The humble pub, a caravan park in Devon, a castle-cum-B&B in Cumbria and country cottages set in a Herefordshire orchard were among the winners in the annual Enjoy England Awards for Excellence, announced yesterday (St George's Day) in the National Railway Museum in York.
In a year when twice as many Britons are planning to spend their holidays in the UK compared with last, and when hopes are high of attracting more overseas visitors because of the withered state of sterling, Lady Cobham, the new chairperson of VisitEngland (the English Tourist Board), said: "More than ever this year, the winners showcase excellent value for money English breaks and some of England's best-kept secrets."
Among these were Hidden Valley caravan park in Devon – advance bookings for camping and caravan breaks in the UK are up by 40% on 2008. The winner of the small visitor attraction of the year was 78 Derngate (The Charles Rennie Mackintosh House and Galleries) in Northampton. Figures released earlier this month by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport show that attendance among stay-at-home Britons at museums and galleries in the past six months has continued to rise, with 45.3% of the English population attending at least one over the past year.
But the special prize for the outstanding contribution to tourism was reserved for the "great English pub" - "for the integral part they play in the fabric of the English way of life and the opportunity they provide for domestic and international visitors to meet local people and enjoy local foods and drink". This is despite the fact that one of Britain's oldest industries is in a dire state, being squeezed by the recession, the smoking ban, cheap supermarket booze, taxation (up again by 2% in Tuesday's budget) and soaring operating costs. Recent figures from the Campaign for Real Ale (Camra) revealed that an average of 57 pubs are closing their doors for the last time every month in Britain.
VisitEngland said that, according to its research, many overseas visitors put visiting a pub high on their list of things to do when on holiday in England.
The award was collected by Neil Morrissey, actor and proprietor of Ye Olde Punch Bowl in Yorkshire (as well as the New Three Mariners Inn in Laugharne, Wales) on behalf of England's publicans.
Here is the full list of winners in the 20th year of the awards organised by VisitEngland to find the best places to stay and visit in England:
Bed and Breakfast of the year
Augill Castle in Cumbria: A Victorian fantasy of a medieval castle situated between the Lake District and the Yorkshire Dales that has been restored over the course of 12 years and offers 11 bedrooms.
• Doubles from £80pp pn, stayinacastle.com, +44 (0)1768 341937.
Hotel of the Year
Gidleigh Park Hotel in Dartmoor National Park, Devon. Set in 54 acres of parklands, the 24 rooms offer river, moorland or forest views. The restaurant, under chef Michael Caines, has been awarded two Michelin stars for the past 10 years. Judges commented that the hotel displayed: "An overall faultless wow experience on par with best of England."
• Doubles from £155 pn. gidleigh.com, +44 (0)1647 432367.
Self-Catering Holiday of the year
Two winners this year - Noelle's Cottages, in Middleton in Yorkshire, are set in the grounds of a Georgian House close to Pickering. The three cottages incorporate modern interiors and have their own gardens. Owner Noelle provides homely touches such as freshly baked scones on arrival.
Woodhouse Farm Cottages are three converted medieval cottages located in an apple orchard in Ledbury, Herefordshire, a few hundred yards from an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Each has its own south-facing garden set within 15 acres of grounds belonging to The Woodhouse, a Grade II-listed, part-moated medieval hall house.
• Noelle Cottages, noellescottages.co.uk, +44 (0)1751 472 283.
• Woodhouse Farm Cottages, thewoodhousefarm.co.uk, +44 (0)1531 640030.
Caravan Holiday Park of the Year
Hidden Valley Park, in Devon: Set in 27 acres of countryside, it is the only park in the region to offer facilities all-year-round for caravans, motor homes and campers as well as a three-bedroom self-catering chalet sleeping up to five people. Judges described the park as "an outstanding touring site catering for both caravanners and tent tourers, with an excellent commitment to the environment and a standard of customer care which all tourism businesses should aim to emulate".
• Large pitches for tents start at £17 per night for two people. hiddenvalleypark.com, +44 (0)1271 813 837.
Taste of England Award
The Pipe & Glass Inn, in South Dalton near Beverely, East Yorkshire, stands on the site of the original gatehouse to Dalton Park which dates back to the 15th century. It was taken over by Kate and James Mackenzie in 2006 and has been refurbished. The Michelin "Bib Gourmand" country inn and pub is committed to sourcing as much local and seasonal produce as possible – hare and juniper pasty and rabbit rissoles on the lunch menu. The wine list is sourced entirely from small producers and there is also a wide selection of regularly changing hand-pulled ales on offer.
• pipeandglass.co.uk, +44 (0)1430 810246.
Sustainable Tourism Award of the Year
The Venus Company comprises a mix of cafes and beach shops in Blackpool Sands, East Portlemouth and Bigbury on Sea in Devon and Tolcarne in Cornwall. The company aims to integrate environmental and social care through green-friendly policies like water monitoring, the use of solar panels, recycling, locally sourced organic food and ethically sourced products. The Venus Beach Wildlife Fund provides visitors' educational programmes on beach conservation. Judges commented that "the English coastline is one of our major assets and The Venus Company are doing a great job in acting as one of its custodians".
• venuscompany.co.uk, +44 (0)1803 712648.
Small visitor Attraction of the Year (fewer than 100,000 visitors per year)
78 Derngate: The Charles Rennie Mackintosh House and Galleries in Northampton: Restored to its historic 1917 appearance under a £1.4m restoration which includes a new visitor centre and exhibition space, as well as a new staircase that wraps around a four-storey glass cabinet holding a series of exhibits relating to both Mackintosh and Bassett-Lowke.
• 78derngate.org.uk, +44 (0)1604 603407.
Large Visitor Attraction of the Year (more than 100,000 visitors per year)
Harewood House in Leeds: Home to the Queen's cousin, the Earl of Harewood. Built in the mid-18th century, the house features outstanding art collections, state rooms and a "below stairs" exhibition. Set in landscaped grounds, Harewood House also includes formal gardens, gentle woodland, a Bhutanese stupa, waterfall, bird and Himalayan garden.
• harewood.org, +44 (0)113 218 1010.
Best tourism experience of the year
Launched in the 1960s, The London Walks are one of the oldest urban walking companies in the world and offer a year-round service. The company runs more than 400 different walking tours fronted by 70 guides, including crime historian and Jack the Ripper expert Donald Rumbelow, plus qualified Blue Badge and City of London Guides. New themed walks are added every year - in 2008, the company launched a series of walks on Gandhi's London and a Foodies' West End walk.
• londonwalks.com, +44 (0)20 7624 3978.
Access for All Tourism
The Hytte is a Norwegian-inspired, traditional timber mountain lodge near Hexham in Bingfield, Northumberland. This self-catering holiday cottage was designed by its owners with the aim of creating a place where people of all abilities can come together. All four bedrooms, as well as the hot tub, outdoor garden areas and patio furniture are accessible to wheelchair users. A grass grid also provides access to the surrounding filed and wildlife areas.
• thehytte.com, +44 (0)143 4672 321.
Other winners
Best business tourism of the year: The Rheged Centre in Penrith, Cumbria (rheged.com, +44 (0)1768 868000).
Outstanding customer service of the year: Robert Evans of the SS Great Britain Trust in Bristol (ssgreatbritain.org, +44 (0)117 926 0680).
Tourist Information Centre of the Year (TIC): The Chesterfield Tourist Information Centre in Rykneld Square, Chesterfield (visitchesterfield.info, +44 (0)1246 345777).
Tourism Website of the Year: northumberlandbedandbreakfast.co.uk - the website for The Old School five-star bed and breakfast in Newton on the Moor, Northumberland (+44 (0)1665 575 767).
