Camping and Caravanning Park of the Year

THE BEAUTIFUL SOUTH ANNOUNCE PARK OF THE YEAR

Posted on February 11, 2025

STUBSCROFT FARM PARK receiving their GOLD award, photos credit to Photographer Nick Williams

The 2024 Beautiful South Awards have honoured exceptional camping and caravanning sites in the region, celebrating their contributions to tourism excellence. Stubcroft Farm Campsite in Chichester secured the prestigious Gold award in the Camping and Caravanning Park of the Year category.

This family-run site is renowned for its commitment to sustainability and high-quality facilities, offering visitors a serene countryside retreat near the Sussex coast. The Silver award was presented to Badgells Wood at Birling Estate in Meopham.

This woodland campsite provides a back-to-nature experience, allowing guests to immerse themselves in the natural beauty of the Kent countryside. Lytton Lawn Touring Park in Lymington received the Bronze award, recognized for its well-maintained facilities and proximity to the New Forest and Hampshire coast, making it a popular choice for families and outdoor enthusiasts.

These accolades highlight the diverse camping experiences available in the South East, from eco-friendly farms to woodland retreats and coastal parks, each contributing uniquely to the region’s vibrant tourism industry.

The 2024 Beautiful South Awards winners were:

  • Gold - Stubcroft Farm Campsite, Chichester, West Sussex
  • Silver - Badgells Wood at Birling Estate, Meopham, Kent
  • Bronze - Lytton Lawn Touring Park, Lymington, Hampshire

DORSET PARK DECLARED BEST IN BRITAIN

Posted on February 15, 2022

DORSET PARK DECLARED BEST IN BRITAIN

 

THE PARK HAS GATHERED THREE AWARDS this year, all celebrating its high- quality standards across various facilities

 

Dorset’s South Lytchett Manor holiday park has been named by the AA as the UK’s top destination for campers, glampers, caravanners and motorhome owners.
The family business beat thousands of other eligible parks to take both the England and the overall British Campsite of the Year titles in the AA’s 2021 Caravan and Camping Awards.
Awards given by the AA – based on guest reviews and a “secret shopper” visit by inspectors - are regarded as the Oscars of the holiday parks industry. The park’s facilities, services and levels of hospitality all went under the microscope – and each was found to meet or exceed the platinum standard on every level.
South Lytchett Manor’s owners, Joanne and David Bridgen, say they were “stunned but absolutely delighted” when news came through that they had clinched the major honour:
“We are so proud to be able to bring this title home to Dorset, and I hope it will help throw the national spotlight on all tourism businesses in the county,” said Joanne.
“The AA award is particularly special to us because the judging is based not just on our quality standards, but also the experience which guests enjoy during their stay.

 

“Providing happy holiday memories has always been our main priority, and our friendly and helpful team here deserve a big vote of thanks for helping us achieve this,” she added.
Guests at the park can bring their own motorhome, touring caravan or tent, or choose to stay in one of South Lytchett Manor’s many glamping options. These include picturesque Romany caravans fully fitted out with all home comforts, cosy shepherd’s huts, and six new glamping pods.
“It’s been a fantastically busy year for us and bookings for 2022 are at record levels, so these awards have really helped us to finish the season on a high!” said Joanne.
South Lytchett Manor is a member of the Best of British group which comprises some 50 independently-run parks with top quality ratings based throughout the UK.
The AA accolade completes a triple triumph of successes this year for Joanne and David who run the park with the help of their son Matt and marketing manager Emily Freeman. In spring, South Lytchett Manor took the overall gold title in the Camping and Caravanning Park of the Year category in the South West Tourism Excellence awards and in the autumn won a diamond award in the Loo Of The Year competition.

TRIPLE TRIUMPH FOR BEST OF BRITISH

Posted on August 6, 2021

TRIPLE TRIUMPH FOR BEST OF BRITISH

SOUTH LYTCHETT MANOR won the overall gold title in the Camping and Caravanning Park of the Year

The family owners of three Best of British holiday parks are celebrating after winning top honours in the year’s South West Tourism Excellence awards. The awards drew hundreds of contenders from across Dorset, Devon, Cornwall, Wiltshire, Gloucestershire and the Isles of Scilly.
South Lytchett Manor in Poole, Dorset, won the overall gold title in the Camping and Caravanning Park of the Year category.
In the same hotly-contested category, Polmanter Touring Park in St Ives, Cornwall, took the silver trophy for the standard of excellence it provides to holiday guests. Owned for over 50 years by the same family and run today by husband-and-wife team Phil and Becki Osborne, the seaside park provides spectacular views along the Cornish coast.
In the Holiday Park of the Year category of the awards, Ladram Bay Holiday Park in Budleigh Salterton, Devon, came away with one of the main awards. The Carter family has owned the park for over 60 years and, like the two other BoB winners, has received many regional and national awards for its high standards and welcoming atmosphere.

Trethem Mill Celebrates A Golden Year

Posted on January 6, 2015

Trethem Mill Celebrates A Golden Year

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The 2015 bar has been set high for Trethem Mill Touring Park after winning three separate gold awards last year.

Trethem Mill Touring Park is celebrating a highly successful year after completing a hat-trick of gold accolades.

Most recently, the Cornish park received the overall Camping and Caravanning Park of the Year title at the Cornwall Tourism Awards in November – the eighth occasion in the 13 years of the event that Trethem Mill has taken a gold award.

Last spring, the park was one of just a handful of caravan and camping parks in the UK chosen to receive the prestigious gold award given out by VisitEngland to its highest rated parks. Then, in autumn, botanist David Bellamy announced Trethem Mill as a winner of his Conservation Award at its top gold level.

Park owner Jane Akeroyd said that 2014 had been a whirlwind of a year for the park, both in terms of visitor numbers and the awards it has received: “By far the majority of our guests are now either repeat visitors, or people coming as a result of a recommendation, which helps create a lovely atmosphere on the park.

“Our latest Cornwall Tourism award is especially pleasing as it judges not just the quality of the park, but also the welcome and hospitality which is shown to holidaymakers.”

Jane added: “The bar has now been set pretty high for 2015, but we are determined to carry on simply making Trethem Mill the type of park to which everyone wants to return”.