Fabulous Five Go For Lancashire Gold!

Marketing Lancashire is delighted to announce that five Lancashire Tourism Award Winners 2014/15 have been named as finalists in the prestigious Visit England Awards for Excellence 2015. The glittering Awards Ceremony is being held on Monday 11 May 2015 at the Sage Gateshead. 

Lancashire Tourism Award winners who are now finalist in the national Visit England Awards for Excellence 2015 are: Tourism Event of the Year, Vintage by the Sea, The Midland, Morecambe; Taste of England Award, The Parkers Arms, Newton in Bowland; Tourism Pub of the Year, Freemasons at Wiswell, Clitheroe and Tourism Experience of the Year, St Annes Beach Huts, Lytham and Access for All Tourism Award, Sandcastle Waterpark, Blackpool (For a full list of all categories and all finalists, see below)

Ruth Connor, Chief Executive of Marketing Lancashire said “ Marketing Lancashire is extremely proud to announce that five Lancashire Tourism Awards winners are now heading to Gateshead in May to represent the county at the national Visit England Awards for Excellence. Individually, they are at the top of their game but importantly for Lancashire they are ambassadors for the county ‘where life feels good’; where some of the best events, best food and drink and best attractions combine to attract over 63 million visitors a year. They have our most sincere congratulations on their great achievement to date and our very best wishes and support, as they continue on their journey towards gold in Gateshead.” 

The VisitEngland Awards attracted a total of 345 applications and the Lancashire finalists will have to wait until the Awards Ceremony to find out which award they will receive.  All finalists are guaranteed to receive either a Gold, Silver, Bronze or Highly Commended Award.
In 2014, Lancashire's national winners included:  The Parkers Arms, Silver in the Taste of England category; Sancastle Waterpark, Silver in Access For All category;  Bleasdale Cottages, Silver in Sustainable Tourism category; Visit Garstang Centre, Highly Commended in Visitor Information Provider category; Visit Blackpool/Blackpool Resort Pass, Highly Commended in Tourism EXperience category.  

Commenting on this year's finalists James Berresford, Chief Executive of VisitEngland said:
“It’s been another successful year for our Excellence Awards as we’ve received hundreds of applications of an extremely high standard. That’s why all the finalists should be incredibly proud that they’ve been short-listed against such tough competition. I’d like to congratulate all the finalists who now represent the top five in their category in England and wish them all the very best of luck on Awards night at the Sage Centre in Gateshead – a spectacular venue to celebrate the industry’s best.”

Full list of finalists 

Tourism Event of the Year
Bournemouth Air Festival 2014,  Bournemouth, Dorset www.bournemouthair.co.uk
The Cotswold Show Cirencester, Gloucestershire www.cotswoldshow.co.uk
Mallard 75, National Railway Museum York, North Yorkshire www.nrm.org.uk
Northumbrian Water – Kielder Winter Wonderland Hexham, Northumberland www.visitkielder.com
Vintage by the Sea – The Midland Morecambe, Lancashire www.englishlakes.co.uk
        
Self Catering Holiday Provider of the Year 

Bosinver Farm Cottages  St Austell, Cornwall www.bosinver.co.uk
The Dandelion Hideaway Market Bosworth, Leicestershire www.thedandelionhideaway.co.uk    
The Dovecoat Barns York York, North Yorkshire www.dovecotebarnsyork.co.uk         
High Barn Cottages  Nr. Bridlington, East Yorkshire www.highbarncottages.co.uk
Millbrook Cottages  High Bickington, Devon www.millbrookcottages.co.uk

Visitor Information Provider of the Year 

Chesterfield Visitor Information Centre Chesterfield, Derbyshire www.visitchesterfield.info
City of London Information Centre London www.visitthecity.co.uk                
Durham Visitor Information Network Durham, County Durham www.thisisdurham.com
Simply Staffordshire     Uttoxeter, Staffordshire www.simplystaffordshire.co.uk
The Welcome People London www.thewelcomepeople.com

Large Visitor Attraction of the Year
 
Chatsworth Bakewell, Derbyshire www.chatsworth.org
Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust  Telford, Shropshire www.ironbridge.org.uk        
Liverpool Cathedral  Liverpool, Merseyside www.liverpoolcathedral.org.uk            
The Lost Gardens of Heligan St Austell, Cornwall www.heligan.com
The Roman Baths & Pump Room  Bath, Somerset www.romanbaths.co.uk

Small Hotel of the Year 

Brockencote Hall Hotel  Kidderminster, Worcestershire www.brockencotehall.com
Cedar Manor Hotel & Restaurant Windermere, Cumbria www.cedarmanor.co.uk
Hell Bay Hotel Isles of Scilly, Cornwall www.hellbay.co.uk
The Horn of Plenty Tavistock, Devon www.thehornofplenty.co.uk
Mallory Court Royal Leamington Spa, Warwickshire www.mallory.co.uk    
The Talbot Hotel Malton, North Yorkshire www.talbotmalton.co.uk

Business Tourism Award

Barnett Hill, Guildford, Surrey www.sundialgroup.com/barnetthill
Event Durham, Durham University Durham, County Durham, www.durham.ac.uk/event.durham                 
National Space Centre, Leicester, Leicestershire www.venuehire.spacecentre.co.uk
The University of Manchester Conferences and Venues, Manchester, Greater Manchester www.conference.manchester.ac.uk
Woodland Grange Conference Centre Leamington Spa, Warwickshire www.eefvenues.co.uk/conference-venues/warwickshire/  

Taste of England Award
 
Delifonseca Dockside  Liverpool, Merseyside www.delifonseca.co.uk
Hotel Maiyango, Leicester, Leicestershire www.maiyango.com        
The Parkers Arms, Newton in Bowland, Lancashire www.parkersarms.co.uk        
Stokes Tea & Coffee,  Lincoln, Lincolnshire www.stokes-coffee.co.uk
Yorebridge House, Leyburn, North Yorkshire,  www.yorebridgehouse.co.uk    

Holiday Park/Holiday Village of the Year 

Cofton Country Holidays, Dawlish, Devon www.coftonholidays.co.uk
Poston Mill Park, Hereford, Herefordshire www.postonmill.co.uk
Seafield Caravan Park, Seahouses, Northumberland www.seafieldpark.co.uk    
Searles Leisure Resort in Hunstanton, Hunstanton, Norfolk www.searles.co.uk
Trethem Mill Touring Park, Truro, Cornwall www.trethem.com

Tourism Pub of the Year

The Exchange, Leicester, Leicestershire www.exchangeleicester.com
Freemasons at Wiswell, Clitheroe, Lancashire www.freemasonsatwiswell.com    
The Pandora Inn, Falmouth, Cornwall www.pandorainn.com                
Wild Boar Inn, Grill & Smokehouse, Nr Windermere, Cumbria www.englishlakes.co.uk/hotels/lake-district-hotels/windermere-hotels/wild-boar-inn/ 
The Wro Bar, Lounge & Loft, West Kirby, Merseyside, www.the-wro.co.uk

Tourism Experience of the Year

The Cycle Hub, Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne & Wear, www.thecyclehub.org
Farm Stay UK Ltd, Kenilworth, Warwickshire, www.farmstay.co.uk
Livingstone Lodge Overnight Safari Experience, Port Lympne Reserve
Ashford, Kent, www.aspinallfoundation.org/portlympne
St Annes Beach Huts, Lytham, Lancashire www.stannesbeachhuts.co.uk        
Treetop Trek Ltd, Windermere, Cumbria www.treetoptrek.co.uk

Bed & Breakfast/Guest Accommodation of the Year 

Colton House, Rugeley, Staffordshire www.coltonhouse.com
Lower Barns Boutique B&B, St Austell, Cornwall, www.lowerbarns.co.uk
Mere Brook House, Wirral, Merseyside, www.merebrookhouse.co.uk            
The Old Rectory of St James, Telford, Shropshire, www.theoldrectoryofstjames.co.uk    
Swan House, Hastings, East Sussex, www.swanhousehastings.co.uk

Small Visitor Attraction of the Year 

Gladstone Pottery Museum, Stoke on Trent, Staffordshire, www.stokemuseums.org.uk
Owl & Monkey Haven, Newport, Isle of Wight, www.owlandmonkeyhaven.co.uk
Stott Park Bobbin Mill, Ulverston, Cumbria, www.english-heritage.org.uk/stottpark
Topsail Charters Ltd, Maldon, Essex, www.topsailcharters.co.uk
The World of James Herriot, Thirsk, North Yorkshire, www.worldofjamesherriot.com
            
Large Hotel of the Year

Chewton Glen Hotel & Spa, New Milton, Hampshire, www.chewtonglen.com
Ellenborough Park, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, www.ellenboroughpark.com
The Manor House Hotel, Moreton-on-the-Marsh, Gloucestershire, www.cotswold-inns-hotels.co.uk
Matfen Hall Hotel, Newcastle upon Tyne, Northumberland, www.matfenhall.com
Peckforton Castle, Tarporley, Cheshire, www.peckfortoncastle.co.uk

Sustainable Tourism Award 

At Bristol Science Centre, Bristol, www.at-bristol.org.uk/
Colton House, Rugeley, Staffordshire, www.coltonhouse.com
The Green House Hotel, Bournemouth, Dorset, www.thegreenhousehotel.com
St Cuthbert’s House, Seahouses, Northumberland, www.stcuthbertshouse.com
Wheatland Farm Eco Lodges, Winkleigh, Devon,www.wheatlandfarm.co.uk

Access for All Tourism Award 

The Bristol Hippodrome, Bristol, www.atgtickets.com/venues/bristol-hippodrome
Eureka! The National Children’s Museum, Halifax, West Yorkshire www.eureka.org.uk
Kernock Cottages, Saltash, Cornwall, www.kernockcottages.com
Sandcastle Waterpark, Blackpool, Lancashire, www.sandcastle-waterpark.co.uk

<<ENDS>>

For media enquiries please contact:

Anna Izza, Head of PR and Communications   Tel: 01772 426 459
Laura Crabb, PR and Communications Executive  Tel: 01772 426 456

Notes to Editors

1.  Marketing Lancashire is the Destination Management Organisation (DMO) for Lancashire, established (1st April 2012).   Our activities in marketing and communications, commercial membership and place marketing are designed to grow the visitor economy and develop the profile of Lancashire as the first choice destination to live, study, work and invest.

In 2013 Lancashire attracted 63 million visitors who contributed around £3.5 billion to the local economy and helped support 56,137 jobs.

2. The Lancashire Tourism Awards is an annual event organised by Marketing Lancashire (DMO for Lancashire) and is open to applications from all businesses in the visitor economy sector. Eligible winners of the Lancashire Tourism Awards then have the opportunity to progress to the Visit England Awards for Excellence to represent Lancashire on a national level,  The Lancashire Tourism Awards (like those of other DMOs) are normally held in the autumn/winter preceeding the national awards that take place the following spring (April/May).