Skelwith Fold Caravan Park

A FAMILY business in the Lakes has established itself across more than 40 years as the destination of choice for many a holidaymaker.

Skelwith Fold Caravan Park, located just outside Ambleside, occupies the 130-acre grounds of a former country house and has won a series of accolades, including The David Bellamy Conservation Award in recognition of efforts made to help the environment.

For the past 14 years, it has been run by Sydney Wild, who has been joined by son Henry as one of the principal directors who deal with the day-to-day management of the enterprise, which provides around 300 caravan holiday homes for sale and 150 fully-serviced pitch facilities for people with touring caravans and motor homes.

The team at the park aim to make sure people enjoy ‘an experience like no other in the Lake District’ and have taken great care to ensure the natural beauty of the surroundings and wildlife is protected.

This is shown in one recent development, which has seen the introduction of electric bikes which encourage guests to swap their cars for a more sustainable form of transport.

Mr Wild said: “We attract visitors who take pleasure from Lakeland’s natural environment and who are sympathetic to our conservation aims.

“We make it clear that Skelwith’s main attraction is our 130 acres of countryside and its wildlife inhabitants. What we do promise is the blissfully relaxed nature of our surroundings and the many opportunities which exist for making exciting discoveries in the outdoors, especially for children.

“As well as making known our own policies of sustainability, we also advise guests on how they can make their own contributions by various means, ranging from the use of local transport to helping us monitor wildlife on the park and reporting their sightings.”

Long Valley Yurts

TWO entrepreneurs who seized on a gap in the Lake District Glam Camping market have expanded their enterprise by threefold in their first four years.

Richard Coulter and John Maddy met while studying at the Newton Rigg College, Penrith, where they experienced first hand the delights of a sleeping in an on-campus yurt.

This inspired the two students to look into the local market to see if the luxurious option to camping was around. They soon released nowhere in England provided holidays specifically for yurts and opened their first Long Valley Yurt in Great Langdale "The structure is very attractive,” said Mr Maddy. “They are very calming to be in and allow you to get close to nature with all the luxury you have come to expect from a holiday.”

The pair have now expanded to home yurts, decked out with Moroccan styled rugs, wood burning stoves, lanterns and futon beds. They operate on four sites across the Lake District, including Low Wray and Barrowdale.

“Things went from great to fantastic with a year of us setting up," said Mr Maddy. "We sold out every yurt even before they had been put up. Everybody was in absolute awe of them. There has been a lot of publicity since then and other businesses have set up offering a similar thing, but because we were there from the start our position in the market is very solid."

Bell tents are also on offer for families who want more of a budget holiday.

"When people come to the Lake District they have to explore," said Mr Maddy. "It's England in all its glory and we want as many people to enjoy it as possible."

Mr Maddy and Mr Coulter have worked with local outdoor companies to offer a range of adrenaline-fuelled sports for holiday-makers to revel in, as well as survival and bush craft courses.

A Corner of Eden

HAVING featured in publications such as The Guardian, The Sunday Times and Marie Claire, A Corner Of Eden has established itself as a classy destination for anyone seeking a break in the Lakes.

Company owners Debbie Temple and Richard Greaves bought a Grade II listed farmhouse - which dates back to the 1500s - in 2005 and have transformed it into a thriving bed and breakfast business through challenging economic times.

Opening five years ago, the secluded country house in the Upper Eden valley constantly achieves a four-star rating from Visit Britain, and 5 out of 5 ratings on Trip Advisor.

As well as the original B & B, the business now also boasts Angel Barn, an eco self-catering barn sleeping six, and The Shepherd’s Hut, a converted railway cabin which the owners say puts the ‘glam’ into glamping.

Guests can enjoy a warm welcome with roaring open fires and an emphasis on ensuring they make the most of their time away from their busy lives.

Debbie said: “Combining exquisite style, new ideas, first class customer service, green policies and passion, we feel we have developed three unique businesses that should be showcased to inspire others to follow in our footsteps.

“A Corner of Eden, Angel Barn and The Shepherd’s Hut have been created to offer environmentally friendly and luxury accomodation that stands out from the crowd, leading the way in increasing the standards of other providers in Cumbria and beyond.

“Our aim is to attract many visitors to the area, encouraging greater levels of visitor spend.“ A Corner of Eden’s schemes for the future include a plan to run a series of specialist events throughout the year – including corporate retreats and wildlife watching short breaks, each of which will be run by a tutor.

A Corner Of Eden received a Highly Commended award at The Westmorland Gazette Business and Tourism Awards 2011.