years ago, and a top gold award in 2016 from botanist David Bellamy for its environmental care.

However, believes Michael, it is the verdict of guests which counts above all else – and says he is delighted that the park’s latest developments appear to have bowled another winner.

There is more information about Silverdale Holiday Park, and the five other Cumbria and North Lancashire parks belonging to the Holgates group, at www.holgates.co.uk