The Great British Park Off 2016
On Saturday 28th May, Britain’s favourite holiday park, Park Foot, Cumbria, celebrated its well-deserved title as Towergate’s Great British Park Off 2016 winner. 8000 of you voted as we sought to find Britain’s favourite holiday park. Here are our top three: our winner, Park Foot; Sandy Balls Holiday Village; and Wooda Farm Holiday Park.
Set amongst beautiful, unspoilt countryside, Park Foot has been run by the same family since they decided to open a café in 1903. The park accommodates touring caravans, tents and motorhomes. It also offers other accommodation in the form of holiday cottages and lodges. Its wide range of activities and facilities ensure that there’s something for guests of all ages – from boat hire to pony trekking.
The weather was perfectly sunny, magnifying the already breathtakingly beautiful Lake District landscape – the best of British weather for the best park in Britain! Over 500 attended the celebratory Fun Day, with highlights including a barbecue, bouncy castles, a climbing wall, archery, a laser quest maze, a glitter tattoo stall, circus activities, a rodeo bull and much more!
Towergate representative, Emma Watson (Head of Marketing, Towergate Cheltenham) presented Park Foot with a winner’s plaque and cheque for £1,000 and the lucky winner of our caravan giveaway, Joseph Eden, was handed the keys to his new caravan!
The Cheltenham team had a great day and we encourage any keen campers to visit Britain’s favourite holiday park. More photos of the day can be seen here. A mention should also be made of our two runners up: Sandy Balls of the New Forest, Hampshire and Wooda Farm Holiday Park of Cornwall. A complete list of Britain's top ten holiday parks of 2016 can be found here.
Thank you to everyone who took part by nominating and/or voting for their favourite holiday park – until next year!

Park Foot, Ullswater, Cumbria
Situated on the banks of Lake Ullswater in the beautiful Lake District, Park Foot offers endless possibilities when it comes to breath-taking scenery and water-based activities. With direct access to Lake Ullswater, the park offers free launching facilities for guests, boat hire and plenty of fishing. For those who prefer land-based activities, there’s an onsite pony trekking centre, bicycle hire, a tennis court, a club house, and much more…
Accommodation
- Touring
- Camping
- Lodges
- Cottages
Activities
- Horse riding
- Sailing
- Fishing
- Tennis
Facilities
- Lakeside beach
- Cycle hire
- Wi-Fi
- Shop on site
- Electric hook-up
- Games room
- Club house
- Play area
Nearby attractions
- Golf
- The Lake District
- The Eden Valley
- Ullswater Steamers
- Aira Force waterfalls
- Askham outdoor swimming pools
- Lowther Castle and gardens
- Penrith leisure centre
- The Dalemain Estate
- Walby Farm Park
- Helvellyn (England’s third-highest peak)
Visit their website at: www.parkfootullswater.co.uk

Sandy Balls Holiday Village, New Forest, Hampshire
Beautiful and family friendly, Sandy Balls Holiday Village is set in the ancient New Forest National Park where ponies and wild pigs roam free. Sandy Balls has been welcoming guests for almost 100 years – so they’re definitely doing something right! With accommodation ranging from luxury woodland lodges, to touring pitches, to camping pods - and an extensive activity list, Sandy Balls has something for everyone.
Accommodation
- Lodges (variety)
- Camping
- Touring
- Safari tents
- Camping pods
- Caravans
Activities
- Forest walks
- Horse riding
- Alpaca walk
- Junior fencing
- Owl and raptor encounter
- Forest caching
- Archery
- Woodland survival
- Jet skis
- Falconry experience
Facilities
- Café, restaurant and pub
- Indoor and outdoor swimming pools
- Entertainment
- Bike hire
- Gym and fitness classes
- Jacuzzi and sauna
- Shop
- Beauty salon
- Indoor soft play for children
- Outdoor adventure playground
- Wi-Fi (in certain areas)
Nearby attractions
- Motor Museum, Beaulieu
- Bournemouth beaches
- Bucker’s Hard village
- Marwell Zoo
- Oceanarium
- Ringwood Brewery Tour
- Longdown Activity Farm
- Peppa Pig World
- Adventure Wonderland Theme Park
Visit their website at: www.sandyballs.co.uk

Wooda Farm Holiday Park, Bude, Cornwall
Situated on the border between Devon and Cornwall and just a mile away from the seaside resort town of Bude, Wooda Farm Holiday Park offers a plethora of on-site activities and a range of local attractions - although the perfectly manicured, individual screened pitches may make you reluctant to leave! If you’re still not raring to go: there’s archery, a fitness suite and tennis court (and much more) – and with private bathrooms available for hire, it’s the perfect site for families with young children.
Accommodation
- Holiday homes
- Cottages
- Touring
- Camping
Activities
- Woodland walk and nature trail
- Farm animals
- Tractor and trailer rides
- Pitch ‘n’ Putt
- Fishing
- Surfing
- Canoeing
- Archery
Facilities
- Tennis court
- Games and television room
- Fitness suite
- Bar and grill
- Wi-Fi
Nearby attractions
- Bude
- Beachs
- Dartmoor
- Harlequinns Leisure
- The Big Sheep
- Cornwall’s Crealy Great Adventure Park
- The Tamar Otter Sanctuary
- The Milky Way
- Trethorne Leisure Farm
- The Eden Project
- Newquay Zoo
- The Blue Reef Aquarium
Visit their website at: www.wooda.co.uk
This is a marketing article by Towergate Insurance.
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Towergate's Emma Watson (Head of Marketing, Cheltenham) and representatives from Towergate's Cheltenham office present Park Foot with the Great British Park Off's winner's plaque - Great British Park Off Fun Day, Park Foot, May 2016
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The Park Foot team - Great British Park Off Fun Day, Park Foot, May 2016
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Park Foot owners, Evelyn and Jimmy Allen - Great British Park Off Fun Day, Park Foot, May 2016
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Towergate's Emma Watson (Head of Marketing, Cheltenham) and Park Foot owners, Jimmy and Evelyn Allen - Great British Park Off Fun Day, Park Foot, May 2016
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Joseph Eden and his new caravan - Great British Park Off Fun Day, Park Foot, May 2016
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Representatives from Towergate's Cheltenham office present Joseph Eden with the keys to his new caravan - Great British Park Off Fun Day, Park Foot, May 2016
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A family enjoy the day - Great British Park Off Fun Day, Park Foot, May 2016
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Young boys enjoying the climbing wall - Great British Park Off Fun Day, Park Foot, May 2016
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A family and their dogs enjoy the day - Great British Park Off Fun Day, Park Foot, May 2016
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Young girl doing archery - Great British Park Off Fun Day, Park Foot, May 2016
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Boy on the bucking bronco - Great British Park Off Fun Day, Park Foot, May 2016