Enjoy England's Awards for Excellence: iVillage
It's not just films and stars that win Oscars! Sometimes places are just as deserving. Organised by VisitBritain and sponsored by The Caravan Club, the tourism 'Oscars' recognise the best places to stay and visit in England. Find out more about the winners, and make sure you visit these great destinations this year!
Bed and Breakfast of the Year
And the winner is The Salty Monk in Sidmouth - a 16th century restaurant with rooms, that takes its name from its history as a salt house used by Benedictine Monks. Set in the beautiful Devonshire countryside, The Salty Monk offers five individually furnished rooms and contemporary English cuisine, and prides itself on using only the freshest ingredients supplied from the West Country, where possible. Diners will be seated in the light and airy dining room overlooking the award-winning gardens.
The judges commented: The Salty Monk 'represents a new breed of English B&B offering all-round excellent cuisine and very high quality accommodation'.
For more information, go to www.thesaltymonk.biz or call, 01395 513174
Small Hotel of the Year
The Devonshire Arms, a country house hotel and spa set on the Bolton Abbey Estate in the beautiful Yorkshire Dales claimed this award. Originally a coaching inn dating back over 350 years, the Devonshire Arms is surrounded by open parkland stretching down to the River Wharfe and has evolved over the centuries becoming a stylish place to stay. The hotel has undergone an impressive redecoration programme to its rooms and suites as well as refurbishments to its health spa, restaurant and bar.
Awards judges commented that the hotel displayed: 'outstanding hospitality and personal service which continues to exceed guests? expectations'.
For more information, go to www.thedevonshirearms.co.uk, or call 01756 710441
Taste of England Award
Fifteen Cornwall located in Watergate Bay is the winner of this year's award. Opened in 2006, the restaurant offers an innovative menu of the best seasonal and local produce, talented chefs and spectacular views over a beautiful two-mile beach. Fifteen Cornwall was commended for its huge contribution to the local and regional economy by making full use of the abundance of high quality local food producers in the region and providing disadvantaged young people the opportunity to become trainee-chefs. All profits from Fifteen Cornwall go to the registered charity - The Cornwall Foundation of Promise.
For more information, go to www.fifteencornwall.co.uk, or call 01637 861 000
Small Visitor Attraction
The Roald Dahl Museum in Buckinghamshire is the winner of Small Visitor Attraction of the Year (fewer than 100,000 visitors per year). The Roald Dahl Museum was established in 2001 with the aim of setting up a centre to tell Roald Dahl's life story, to care for his archive and to promote a love of creative writing in everyone. The great little family-friendly museum features an interactive story centre and two fun, fact-packed biographical galleries to spark the imaginations of 6 to 12 year olds and their families. In particular, the museum was praised for its free story-telling sessions motivating and inspiring young children to examine their own creative potential.
For more information, go to www.roalddahlmuseum.org, or call 01494 892192
Large Hotel of the Year
Chewton Glen wins this award. Located on the edge of the New Forest National Park in Hampshire, Chewton Glen is a five-star country house hotel and spa priding itself on its heritage. All bedrooms and suites have been individually designed and decorated to provide the ultimate in luxury and comfort with unique antique furnishings and contemporary textiles. The hotel is also committed to the environment - in addition to introducing energy saving measures, The Marryat Restaurant offers a variety of dishes made from fresh, local produce.
The judges commented that: 'Chewton Glen displays excellence at every level with an amazing attention to detail and its commitment to sustainability shows the way forward for large hotels'.
For more information, go to www.chewtonglen.co.uk, or call 01425 275341
Self-Catering Holiday of the Year
Two finalists were presented with 'Gold' awards for this category - Stone Cottage in The Lake District (shown here) and The Mill Granary in Lower Teesdale, Co. Durham.
Stone Cottage is a boutique five-star cottage located at the heart of some of the best walking country in the Lake District National Park in the tiny hamlet of Deepdale, near Ullswater. An extensive refurbishment programme has uncovered many original features creating a chic cottage, which feels at home in its glorious Lakeland setting. Stone Cottage sleeps six plus cot, and special extras can be arranged on request including a private chef service.
Situated in peaceful, wide-open countryside with spectacular views, The Mill Granary offers two luxurious, converted stone-built granary cottages, with one sleeping up to ten people plus cots. Both properties have been tastefully restored retaining many original features whilst incorporating the best modern facilities.
Best Tourism Experience Award
This award recognises both ongoing and one-off events, and this year's winner is the Sunderland International Airshow, the largest free airshow in Europe, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year.
Awards judges applauded the organisers for achieving over one million visitors in 2007 including a very high number of repeat numbers. With high-speed jets, breathtaking national and international display teams including jet fighters, helicopters and aerobatic teams, and a massive choice of activities on the ground, the show provides an action-packed weekend for all the family.
This year's show is on Saturday 26 July 08 - Sunday 27 July. For more information, www.sunderland-airshow.com, or call 0191 553 2006
Large Visitor Attraction
Both the Imperial War Museum Duxford and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, were awarded 'Gold' in this category (more than 100,000 visitors per year).
Once a working airfield in the First and Second World Wars, The Imperial War Museum Duxford offers an authentic and exciting show to visits. A good combination of enthusiastic volunteers alongside museum staff also offer great technical detail. The attraction boasts an enormous events programme and a new extensive interactive gallery with an outstanding collection of aircraft as part of the £25 million Airspace exhibition.
From its beginnings as a building housing a small collection of objects bought by the government from the Great Exhibition of 1851, the Victoria and Albert Museum has grown into a world-class attraction. The V&A offers advanced interpretation services and has also created greater onsite access to the museum collection database making it accessible to a wide range of visitors.
Sustainable Tourism Award
Two finalists - Strattons Hotel and Restaurant in Norfolk and The Cottage Lodge in Brockenhurst, New Forest _ received a 'Gold Award' in the new Sustainable Tourism Award of the Year category.
Located a minute's walk from the historic market town of Swaffham, Strattons Hotel is a classical, elegant Queen Anne villa, with an award-winning restaurant offering fresh, locally-produced seasonal food. The luxurious boutique hotel has been quietly working to reduce its impact on the environment since its opening in 1990 notably by monitoring water consumption, recording waste streams and using organic produce wherever possible. Despite significant increases in occupancy, the total waste produced has dropped steadily from just under 10 tonnes five years ago to under 5 tonnes today - a particularly great achievement for a small hotel.
The Cottage Lodge is an AA five-star beamed 17th Century Forester's Cottage and B&B set in the New Forest National Park, which cares passionately about its impact and strives to reduce its waste, pollution, carbon and environmental impact. All breakfast ingredients are supplied from the Forest and Fair Trade products are used where no local product is available; rooms are cleaned with environmentally-friendly products and the owners encourage wildlife into the garden. The lodge also works creatively to educate guests during their stay and offers tea and cakes to anyone arriving by train.
