Northumberland strikes gold at VistEngland tourism awards with wins for Serenity Farne Island Boat Tours and Kidlandlee Holiday Cottages

Seahouses-based Serenity won the Experience of the Year category at the VisitEngland Awards for Excellence for its Grey Seal and Seabird Cruise.

Owner Andrew Douglas tweeted: ‘We have just gone and won it. Thanks to all of my staff, this one is for you.”

And Kidlandlee Holiday Cottages, in Harbottle, won the Self-Catering Accommodation of the Year award.

They posted: ‘What an amazing evening and look what we are bringing back to Northumberland!

‘Can’t believe we are Self Catering Holiday Cottages of the year 2023 for England!’

Langley Castle Hotel won a silver award in the Resilience and Innovation category.

Northumberland also saw a fantastic result in NewcastleGateshead’s (NGI) New Adventures project, which achieved silver in the TXGB Trailblazer Award.

Over the last year Visit Northumberland has worked alongside NGI to support the New Adventures project, ensuring that many Northumberland businesses are involved in the project. New Adventures promotes the fantastic experiences that you can enjoy in Newcastle, North Tyneside and Northumberland.

Andrew Fox, chairman of Visit Northumberland said: “A massive congratulations to Serenity Farne Island Boat Tours, Kidlandlee Holiday Cottages, Langley Castle Hotel and New Adventures who all achieved fantastic results.

"Competing against 48 finalists from across the country, this is a huge achievement for Northumberland and shows the excellent standards of service and exceptional experiences the county has to offer. We are thrilled that this has been recognised at a national level.”

The awards, held at Warner Bros. Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter, champion the very best of the country’s tourism industry celebrating quality, innovation, best practice and exceptional customer service.

VisitEngland director Andrew Stokes said: “It is fantastic to come together as an industry to celebrate our world-class tourism businesses. Competition this year was fierce with customer service excellence evident across every category, thanks to the passion and dedication of individuals.

“From an outdoor theatre in Suffolk to a boutique B&B in Essex, from an arboretum museum in Staffordshire, a zoo farm in Bristol, to island boat tours in Northumberland, this year’s awards also showcase the wonderful range of quality tourism products on offer across England.

“I congratulate all the winners and especially those who won gold, an achievement cementing their place as the country’s crème de la crème, standard-bearers for England’s tourism industry.”

Tourism is one of England’s largest and most valuable industries, supporting hundreds of thousands of businesses, employing about 2.6 million people and, in 2019, generating £76 billion in domestic visitor spending.

Winners

Accessible and Inclusive Tourism Award:

GOLD Noah's Ark Zoo Farm, Bristol www.noahsarkzoofarm.co.uk

SILVER Brickhouse Farm Holiday Cottages & Lakeside Hub, Lancashire www.brickhousecottages.co.uk

BRONZE WWT Slimbridge Wetland Centre, Gloucestershire www.wwt.org.uk/wetland-centres/slimbridge

B&B and Guest House of the Year:

GOLD Piglets Boutique B&B, Essex www.piglets.co.uk

SILVER Cedar Manor, Cumbria www.cedarmanor.co.uk

BRONZE Sunnyside Guest House, Merseyside www.sunnysidesouthport.co.uk

Business Events Venue of the Year:

GOLD National Memorial Arboretum, Staffordshire www.thenma.org.uk/hold-your-event/the-aspects-building

SILVER Imago Venues, Leicestershire www.imagovenues.co.uk

BRONZE The ICC Birmingham, West Midlands www.theicc.co.uk

Camping, Glamping and Holiday Park of the Year:

GOLD The Quiet Site, Cumbria www.thequietsite.co.uk

SILVER Brook Meadow, Leicestershire www.brookmeadow.co.uk

BRONZE Hendra Holiday Park, Cornwall www.Hendra-holidays.com

Ethical, Responsible and Sustainable Tourism Award:

GOLD Pure Outdoor, Derbyshire www.pureoutdoor.co.uk

SILVER National Forest EBike Holidays, Leicestershire www.ebikeholiday.co.uk

BRONZE The Cottages at Blackadon Farm, Devon www.cottagesatblackadonfarm.co.uk

Experience of the Year:

GOLD Grey Seal and Seabird Cruise, Serenity Farne Island Boat Tours, Northumberland www.farneislandstours.co.uk

SILVER Make Your Own Gin Experience, Shed 1 Gin Distillery, Cumbria www.shed1distillery.com

BRONZE Peak District Walking Experience, myGuidedWalks, Derbyshire www.myguidedwalks.co.uk

Large Hotel of the Year:

GOLD Titanic Hotel Liverpool, Merseyside www.titanichotelliverpool.com

SILVER Bowood Hotel, Spa and Golf Resort, Wiltshire www.bowood.org/hotel

BRONZE Rockliffe Hall Hotel, Golf & Spa Resort, County Durham www.rockliffehall.com

Large Visitor Attraction of the Year:

GOLD Warner Bros. Studio Tour London - The Making of Harry Potter, Hertfordshire www.wbstudiotour.co.uk

SILVER Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire www.blenheimpalace.com

BRONZE International Bomber Command Centre, Lincolnshire www.internationalbcc.co.uk

New Tourism Business of the Year:

GOLD Thorington Theatre, Suffolk www.thoringtontheatre.co.uk

SILVER Bassenthwaite Lake Station, Cumbria www.bassenthwaitelakestation.com

BRONZE Great British Car Journey, Derbyshire www.greatbritishcarjourney.com

Pub of the Year:

GOLD The Blind Bull, Derbyshire www.theblindbull.co.uk

SILVER The Shoe, Hampshire www.theshoeexton.co.uk

BRONZE The Duncombe Arms, Staffordshire www.duncombearms.co.uk

Resilience and Innovation Award:

GOLD St Luke's Bombed Out Church C.I.C., Merseyside www.slboc.com

SILVER Langley Castle Hotel, Northumberland www.langleycastle.co.uk

BRONZE Healing Manor Hotel, Lincolnshire www.healingmanorhotel.co.uk

Self-Catering Accommodation of the Year:

GOLD Kidlandlee Holiday Cottages, Northumberland www.kidlandlee.co.uk

SILVER The Dovecote Barns, North Yorkshire www.dovecotebarnsyork.co.uk

BRONZE Eaton Manor Country Estate, Shropshire www.eatonmanor.co.uk

Small Hotel of the Year:

GOLD Askham Hall, Cumbria www.askhamhall.co.uk

SILVER THE PIG-at Combe, Devon www.thepighotel.com/at-combe/

BRONZE Wildhive Callow Hall, Derbyshire www.wildhive.uk

Small Visitor Attraction of the Year:

GOLD Watatunga Wildlife Reserve, Norfolk www.watatunga.co.uk

SILVER Muncaster Castle, Gardens and Hawk & Owl Centre, Cumbria www.muncaster.co.uk

BRONZE PK Porthcurno, Cornwall www.pkporthcurno.com

Taste of England Award:

GOLD Pensons Restaurant at the Netherwood Estate, Worcestershire www.pensons.co.uk

SILVER The Unruly Pig, Suffolk www.theunrulypig.co.uk

BRONZE The Glasshouse Restaurant, Hampshire www.oakleyhall-park.com/dine-drink/glasshouse-restaurant/

Unsung Hero Award:

GOLD Michael Wilson, Official Guide to the Kent Estuary, Guide Over Sands Trust, Cumbria

SILVER Marie Colgrave, Welcome Building Supervisor, Whitchurch Silk Mill, Hampshire

BRONZE Carol Adams, Head of Horticulture & Biodiversity, Trentham, Staffordshire

The TXGB Trailblazer Award:

GOLD Red Funnel, Isle of Wight www.redfunnel.co.uk

SILVER New Adventures, Tyne & Wear & Northumberland www.newadventures.org.uk

BRONZE Cotswolds Tourism, Cotswolds www.cotswolds.com

Travel Content Award:

GOLD Alicia Miller, The Independent - How to do a classic Cotswolds weekend, car-free

SILVER Ben Lerwill, National Geographic Traveller - How art and ancient history collide on a hike through Deal, Dover and Folkestone

BRONZE Paul Healy, Anywhere We Roam -A wild getaway in Swaledale – the unspoilt valley in the Yorkshire Dales

Tourism Superstar:Geoff Colvin, Chief Stationmaster, Kent & East Sussex Railway

Outstanding Contribution to Tourism Award:England’s Coast