Posts tagged with "Limefitt"

We do love getting feedback from owners on our parks and sharing it with you, so here’s some recent insight into why some of our owners first decided to buy a holiday home and why we know that now is the best time for you to buy one yourself!

Our Top 5 reasons to buy a holiday home:

1. We’ll pay the VAT on your new caravan

From the 6th of April this year, anyone buying a new holiday caravan will now have to pay VAT at 5 per cent where previously this was not the case. (Remember all the news stories last year about the “pasty tax” and “caravan tax”? – Well, the pasty tax was thrown out, but unfortunately the caravan tax was introduced at 5 per cent from the start of the new tax year). This means that buying one of our most affordable ABI Seashore models will cost almost £1,000 more than it did last year. Or a Willerby Atlanta model will cost almost £4,000 more.

But don’t let this put you off…. as for a limited time only, we’re going to be paying the taxman on your behalf. All you have to do is buy your new caravan before the 31st of May and we’ll pay the VAT for you – saving you thousands of pounds. Trust us, there has never been a better time to buy!

2. Improved lifestyle & family time

This is a no-brainer really isn’t it? If given the choice, who wouldn’t want to have unlimited holidays with their loved ones – whether its your spouse, children, grandchildren or close friends? A holiday almost every weekend of the year? Yes please, where do I sign up!

When we ask our owners why they decided to buy and what the best thing is about owning a holiday home, 99.9% of the time, this is their answer. As Mr & Mrs White from Ocean Edge said: “We’ve really got the best of both worlds and we get to go on holiday every week!”

3. Having the freedom & flexibility to escape

To really get the best out of your holiday home, it pays to keep your travelling time to a minimum so we find that most of our owners live within a couple of hours drive of our parks. This means they can jump in the car whenever the mood takes them and not have to worry about check-in times or the stress, hassle and long waits that go hand in hand with airport travel. Mr & Mrs Murphy visit their home on Todber Park nearly every weekend and as they say: “We can leave home after work and still reach the park in good time and before it gets dark.”

4. Enjoying home from home comforts

We all love going on holiday but who honestly can say that they love (or even like!) the whole packing part? Well, that’s the beauty of owning your own holiday home – it has all the comforts (and sometimes more) of your own home. You can leave your clothes in the wardrobe, PJ’s on the bed, toiletries in the bathroom and food in the kitchen cupboards – and it will all still be there waiting for you the next time you visit. It really does give ‘packing light’ a whole new meaning! “I like having my toiletries, shaving cream, clothes, somewhere where I can go. Just jump in the car and go. Without having to pack everything all the time.” Mr B, Fallbarrow Park

5. Having full use of park facilities

When you buy your own home on a holiday park, you’re buying more than just a place to stay. Many of our parks have leisure facilities including swimming pools that you can use at no extra cost and the on-site bars, restaurants and cafes can be great places to socialise and meet new people. Little ones can join the kids clubs and take part in lots of fun games and activities or just play together in the indoor and outdoor play areas with the added reassurance that they are being well looked after in a secure environment. Miss Shaw from Ocean Edge says: “We have the opportunity to go out and socialise at Ocean Edge and can be comfortable in the knowledge that our son can come and go between the arcade, which he loves, and the club for the entertainment.It’s nice as people remember your faces and you get chatting to them so you can build up new acquaintances through owning a caravan on the park.”

Convinced yet?  Then what are you waiting for? Give us a call to find out more about how you can be our next new owner or visit our homepage to see our current range and prices of homes for sale.  

 

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The Lakeland Sorrento Lodge

The Lakeland Sorrento lodge – just the name itself sounds exotic – and that is indeed the difference with this model. This is not a run of the mill, knock them up and ship them out lodge; this is a quality piece of local workmanship that is in hot demand right now. So much so that the first model ever produced for our parks was snapped up after just two weeks of being for sale.

Oh and did we mention they were local? Another great fact about the Lakeland Sorrento is that it is manufactured by the newly established Lakeland Leisure Homes just down the road from our Head Office at a factory in Milnthorpe.  Lakeland Leisure Homes is the new branch of Lakeland Refurbishment Limited, a company who have been working with South Lakeland Parks for more than eight years providing purpose built decking and refurbishing used caravans and lodges.

Andrew Jenkinson, General Manager at Lakeland Leisure Homes, said: “We’ve been refurbishing lodges over the years and it just got to a stage in the last year where we thought, ‘We could build these ourselves and improve on what has previously been done’.” So enter the Lakeland Sorrento, the first lodge produced by the company, which is soon to be followed by the Lakeland Livorno, Loreto and Firenza. Although based in the heart of Cumbria, the company also has Italian links, which it embraces through the names of their lodges.

Lakeland Leisure Homes are proud of the standard of their work and are keen to stress that they will produce made to order bespoke lodges to suit specific parks and pitches. “If someone is spending that amount of money then it needs to be perfect,” continues Andrew. “We can tailor make lodges to get the most out of the location, whether its changing the windows round to get the best view or just based on a customer’s personal preferences. We can now provide the full package from start to finish.”

So what can we expect from the Lakeland Sorrento? Andrew tries to explain: “It’s difficult to put into words but we go that little bit further with the finishing and the overall thought that goes into the design. Customers can just tell the difference as soon as they go inside. The quality speaks for itself.”

Lakeland Leisure Homes will soon be moving to bigger premises where Andrew says that the working conditions will become even better for their staff. But it’s not just the staff who are benefitting from the recent success of the Sorrento. The company also brings in a number of sub-contractors and craftsmen from the local area thus creating jobs and helping the local economy to prosper.

The Sorrento is the ultimate stylish home, and the 40 x 14 feet model can currently be found on an elevated base at Limefitt Park with breathtaking views out onto Wansfell, over to Kirkstone Pass and into the stunning Troutbeck Valley.

Exterior
The stand out feature of the Sorrento is the large balcony, which is ideal for al fresco dining wherever the location. Although in the model at Limefitt, the balcony decking is south facing making the most of the valley sun. The floor to ceiling bi fold doors open out from the lounge onto the decking.

Lounge
The open plan lounge in the Sorrento is surprisingly spacious, which is the look that the manufacturers are always trying to achieve. The impressive 12 feet Cantilever doors open out to the outside decking and certainly enhance the feeling of extra space, as do the vaulted ceilings leading through to the dining area. The lounge is bright and airy and is flooded with natural light. A feature wall in the lounge has a large recessed television, wall mounted fire and Inglenook niches. Two attractive cream leather sofas and a coffee table complete the room.

Dining area & Kitchen
The dining area and kitchen are open plan to the lounge with vaulted ceilings running continuing with the sense of light and space. The modern four-seater dining table and chairs match the coffee table ensuring design consistency between the lounge and dining area.  The kitchen is striking with fully integrated appliances including slimline dishwasher, tall fridge freezer, and high level built in oven and microwave. The worktops are top quality solid oak and the feature island unit is both attractive and functional complete with a pull up electrical point. A half glazed solid oak door leads out into the hall area.  

Master bedroom
The vaulted ceiling continues into the master bedroom, which is extremely spacious with an abundance of fitted wardrobes and a dressing area complete with full-length mirror. A king sized bed is set against attractive fitted units providing plenty of storage and drawer space. The Sorrento also has solid oak doors, skirting and architrave throughout.

Second bedroom
The second bedroom is next to the lounge and has full size twin beds separated by a bedside table. This room also has good-sized fitted corner wardrobes and is decorated to a very high standard.

Family bathroom
The family bathroom on either side of the two bedrooms is fitted out with the most up to date white fitted bathroom suite including a full size bath with shower over as well as a separate large walk-in shower. The sink has a stylish built in vanity unit for useful storage with a matching mirrored wall unit above it. The Sorrento also has an integrated docking station, which means music can be played into the bathroom as well as through the lounge and master bedroom.  

Interested? Here’s where to find it:
The Lakeland Sorrento can currently be found on Limefitt Park at Troutbeck. To find out more about Lakeland Leisure Homes, call us on 01539 897995 for more information on the Lakeland Sorrento on South Lakeland Park’s.

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It’s important to us that our fronts of house teams at our holiday parks have a wealth of knowledge about attractions and the local area surrounding our parks. So when Windermere based ‘Kankku’ offered us an educational experience of their off road driving tours we were extremely grateful. 
Our front of house teams from White Cross Bay, Fallbarrow Park and Limefitt Park took to the road in early December 2012.



Here’s what they said…
“It was great to have the opportunity to experience what beauty is on our doorstep, as you can sometimes forget working on such a busy park! The instructor was very informative, the set-up very professional and the driving was great fun.”
Katie Lambert, Assistant Park Manager, Fallbarrow Park

“The driving experience with Kankku was a thrilling one in truly lovely scenery and I would feel happy recommending it to our customers.”
Mark Leigh, Office Manager, Limefitt Park

“The driving experience was a fun afternoon out. From the moment we arrived the instructor put everyone at ease and explained everything that we needed to know. The off road tracks are only a short drive from their base in Windermere so the fun quickly begins. Your group takes it in turns to drive over varying degrees of terrain. The experience also gives you the opportunity to take in the beauty of the lakes with some amazing scenery. I was surprised at the places the 4x4 would get too. It was a fun afternoon out and one which I'd love to repeat.”
Mark McGarry, Park Manager, White Cross Bay

Our guide was very knowledgeable and really assertive, he made the experience enjoyable and we all felt very safe in his capable hands.  The first thing he said to us when we got in the vehicle was, ‘I want you to forget everything you know about driving and drive how I tell you to drive!’ Overall – an excellent experience, great company and would definitely recommend the experience to our holidaymakers!”
Anthony Bottomley, Holiday Reservations Advisor

Kankku off road driving adventures take place on wild off-road trail routes in the Lake District National Park.

For more information and to book call Kankku direct on 015394 47414.
www.kankku.co.uk

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Well it might have felt like a long time coming but today is the day that most of our parks are reopening again for the 2013 season!

We’ve already given you a flavour of what goes on behind the scenes when we’re closed and now we’re back, with shiny new improvements and full of enthusiasm to welcome you all from today and throughout the rest of the year.

If you are arriving today, you’re in for a treat! It’s the first day of Spring, the sun has been shining in the North West all week, and the forecast looks good for the weekend. If you’re on Regent Park, then make sure you come along to our ‘Welcome Back Party Night’ tomorrow where we’re all going be dusting off our dance shoes and boogying 80’s style to the Agadoo with our special guests, Black Lace. They’re guaranteed to get the party going with a real swing!

Also keep an eye out for our new mascot, Buzz the Bumbaloo who will be officially revealed to our Regent guests for the first time at the party. We know that he’s already been practicing his dance moves and is out to impress you all! He’s also the star of our new ‘Rascal’s’ indoor soft play area as his face is adorned all over the walls. We’ve also got a new indoor multi sports court but we’re sure most of you will be outside making the most of the sunshine whilst its here!

Whichever park you’re on this weekend, welcome back! Have a great time and be sure to share some of your fun times, feedback and photos with us on our facebook pages. We’ve missed you all!

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Our BIGGEST Ever Holiday Sale*

Any park, any accommodation, anytime!

South Lakeland Holidays have today launched their BIGGEST EVER SALE with Short breaks from as little as £7 per person per night!

This huge saving applies to all 3, 4 and 7 night breaks when booking online or through our Call Centre before the end of January 2013. Choose from a range of holiday accommodation from caravans and lodges to cosy cottages.

South Lakeland Holidays have a choice of 6 fantastic HOLIDAY PARKS in Morecambe, the Ribble Valley and the Lake District. Take advantage of our low deposit offer and pay only £50 to secure your booking.

Book your perfect holiday today!

Perfect moments make perfect holidays so start planning your 2013 holiday today!
Call our friendly Call Centre 015395 69835

Visit www.slholidays.co.uk

*Terms and conditions apply. See www.slholidays.co.uk/terms

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We set off to Glasgow on a gloomy Thurs night, and travelled up to the SECC our home for the next 2 days. We were exhibiting at the 50+ Show and myself and my colleagues, Ant and Hannah were unsure of what to expect?

We were pleasantly surprised when we arrived to set up as there were a vast variety of exhibitors, from Estee Lauder to Visit Blackpool, from Dental Holidays to Sponsor a Guide Dog.  As ever we were excited and keen to see if the show would be as successful as the organizers promoted it would be.



And the quick answer is yes, on the first day, the queues formed outside at 10am for the grand opening and they were welcomed with a piper and his bagpipes (how apt being in Glasgow). Within 20 minutes we were rushed off our feet with people interested in our holiday parks. It later turned out that people had to continue to wait outside as the hall was at its full capacity! The show was a fantastic day out for people, as there was something for everyone, throughout the day there were cooking demonstrations by a TV Chef, the opportunity to have a little dance, either ballroom, salsa or a spot of line dancing, there were seminars held by Prudential and other legal advisors and also a climbing wall, which kept us entertained on both days watching people try to climb to the top to ring the bell, people of all ages!!

Glasgow did not disappoint we met some lovely people and enjoyed our 2 days exhibiting, so much so we are now exhibiting at the same event in Manchester on the 1st and 2nd of March.

All in all a good couple of days away!

Katie Wilson (Holiday Reservations Supervisor)

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Janet and Alan Scott from Haslingden in Lancashire were first introduced to South Lakeland Parks when they bought a caravan on White Cross Bay. Almost four years later and now after trading in two lodges on Limefitt to buy one of the new Cambrian Plantation models, (still on Limefitt but now on the plot that they’ve always wanted) they’re not planning on moving anywhere else. “We’re just over the moon with our new holiday home and the plot was the clincher for us.” says Janet.



But it won’t just be the Scott’s who will be enjoying the benefits of their new lodge, as they are just one of the  any owners that take advantage of South Lakeland Parks’ subletting scheme. “Alan was reluctant at first,” said Janet, “especially with this new model as he said it was too nice to let out. But we’ve been successfully subletting for a couple of years now with our last two lodges and I just love sharing them with people! Janet even wanted to keep hold of one of their old lodges but Alan wanted a new, improved model that they would use more often. “To be honest, he was right,” Janet continues, “since we got this new one, we’ve been here practically every weekend as it’s a novelty for us and we even managed a full week away in June.”

Despite having only upgraded recently, some holidaymakers have already been sampling the delights of the Scotts’ new holiday home with comments such as ‘Wow!’ and ‘Fantastic!’ gracing the visitors book. “Last year, we probably let the two lodges out for about 20 weeks in total but obviously this year it will be less with just having one lodge and also using it ourselves. However next year I’m sure we’ll be concentrating more on lettings so will probably then let it out for alternate weeks.”

Through South Lakeland Parks’ subletting scheme, it is possible to bring in a decent amount of money that can provide a whole new source of income at a time when, if you read the papers and listen to the news, we are all struggling financially. “We’ve got a 3-bed lodge this time so it should bring in more money for us,” confirms Janet. “But what we earned last year meant that Alan could cut down to working just four days a week as the  money from subletting more than covered what was lost in wages.”

For anyone considering subletting, Janet says that just being able to let the lodge out over the main six weeks of the summer is enough to cover the annual outlay on the park – the fees, gas and electricity, as well as taking care of things like extra bedding that’s needed when homes are regularly let out. However, the group’s subletting scheme brings more than just money. “It gives you peace of mind”, Janet says. “Any cleaning or maintenance problems are immediately dealt with, and for the holidaymakers, there is always someone on site to handle any problems when you’re miles away.”



But not that many miles away - it takes Janet and Alan around an hour and a half to reach Limefitt from their home in Haslingden and they like nothing better than just being able to take off for the weekend whenever they feel like it. They’ve had a holiday home for just over four years and wish they had done it sooner. “We were always apprehensive,” Janet remarks, “and said ‘what if we don’t like it and then what if we don’t use it so it will be a waste of money.’ But not at all - once you know you’ve got it, you can just take off at any time and in under two hours, you’re there!”

Although the couple enjoyed having their caravan on White Cross Bay, it was Limefitt Park that really suited them best. “We love the tranquility,” says Janet. “It’s just so peaceful and you can feel it as soon as you walk on the park. It’s as if all your stresses just disappear into the wide-open spaces. We’ve seen the red deer so many times and the dog field is a bonus for our little Jack Russell, Amber. Also the staff are just brilliant and it’s good to know that there is someone you can contact day or night.”

Most of the time, people tend to buy a holiday home with pre-intentions of letting it out but the Scott’s just fell into subletting by accident and hadn’t really ever considered it when they made their purchase. “It had never really entered our heads to be honest,” says Janet, “and the lodge was originally, and certainly still is, an escape for us. I think maybe someone just asked me about it once so we made some enquiries and now I just want everyone to be able to share it.”

Janet is constantly promoting the benefits of owning a holiday home on Limefitt and encouraging more people to consider subletting. “I just think that everyone should do it,” Janet explains. “Many of the lodges are reasonably priced and subletting can pay your site fees so you’ve no outlay. Not only that, subletting our lodge has enabled us to semi-retire, and then hopefully retire soon, which will free up a lot more of our time and change our lifestyle for the better. The lodges are also a lifestyle investment for your family and somewhere for your family and friends to be able to enjoy quality time together. I’ve already talked some friends into having a look at some lodges on Limefitt as I’ve been recommending them for ages – and not just for the referral bonus!”

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Olympic effort by all as relay challenge raises more than £6,000 for CancerCare

Staff at North West holiday park company, South Lakeland Parks has raised an impressive £6,369 for local charity CancerCare after taking part in an alternative Torch Relay through the heart of the Lancashire and Cumbrian countryside.



More than 30 of the group’s staff including Managing Director, Nigel Wimpenny and even the parks’ mascots raised the money by staging a relay between their 10 Lancashire and Lake District locations last month.

In keeping with the topical Olympic theme, staff ran, cycled, swam, rowed, canoed and even rode a horse between the parks covering more than 106 miles over a two-day period through some fairly challenging weather conditions. 

A support crew cheered them on during the route and collected bucket loads of donations whilst passing through cities and towns including Lancaster, Morecambe and Windermere.

Holiday home owners and holidaymakers came out in strong numbers to support the relay with one park, the 4-star Ocean Edge Park in Heysham raising more than £1,000 for the charity. This was helped in part by the efforts of the park’s Assistant Manager, Vicki Jones who did her bit by swimming 180 lengths – the equivalent of two miles - in the indoor swimming pool in an hour and forty minutes.

The charity relay got underway at the group’s southern-most park at Todber in the Ribble Valley on Wednesday 20th June and finished the following day. The final leg was completed by canoe between the two Windermere lakeside parks, White Cross Bay and Fallbarrow by MD Nigel Wimpenny just before the official Olympic Torch came through the town.



Nigel said: “I am hugely proud of the efforts of all the staff who took part in the relay. The enthusiasm shown at the outset and throughout was heartening and the support we received along the way really gave us the extra push we needed to keep going – especially on the second day when we were handicapped by the Lake District weather!

“We are delighted with everyone’s generosity, which has seen us more than double our original target for CancerCare. The work that they do with cancer sufferers and their families in the local area is at times superhuman and in our eyes, there was no worthier a cause to donate to.”

Lynne Stafford, Chief Executive at CancerCare also got involved by running the last leg of the first day from Hawthorne Park in Morecambe to Ocean Edge in Heysham.

She said: “I had a great time taking part in the relay and even managed a personal best time of 2 miles in 16 minutes. Being able to get out of the office to see the enthusiasm of the people that take part in fundraising activities is such a special part of the job and they should all be applauded for their exertions over the two days.

“For the team to have raised over £6,000 is just absolutely fantastic and will make such a difference to CancerCare. We can continue our valuable role of helping local people whose lives are affected by cancer.”

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The David Bellamy Awards and what they mean to us

Every year each of our parks are independently assessed by experts from the David Bellamy Conservation Award scheme on behalf of the British Holiday & Home Parks Association. It is one of the longest running green tourism awards in the UK and Gold, Silver and Bronze Awards are given out to recognise the work the parks do to protect the environment.

We’re delighted to report that now seven of our nine parks have managed to achieve Gold Award status, the top accolade awarded by the scheme and we will continue to invest in our parks to ensure that we maintain these high standards in future years. Protecting the environment and overall corporate social responsibility is an important part of our day to day business at South Lakeland Parks and is intrinsic in our values as a responsible company.

Our two parks with Bronze Awards, Regent and Ocean Edge have made great strides in recent years as has been highlighted by the positive acknowledgments of the scheme’s assessors. Ongoing investment in landscaping, tree planting and gardening as well as aesthetical improvements such as picnic benches and external decorating have taken place during the Winter.

But there is a lot more to the Conservation Award scheme than just looking after the greenery of the Parks. The assessors also review our progress on energy, water and use of other resources; reducing, reusing and recycling of waste and what we do to support our local communities.

As Mr Bellamy says: “The best holiday parks are mini nature reserves and are helping to drive Britain’s green tourism revolution.” So you can relax in your homes safe in the knowledge that South Lakeland Parks remain committed to being at the forefront of environmental and sustainability excellence.

Here is what our assessors said on their last inspections:
Fallbarrow Holiday Park
“The entrance area at Fallbarrow is particularly attractive and there always appears a great change when entering, between the hustle and bustle outside and the relative peace and calm inside. The working together of all concerned has evolved the park to the high standard that it is. This is a credit to all concerned.”
Result: Gold Award

Gatebeck Holiday Park
“Gatebeck is an extremely pleasant and environmentally friendly park. It is extremely well screened and there is much evidence of strong links with the local community. There is plenty of evidence of the activities of mammals, birds and insects within the area of the park together with a splendid array of wild flowers. Gatebeck residents over the years all say the same thing – the peace, the wildlife and the way the park is run contributes greatly to their wellbeing and enjoyment.”
Result: Gold Award

Hawthorne Holiday Park
“Tucked away down a sleepy lane in the Lancashire countryside Hawthorne Park is a little oasis for its customers. It is secluded, well hidden and has almost no impact on the local landscape. The park has benefitted from significant investment over the past 12 months with new sewage systems, a new play area and the surfacing of access roads. All of these have improved the park significantly.”
Result: Gold Award

Marina Holiday Park
“Marina is an attractive park located by the Lancaster canal close to the village of Galgate. It has the feel of a self contained community with strong familiarity amongst customers and staff. The park is extremely well screened and low level lighting ensures minimal light pollution. Traffic control is excellent and there is a general feel of peace and quiet on the park. Very attractive floral displays create an excellent first impression.”
Result: Gold Award

Limefitt Holiday Park
“Limefitt has changed quite dramatically over the years yet retained its character – a park set in superb Lakeland valley scenery, keeping its old buildings and of course its position alongside the fast flowing Troutbeck. The overhaul of waste and recycling arrangements has taken place and been so successful that the amount of unrecycled items has been significantly reduced. The park now recycles used printer cartridges and any old mobile phones – this to support the Roy Castle Cancer Foundation.”
Result: Gold Award

Todber Holiday Park
“Huge improvements have been made at Todber since the last assessment. The Park should be commended for their achievements. The development on the higher levels is stunning. Some great work has been undertaken since the last assessment with some valuable planting schemes of native species of hedges which have added great aesthetic and conservation value to park.”
Result: Gold Award

White Cross Bay Leisure Park
“It was encouraging to see the improvements that have taken place at White Cross Bay in recent years. The park has matured and there was and continues to be, an obvious desire to do everything possible to improve the place for the benefit of the environment and park users. From the park entrance to lakeside shore, thanks to the planning and work undertaken, much of White Cross Bay is green and inviting; a good deal of planting up has taken place.”
Result: Gold Award

Regent Leisure Park
“Regent Park is a popular holiday home park which has had a number of physical improvements since the last assessment. New landscaping has greatly enhanced the park and an excellent reception area with stunning floral displays makes visitors welcome on arrival.”
Result: Bronze Award

Ocean Edge Leisure Park
“Ocean Edge has seen some investment since the last assessment with touring caravans stopped in favour of holiday homes and with that change has come favourable improvements in landscaping. The park’s prime coastal views and the wildlife are a valuable asset and the park has really begun to improve physically.”
Result: Bronze Award

 

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There are so many things to see and do in the Lake District that sometimes you could be spoilt for choice. In an effort to help you make up your mind, We are planning to highlight some of the attractions near some of our parks. For this issue we dispatched Matt Hartnett and Heather Clough off to Brockhole, the Lake District Visitor Centre.

They report: “We arrived by car and the first things we immediately noticed were the wonderful scenic views and the beautiful gardens which stretch right down to the shores of Windermere. Further investigation quickly revealed that there is loads to do.

There is an adventure playground, a new crazy golf area and 20 acres of garden and woodland to admire and explore. Boat hire is available for a trip around the lake and a new pier.

Inside the imposing house there are always exhibitions to enjoy and to inspire. We enjoyed Rugged Reflections, History of the Lakes as well as touch screen computer games. There is a café which serves good food, most of which has been freshly prepared and locally sourced. There is also a wide range of cakes and sandwiches on sale.



We enjoyed a refreshing cup of tea on the terrace enjoying the splendid views and later we found a bench where we had our picnic with the sun on our backs. Nearby children were enjoying the adventure playground.

Whilst we travelled to Brockhole by car, owners can walk from Limefitt, White Cross Bay and Fallbarrow. Entry to the house, grounds and lakeshore is free. There is free WiFi, but parking charges apply.

Brockhole is a not-for-profit attraction run by the Lake District National Park Authority. All profits go towards its upkeep. There are various events throughout the year so it is best to visit http://www.brockhole.co.uk/ Whats on to see what is on.

The visitor centre is open all year round (except Christmas Day) and opens at 10am till 5pm while the gardens open 8am to 6pm.

We will definitely be going back as there is so much more to explore.

The Lake District Visitor Centre at Brockhole is located just off the A591 between Windermere and Ambleside. 015394 46601 www.lakedistrict.gov.uk

Rating: 4 out of 5.
Review by Matt Hartnett,
South Lakeland Parks website Co-ordinator

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Park Life the Magazine for Owners at South Lakeland Parks ...

It may have flown by but we at South Lakeland Parks have come a long way in 6 years. With the 3rd edition of 'Park Life'  now ready this is what can be found in our latest edition of Park Life;

- Owners' Inbox - Competition, letters, Owner feeback
- New Developments for 2012
- David Bellamy Awards - What they mean to us.
- Charity News
- Exclusive Owner Events
- Attraction Review - Blackpool Tower
- Manufacture's review - ABI Seashore
- Owners Discount Vouchers - with great savings on local attractions.
- What's On
- Plus much more

So to view the magazine CLICK HERE

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This is a very short walk but one which should never be rushed. It should be done in the summer and at that time you will see plenty.
This stroll begins in the centre of Windermere close to the A591 and below the Windermere Hotel, the bus stop, Booths Supermarket and the railway station. There are plenty of places to eat but Orrest Head on a nice day is the perfect place for a good picnic.

Map OS L96 or OL7
Grid reference: 412 989
Length of walk: 1.5 miles
Time: You could do it in an hour but you may want to take a little longer than that.

Route
1 - Find a sign on the road seen from the parking area indicating Orrest Head. This is only a few yards and bears left into lovely woodlands. Follow the track through the woods and continue to a junction and turn right. At this time of the year, the woodland flowers, trees and birdsong are at their very best and on the day of my visit I watched pied flycatchers catching insects in flight and taking beakfulls to their nests to feed their young.
Here is a lane with a stony floor and contained between walls which must be very old as they are covered in moss as well as plants such as ferns, herb robert and ivy-leaved toad flax.

The route now bears left and here you begin the climb towards Elleray Bank.

2 - Look out here to see what is left of a kitchen garden which once fed the inhabitants of the estate of Elleray House. The mix of native and introduced plants are open areas close to woodland has proved ideal for butterflies and on the day of my visit I watched several species including Comma, Peacock and Red Admiral. On hot days photographing butterflies is hard work but early in the morning it is easy. Butterflies are cold blooded and in the early morning they spread their wings wide on the surface of flowers and let the sunlight warm them up.

3 - Rhododenrons thrive in this area and follow the meandering path up towards Elleray Bank. There are splendid views down to the left and the route then begins to level out and leaves the trees, dominated by Scots Pine and enters a lovely little lane. Follow this lane until a kissing gate is reached.



4 - Pass through this gate and climb for a short distance to reach the summit of Orrest Head. Look for an inscribed stone dated to 1902 and celebrating the fact that the Heywood family gave the area to the people of Windermere. I would add that it is not just a treat for the people of Windermere but for all of us because here is one of the best views in the whole of Cumbria. All this in just over a mile from the town centre which can easily be reached by public transport. I always picnic here and enjoy a view over the whole of Windermere water and on a clear day, Morecambe Bay can be seen as well as the Langdale Pikes, Scafell Pike, Coniston Old Man and many of our hills and mountains.

5 - From the Orrest Head view I am always reluctant to start the descent leading to the starting point, but there is still much to see, but Elleray Woods has other gems on offer. Apart from a picnic I always carry a little flower book because the variety of plants here is wide and attracts birds and butterflies. A little hand lens and a light pair of binoculars always com in handy. An obvious track leads to the road and the starting point.

Most of us use our cars to reach the starting point for walks, but it is good that this one can be reached by both bus and train.

NB: Restrictions on space mean that this article provides a general summary of the route. It is advisable for anyone who plans to follow the walk to take a copy of the relevant Ordnance Survey map.

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