Yahoo News The 'magical' campsite named best in the North West is a hidden gem in the Lake District
A real hidden gem in the Lake District has just won an impressive accolade in the world of camping.
Parkgate Farm Holidays in Irton was crowned the best in the north west in the 2024 Camping and Glamping Awards, run by Campsites.co.uk. The awards were created to highlight some of the best camping, glamping and touring sites in the UK.
Runners up in the category were another two camping sites in Cumbria - Low Greenside Farm Campsite and Church Stile Farm and Holiday Park. However, Parkgate Farm Holidays didn't just win the top gong.
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They were also named the national winner of the Best Small Campsite award which recognises "small campsites which put the guest experience at the heart of it all, offering a relaxing escape from the crowds," the Manchester Evening News reports.
Parkgate is located 30 minutes from Scafell Pike and a ten minute drive from Seascale in a a certified Dark Skies area, making it perfect for stargazing. The park has nine grass pictures suitable for tents, campervans, caravans and motorhomes, an unfinished pod which sleeps four and three glamping cabins.
The site has a 4.94 star rating on Campsites.co.uk and one guest described it as a "hidden gem".
Another wrote: "I’ve genuinely never stayed on such a clean and well equipped campsite”. One of the campsite’s more unique features is that it’s home to its very own on-site donkeys and sheep, which guests are able to meet and feed carrots to."
The owners of the site have welcomed the awards, after taking it over from a friend. They said "We became involved in 2016 when, due to ill health, our friend Peter Watson was struggling to manage it himself. We worked together to build on what his parents had started years ago - a magical little corner of the Lake District for all to enjoy. Peter was a real character and after his passing in 2020, we have made it our mission to keep that special character alive."
Martin Smith, the founder of Campsites.co.uk, said "Our annual awards give us the opportunity to celebrate the UK's best campsites, and this year's standards feel higher than ever. Each of the winning sites stand out for the care they put into being consistently excellent. My thanks and congratulations to all of the winners for adding some much-needed adventure to everyday life!"
