Family owned caravan park Riverside at High Bentham is a finalist in Yorkshire’s premiere tourism contest, The White Rose Awards.
Owned and run by the Marshall family since 1969, the site has already gained a string of other accolades including a VisitEngland Gold Award and a TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence.
Organized by Welcome to Yorkshire, The White Rose Awards celebrate all that is great about the Yorkshire tourism industry. To be selected as a finalist in the Holiday Park of the Year category is a mark of the hard work the local family has put into the business, expanding and improving the facilities year on year.
Riverside, which was originally a football pitch, offers a cross section of holiday offerings from static holiday homes to touring caravan pitches, along with self-catering holiday cottages. Uniquely situated alongside an established 18-hole golf course under the same ownership, and the well-stocked River Wenning complete with fishing rights, the site provides an attractive base for golfers and fishing enthusiasts as well as walkers and cyclists attracted to the surrounding area.
Managing to keep their independence from the large campsite conglomerates, Riverside has retained the personal touch of a family owned and managed business. Jane Marshall believes it is this, along with the unique blend of on-site activities and their Yorkshire Dales location in The Three Peaks, which has won the hearts of many visitors.
She says “We’re very excited to have been picked as a finalist in the White Rose Awards. Running Riverside is all consuming and it’s great that our efforts have been noted among our industry peers in Yorkshire.”
Bordering the Lake District and Forest of Bowland, Riverside has benefited from the “staycation boom”, showing a healthy rise in visitor numbers, with some going on to buy a holiday home on the park, thereby making a long-term commitment to UK holidays. The success of the park has also had a knock-on effect for the many smaller family businesses in the area which benefit from the visitors’ spending, including neighbouring pubs, restaurants, shops, markets and visitor attractions.
The park has also been praised by celebrity botanist David Bellamy for its care of the natural world, and has been presented with his prestigious conservation award at its highest gold level. The accolade recognises the many initiatives taken at the park to safeguard wildlife and protect the natural environment, including its planting of many high nectar-bearing flowers.
The White Rose Awards ceremony will be held on 12th November at the Harrogate Convention Centre.