Category: News

Cumbria Tourism teams up with Booths to reward local residents

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Local residents and workers are set to receive a reward with a difference, thanks to a brand new partnership being unveiled today (Monday 20 January 2020) between Booths and Cumbria Tourism’s popular ‘MyCumbria’ scheme.

MyCumbria recognises the important role that residents play in supporting the county’s thriving tourism economy and has unveiled a new long-term residents’ offer from the renowned local retailer, which gives £3 off to shoppers when they spend £30 across any of eight specific Booths stores. That includes Penrith, Windermere, Keswick, Kirkby Lonsdale, Kendal, Ulverston and Milnthorpe in Cumbria, alongside Carnforth in North Lancashire.

MyCumbria cards are produced by Cumbria Tourism and are available for anyone who lives or works in a CA or LA postcode area. Booths now joins more than 250 unique residents’ offers for a wide range of pubs, cafes, restaurants, tourist attractions, retailers and transport providers throughout the county.

Managing Director of Cumbria Tourism, Gill Haigh, says, “Cumbria Tourism’s role is to support our £3billion visitor economy. The MyCumbria scheme is all about recognising and rewarding the people who live and work here too.  We are absolutely delighted that Booths are now offering this special deal, which shoppers won’t find anywhere else and is aimed at rewarding residents for the role they play in our local communities. As well as providing great savings for individuals, the card is also a practical way for residents to support local jobs and businesses.”

Regional Manager for Booths, Richard Ford, says ‘’With seven stores dotted around Cumbria, Booths is home to countless traditional specialties that have given the region its reputation for fantastic food and drink.

“Partnering with MyCumbria to reward local residents is a natural move for Booths as we’re committed to serving the local communities in which we operate. This is an exclusive offer which we hope will allow our customers to enjoy some of the very best food and drink the region has to offer whilst benefitting from a special discount they won’t be able to get elsewhere.”

To redeem the offer, the shopper should show their MyCumbria card along with a form of ID at the checkout.

The offer is not available to Booths colleagues or in conjunction with any other offer and cannot be redeemed against purchases of fuel, mobile top ups, gift cards, baby milk and any purchases from the kiosk (including tobacco, lottery and stamps). It cannot be used on a self-check-out or on Click & Collect pre-orders, and there is no cash alternative.

For more information about buying a MyCumbria card, contact: 01539 822222 / info@mycumbriacard.co.uk

Trophy time for trailblazing tourism businesses

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Who will be the tourism trailblazers leading the way in the new decade? World-class businesses from across Cumbria’s £3billion tourism industry are being urged to showcase their stand-out success stories, with the launch of the Cumbria Tourism Awards 2020.

The search is now on to find out who’s setting the standard in a world-renowned visitor economy which supports 63,000 jobs across the county.  With a reputation as the ‘Oscars’ of the tourism sector, the Cumbria Tourism Awards give businesses the chance to highlight the achievements, talents and sheer diversity which make Cumbria’s visitor offer so hard to beat.

Tourism-related businesses have five weeks from today until 5pm on Monday 17 February to enter one or more of the 16 categories and share their successes from the last 12 months.  A wide range of tourism-related businesses are being encouraged to throw their hats in the ring, ranging from restaurants, guesthouses and B&Bs to self-catering accommodation, hotels, retailers and visitor attractions/experiences.

The finalists will be chosen by an independent panel of tourism experts and will have the chance to walk the red carpet at a VIP awards ceremony, taking place at Cartmel Racecourse on Wednesday 15 July. Eligible winners of certain categories will automatically feed up to the VisitEngland Awards for Excellence 2021, for the chance to gain national recognition.

One of the stand-out accolades on the night will be the Shelia Hensman Award for an ‘unsung hero’, where businesses have the chance to recognise the hard work and dedication of a talented individual who goes the extra mile to create a world-class visitor experience.

The full list of categories for the Cumbria Tourism Awards 2020 includes:

  • Accessible and Inclusive Tourism Award
  • Large Hotel of the Year sponsored by Christie & Co
  • Small Hotel of the Year sponsored by Colliers International
  • B&B and Guest House of the Year sponsored by Lamont Pridmore
  • Self-Catering Accommodation of the Year sponsored by Out of Eden
  • Camping, Glamping & Holiday Park of the Year sponsored by NatWest Commercial Banking
  • Small Visitor Attraction of the Year
  • Large Visitor Attraction of the Year sponsored by H&H Reeds Printworks
  • Pub of the Year
  • Taste of Cumbria Award sponsored by The Cumberland
  • Ethical, Responsible & Sustainable Tourism Award
  • Experience of the Year sponsored by Carlisle and Lake District Airport
  • Makers and Producers Award
  • Wedding Venue of the Year
  • New Tourism Business Award sponsored by Thomson Hayton Winkley
  • The Sheila Hensman Unsung Hero Award

The judges will be looking for tourism businesses that demonstrate excellence and innovation across their products and services including: the visitor welcome, marketing, quality and sustainable / environmental practices.  Winning an award brings substantial benefits including raising a company’s profile, increasing customer confidence and potentially generating additional business.

One of the 2019 winners was Castlerigg Hall Caravan, Camping and Glamping Park at Keswick. Owner David Jackson, said: “We were thrilled to win a Cumbria Tourism award, which we believe is a fabulous showcase for the tourism sector in our amazing county. Applying for the award gave us that additional motivation to keep us looking to improve on the service and product we offer, whilst recognising the hard work and dedication of our team here at Castlerigg Hall’.

Meanwhile, The Regent Hotel in Ambleside won Small Hotel of the Year 2019.

Owner Andrew Hewitt commented; “We’ve been here at Waterhead Bay for almost 40 years, and in that time we’ve witnessed so much growth and development in the tourism sector of the Cumbrian economy. The Cumbria Tourism Awards celebrate the best that our county has to offer and give us all a platform to showcase what we do best, so to be involved in something so prestigious was very exciting!”

 Full details about how to enter and the application forms, entry criteria and terms and conditions can be found at www.cumbriatourism.org/awards.  Businesses do not need to be a member of Cumbria Tourism to apply.

 Cumbria Tourism is grateful to its sponsors for making the competition possible again this year.  They include: headline sponsor United Utilities alongside Carlisle Lake District Airport, Cartmel Racecourse, Christie & Co, Colliers International, The Cumberland, EWGA Wines, H&H Reeds Printworks, Lamont Pridmore, Lawson Design, Out of Eden, NatWest Commercial Banking, Shortridge and Thomson Hayton Winkley.

Tourism businesses head to India to sell Cumbria to the world

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A group of Cumbrian tourism businesses are heading to two of India’s largest cities next week (13-16 January 2020), to help make the most of the UK’s growing appeal to visitors from one of the world’s fastest growing economies.

The newly launched ‘English Lake District India Forum’ was recently set up by Cumbria Tourism to bring together businesses to collectively target the fast-growing Indian market.

A number of those businesses have now joined together to represent the county on an overseas trade mission.

Tour operators are increasingly co-ordinating visits to key UK locations such as London and Edinburgh, and the aim of the mission is to further raise awareness of our county and ensure the Lake District, Cumbria, becomes a firm fixture on those itineraries.

VisitBritain’s trade mission will be the first trip of its kind involving such a large Lake District contingent and will include a series of face-to-face meetings, workshops and networking events with around 300 influential Indian travel agents and tour operators.

The Cumbrian delegation of thirteen businesses will be part of forty from the UK who are making the trip to Mumbai & Delhi, which accounts for more than 40% of outbound tourism businesses from India to Britain.

The full list heading to the Indian sub-continent includes:

  • Armathwaite Hall Hotel & Spa
  • Cumbria Tourism
  • Gilpin Hotel & Lake House
  • Grasmere Gingerbread®
  • Langdale Hotel
  • Lake District Country Hotels
  • Lakeside & Haverthwaite Railway
  • Mountain Goat Tours & Lindeth Howe Hotel
  • Pennington Hotels & Muncaster Castle
  • Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway
  • The World of Beatrix Potter Attraction™
  • Ullswater ‘Steamers’
  • Windermere Lake Cruises

Sales & Marketing Executive at Cumbria Tourism, Francine Bult, will be among those taking part in the Indian trade mission. She says, “India is a region of significant growth and offers some incredible opportunities to help grow our £3billion visitor economy, supporting all year-round tourism and dispersing people to all areas of the county.

“Cumbria Tourism’s renewed India-focus is a key international marketing priority and we are excited to be working with so many like-minded businesses to help forge even stronger links with overseas trade contacts and promote our region to potential visitors from the Indian sub-continent.”

The trade mission is just one part of a busy calendar of activity the English Lake District India Forum have planned for the coming months. Other upcoming plans include the release of a destination video for Indian travel trade, along with a series of targeted online developments and continued one to one meetings and networking sessions with top Indian travel contacts.

MasterChef winner to create dishes from Cumbrian produce at 2020 Lakes Hospitality Show

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The winner of MasterChef 2019 has been confirmed as a special guest at the forthcoming Lakes Hospitality Show on 25 & 26 March 2020, where she will be creating special dishes made from nationally and internationally renowned local Cumbrian produce.

Irini Tzortzoglou hasn’t been wasting any time, having already highlighted local products including Kin Vodka, Hawkshead Relish, beverages from the Lakes Distillery, Claire’s Handmade and even Windermere Artisan ice cream as potential ingredients for her creations.

One of the region’s biggest trade events of 2020, the Lakes Hospitality Show is Cumbria’s longest-running show of its kind and is organised by The Lakes Hospitality Association (LHA) alongside Cumbria Tourism.

Irini, who impressed MasterChef judges in early 2019 thanks to her ambitious cooking methods, says, “Coming from Crete, which is acknowledged by many as the European seat of eagerness to show hospitality – as well as a foodie island, I feel that I fit right in in Cumbria. It is a wonderful county which welcomes millions of visitors every year and its tourism industry has such a strong culinary focus.

“I have always considered myself extremely fortunate to have homes in two very different places, Cumbria and Crete, where nature is stunning, the people are warm and hospitable, and much time is taken by many to produce amazing culinary delights. This is my hope for this year’s LHA show where I will create dishes that I love using great, world-famous local produce.

“I was honoured to be asked to participate at the LHA show this year and I will very much enjoy bringing together the abundance of wonderful Cumbrian produce made by passionate artisans and elements of my culinary heritage, demonstrating what is possible with only a small amount of effort and time, along with a lot of enthusiasm.”

Cumbrian hotelier and Director of the Lakes Hospitality Trade, James Tasker, says, “We’re so pleased to announce Irini as one of our special guests, especially so soon after she brilliantly won such a prestigious TV cooking show. We’re delighted and have no doubt that Irini will come-up with some amazing ideas and we’re all very excited that she’s planning on using local produce to come up with what are sure to be extremely tasty creations!”

The 2020 event will celebrate the show’s 45th anniversary, at the Junction 36 Rural Auction Centre. Just a one minute drive from the M6 motorway, the show is not only one of the biggest in the north of England, but one of the most easily accessible.

More than 1,250 delegates from across Cumbria, Lancashire, Yorkshire and beyond were welcomed through the doors during last year’s two-day event, where the show hosted a record-breaking 136 stands for a wide range of hospitality businesses including tourist attractions, food and drink suppliers and support services such as IT technology and catering equipment.

For 2020, even more exhibition stands have been made available, giving businesses from across Cumbria and the north of England the chance to showcase their products and services to hospitality industry businesses from all over Lancashire, Cheshire, Manchester, Liverpool and the North East. The 2020 Lakes Hospitality Trade Show will also include the introduction of ‘Level 1’; 17 new stands created for smaller or start-up businesses, for just £225+vat for both days.

Also appearing at the Lakes Hospitality Show are wine expert Joe Wadsack, whose TV credentials include regular appearances on shows including Great Food Live, Saturday Kitchen, Ladette to Lady and Richard and Judy. A columnist for The Sunday Express, Joe also writes for magazines including ‘Waitrose Food Illustrated’, ‘Red’ and regular articles in the trade press. Joe also judges at various international wine competitions and acts as a consultant to numerous companies in the wine trade.

Meanwhile, Andrew Coy will bring his tales of his 50+ years working in the hospitality trade to the event, putting a focus on how to deliver the very best customer service. Andrew is Proprietor at Simply Banqueting and undertakes consultancy contracts in Private Houses, Villas, Hotels and Venues. Andrew also manages VIP areas at major events, acts as a mentor for young managers, leads courses for those undertaking customer service training; and also trains and develops butlers in both private and corporate service.

To find out more about exhibiting at the Lakes Hospitality Trade Show, visit: www.lakeshospitalitytradeshow.co.uk

Three months to access free business advice and support

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As a new decade gets underway, Cumbria Tourism is urging businesses across the county to make the most of free one-to-one business support sessions to help them grow and innovate.

There are now just three months left to access personalised business support sessions with Cumbria Tourism staff, as part of the Cumbria Growth Catalyst programme.

The aim is to help Cumbria’s small or medium sized enterprises (SMEs) to strengthen their business, with three-hour advice sessions on subjects ranging from business development, marketing and PR, to accommodation quality and website reviews.

Cumbria Growth Catalyst is being delivered through Cumbria Business Growth Hub on behalf of Cumbria Local Enterprise Partnership (CLEP).

To be eligible, businesses must have been trading for more than three years and their primary focus must be working directly with consumers.

Beatrice Hooson is coordinating the sessions for Cumbria Tourism. She says, “The start of January is a great time to take stock and make plans for the year ahead. Every personalised advice session will result in a follow-up report and practical suggestions to help them develop as a business, so this is a fantastic opportunity to tap into the knowledge and expertise of our advisors and develop constructive ideas and leads for the future.”

Cumbria Growth Catalyst is delivered as part of Cumbria Business Growth Hub, bringing together and simplifying access to national and local business support.

To apply, or to check if your business meets the qualifying criteria, contact Beatrice Hooson on: bhooson@cumbriatourism.org / 01539 822222.

Finalists unveiled for the 15th Cumbria Tourism awards

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Over the last month, the Judges have been meeting to go through the entries submitted for this year’s Cumbria Tourism Awards to draw up a shortlist of finalists across the 17 categories. We are delighted to announce that the celebration, held on Wednesday 21st June 2017, will be returning to Cartmel Racecourse for a second year and catered by Campbell and Rowley’s.
The awards celebrate the huge range and diversity of Cumbria’s tourism industry and are open to a whole range of tourism related businesses including; hotels, B&Bs, holiday parks, pubs, visitor attractions, events, businesses and tourism staff, which make up the county’s successful tourism industry.

Most of the winners from the awards will go on to represent the county at the Visit England Awards for Excellence in 2018.

The shortlisted businesses will attend a prestigious black tie award ceremony and compete for the honour of being recognised as the best in Cumbria in their respective category.
Ian Stephens, Managing Director at Cumbria Tourism, says:
“2017 has been another fantastic year for entries with exceptional quality shown across all the categories, demonstrating that Cumbria’s businesses continue to offer world class levels of quality, service and experience for visitors.  It’s been a tough job for the shortlisting panel but we are now able to announce the successful finalists for the 2017 Cumbria Tourism Awards. I would like to congratulate each and every business for making it to this year’s final and for their continuing hard work and commitment to tourism in the county.”

Cumbria Tourism would like to thank their sponsors for making the event possible, they include: Armstrong Watson, Burnetts Solicitors, Chris Brammall Ltd, Christie & Co, Colliers International, Colourmedia, Cumberland Business, Enterprise Answers, H&H Reeds Printers, Lamont Pridmore, Lakeland Chauffeurs, Out of Eden, University of Cumbria, Cartmel Racecourse and Campbell and Rowley’s.

The 2017 finalists are:

Self-Catering Holiday Provider of the Year
Sponsored by Out of Eden
• The Nests at The Swan
• Pullwood Bay
• The Halston

Self-Catering Holiday Property of the Year
Sponsorship opportunity available
• Gate House
• Waitby School
• Hart Barn

Holiday Park of the Year
Sponsored by NatWest
• Waterfoot Park
• The Quiet Site
• Skelwith Fold Caravan Park
• Holgates Silverdale Holiday Park

Guest Accommodation of the Year
Sponsored by Lamont Pridmore
• Hazel Bank Country House
• Broadoaks Country House
• The Grange Country House Bed and Breakfast

B&B of the Year
Sponsored by Cumberland Business
• Hill Crest Country Guest House
• The Malabar
• Lanercost Bed and Breakfast

Taste Cumbria Award
Sponsored by Enterprise Answers
• Askham Hall
• Merewood Country House Hotel
• The Lingholm Kitchen and Walled Garden
• The Bistro, Lakes Distillery

Sustainable Tourism Award
Sponsored by University of Cumbria
• Newlands Adventure Centre
• The Quiet Site
• Ullswater Steamers
• Skelwith Fold Caravan Park

Tourism Event of the Year
Sponsored by Colourmedia
• The Winter Droving (Eden Arts)
• Go Herdwick Public Art Trail (The Lake District Calvert Trust)
• Where is Peter Rabbit Production (World of Beatrix Potter Attraction)
• Beatrix Potter 150th Anniversary Programme (The National Trust)

Large Hotel of the Year
Sponsored by Armstrong Watson
• The Daffodil Hotel & Spa
• The Trout Hotel
• Castle Green Hotel
• The Swan

Small Hotel of the Year
Sponsored by Colliers International
• Appleby Manor Hotel & Garden Spa
• Cragwood Country House Hotel
• The Ryebeck

Large Visitor Attraction of the Year
Sponsored by Burnetts Solicitors
• World of Beatrix Potter Attraction
• Tullie House Museum & Art Gallery
• Walby Farm Park
• Holker Hall & Gardens

Visitor Attraction of the Year
Sponsored by H&H Reeds Printers
• Wordsworth House & Garden
• The Beacon Museum
• Mirehouse & Gardens

Tourism Experience of the Year
Sponsorship opportunity available
• Cyclewise Whinlatter
• Go Ape Whinlatter
• Bay Cycle Way

New Tourism Business Award
Sponsorship opportunity available
• Cliffhanger Rooms
• CBA Events @ Graythwaite
• Chocolate World

Wedding Venue of the Year
Sponsorship opportunity available
• The Villa Hotel
• The Daffodil Hotel & Spa
• The Wild Boar
• The Coppermines Mountain Wedding Venue

Tourism Pub of the Year
Sponsored by Christie & Co
• The Mason’s Arms, Strawberry Bank
• Kirkstile Inn (Loweswater)
• The Flying Pig
• Three Shires Inn

The Sheila Hensman Award for Outstanding Contribution to Excellence
• Mel Ibbotson, The Leathes Head Hotel
• Paula Richardson & Frank McGurk, Sharrow Bay Country House Hotel
• Brimstone Hotel Host Team

Lake District’s newest attraction to open this Summer

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Lake District’s newest attraction to open this Summer

In June 2017, the Ravenglass Railway Museum will officially open to the public after undergoing a major, two year, Heritage Lottery-funded redevelopment.

Built on the site of Ravenglass Station, in the West of Cumbria, the new train-shed extension will double the previous museum’s footprint and create a brand-new museum experience.

The museum owns more than 6,000 objects ranging from 15inch gauge locomotives and rolling stock through to uniforms, photographs and historic engineering, but the new development will see these artefacts come to life with interactive exhibitions allowing visitors to not only see the heritage steam locomotives, but to watch how they work and sit in the driving seat too.

David Rounce, Project and Activities Manager of the Ravenglass Railway Museum said: “We’re excited for the public to see everything we’ve been working on. The museum relies entirely on volunteers and over the last year they have worked extensively to restore the stock, much of which is over 100 years old, to make sure it is in working order and in exhibition condition.’

A star attraction will be the steam locomotive ‘Katie’ which ran at Ravenglass in 1916 and has just been restored to working condition for the first time since the 1920s.

The new professionally-designed displays will appeal to the family and enthusiast alike. Exhibits will include a collection of locomotives and rolling stock spanning the line’s opening in 1875 to the present day, including an interactive steam engine exhibit that visitors can operate themselves. There will also be models and objects telling the story of ‘La’al Ratty’s industrial past as well as the daily life of workers on the railway including their uniforms, ‘bait’ boxes and games to determine if the visitors would be suited to the job.

Thanks to Arts Council PRISM funding, awarded in January 2017, the museum will also boast the restored ‘Big Saloon’ coach which dates back to the opening of the railway to 3ft gauge in 1875, and visitors will be able to hop in and imagine taking a trip up the new line in the 1870s.

Located in the only coastal village in the Lake District, Ravenglass Station is also home to the Ravenglass and Eskdale Stream Railway, or ‘La’al Ratty’; a 7-mile tourist attraction traveling through the Eskdale Valley.

David continued: “As well as attracting tourists from ‘La’al Ratty’ to the museum, we hope it will become something of a community focal point through a programme of changing, community-led, exhibitions, and a range of curriculum-linked resources for schools are being developed to educate local children about the technology and history not only of the railway, but also life and industry in the area.”

There will also be a private archive on the upper level of the new building, for researcher and enthusiasts to book in advance and see intricate artefacts and memorabilia from the heritage railway’s history.

The museum will be open whenever the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway is running, which is every day in the summer season. An official opening day and event will be announced soon.

Ends.

Notes to editors:
1. Images: ‘Katie’ (ran the railway in 1916 and has been restored to working order ready to use and display in the museum. Katie hasn’t yet arrived at Ravenglass) Peter (the museum curator drives Synolda across Barrow Marsh towards Ravenglass May 2016)
2. For more information contact: Catherine Taylor, 01539 825019, ctaylor@cumbriatourism.org
3. The project gained £488,700 of Heritage Lottery Funding in September 2015, along with match-funding from Cumbria Community Foundation (CCF), Fisheries Local Action Group (FLAG), Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway Preservation Society (RERPS) and Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway (R&ER).
4. Located in Ravenglass on the Cumbrian coast, the current museum opened in 1978in one of the former Furness Railway platform buildings housing a collection of artefacts which had been accumulated around the centenary of the Ravenglass &Eskdale Railway (‘La’al Ratty’) in 1976. The museum is run by the Ravenglass Railway Museum Trust in partnership with the R&ER and RERPS (Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway Preservation Society), and the collection consists of more than 2,000 items, ranging from the 15” gauge Bassett-Lowke loco’ ‘Synolda’ through to models, tools and remnants of one of the original 3’ gauge coaches, plus an extensive archive of photographs (c5,000), tickets, timetables and other ephemera.

It’s official: Lake District named as Britain’s top walking destination

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Lake District named as Britain’s top walking destination

The Lake District, Cumbria, is officially the most popular destination for walking in Britain, according to a new nationwide survey just released by Ordnance Survey.

Their OS Maps service analysed more than 500,000 routes over ten years and revealed that the Lake District has topped the country’s league table with Keswick and Ambleside being the most popular locations for walkers.

And of the 20 most popular places to create a walking route across Britain, an impressive 18 of them are within the core areas of the Lake District National Park – taking in popular locations including Keswick, Ambleside, Grasmere, Helvellyn and Scafell Pike.

Managing Director for Cumbria Tourism, Ian Stephens, says, “This is the ultimate place to enjoy the great outdoors and this latest Ordnance Survey research confirms that the Lake District, Cumbria, is indeed the UK’s Adventure Capital.

“With a network of just under 2,000 miles of Rights of Way and some of the most spectacular scenery you are likely to find, it’s great to see that the Lake District remains a firm favourite. Whether you’re taking a gentle lakeside stroll with the family or scrambling up more challenging locations like Sharp Edge on Blencathra, this spectacular landscape appeals to everyone from the occasional walker to the more specialist adventurer.”

Nick Giles, Managing Director of Ordnance Survey Leisure, says: “For centuries the Lakes have held a special place in people’s hearts, and we know the area is loved by map users, because the region frequently tops our bestselling paper maps. However, when we started examining this data and looking at the route-creating habits of people, we weren’t expecting the Lake District to dominate so strongly.”

Just a few of the walks highlighted by Ordnance Survey include England’s highest mountain Scafell Pike and Langdale Fell which forms part of the popular Cumbrian Way. Other breathtaking walks include Nethermost Pike, one of the highest Wainwrights’ in the eastern fells; Allen Crags which is frequented by walkers on route to Scafell and Fairfield Horseshoe, one of the more classic Lake District walks.

For full details of the research, visit Ordnance Survey’s blog
For ideas and inspiration on walking in the Lake District, Cumbria, visit the GoLakes website.
Image attached: Scafell Pike
ENDS

Notes to Editors:
1. For more information, please contact Rebecca Walker at Cumbria Tourism Press Office on: 01539 825003 or email rwalker@cumbriatourism.org
2. Cumbria Tourism is the lead organisation for tourism in the county and is at the heart of the Cumbria Visitor Economy. It is also the largest membership organisation in Cumbria with more than 2,400 members. In 2015, more than 43 million people visited Cumbria, contributing more than £2.62 billion to the local economy and supporting around 61,000 jobs.
3. For more information about visiting the Lake District, Cumbria, visit: www.golakes.co.uk
4. To find out more about the work of Cumbria Tourism, visit www.cumbriatourism.org
5. Top 20 Ordinance Survey locations (by 1km grid square) and number of routes.
1. OSGB GridRef: NY2107 – Scafell Pike Summit – 2172
2. OSGB GridRef: SH6054 – Snowdon Summit – 2111
3. OSGB GridRef: NY2308 – Allen Crags (Near Scafell Pike) – 1918
4. OSGB GridRef: NY2208 – Great End (Near Scafell Pike) – 1908
5. OSGB GridRef: NY2806 – Langdale Fell (Cumbria Way) – 1865
6. OSGB GridRef: NY3415 – Helvellyn Summit – 1793
7. OSGB GridRef: SD8072 – Horton in Ribblesdale – 1593
8. OSGB GridRef: NY2514 – Rosthwaite – 1576
9. OSGB GridRef: NY3308 – Grasmere (North) – 1558
10. OSGB GridRef: NY1807 – Wast Water (North) – 1551
11. OSGB GridRef: NY2623 – Keswick – 1539
12. OSGB GridRef: NY2407 – Rossett Pike (Near Scafell Pike) – 1531
13. OSGB GridRef: NY3414 – Nethermost Pike (Near Helvellyn) – 1527
14. OSGB GridRef: NY3704 – Ambleside – 1520
15. OSGB GridRef: NY3816 – Glenridding – 1519
16. OSGB GridRef: NY2209 – Great Slack (Near Scafell Pike) – 1515
17. OSGB GridRef: NY2906 – Langdale Fell (Cumbria Way) – 1491
18. OSGB GridRef: NY3511 – Fairfield Summit – 1487
19. OSGB GridRef: NY3307 – Grasmere (Centre) – 1467
20. OSGB GridRef: NY2109 – Sty Head (Near Scafell Pike) – 1431

Cumbria Tourism welcomes re-opening of vital Lake District route

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Cumbria Tourism, the county’s official destination organisation, is welcoming the imminent re-opening of the vital A591

through the central Lake District.

Previously celebrated as ‘Britain’s Best Drive’, this important route between Grasmere and Keswick has been closed since December following damage caused by Storm Desmond.

The re-opening of the A591 planned for this Friday 13 May will come as a massive relief to those tourism businesses which have suffered a downturn in trade in recent months due to a reduction in traffic and passing trade.

Cumbria Tourism with be working with more than 2,400 member businesses and a range of government bodies to help raise awareness that the A591 and the communities it serves are eager to welcome visitors back. Coach tour and group travel operators will also be targeted to drum home this important message.

Ian Stephens, Managing Director of Cumbria Tourism, says, “Recent months have been very challenging for many tourism businesses, particularly in the Grasmere, Ambleside and Keswick areas. However, the re-opening of the A591 is a major boost for tourism businesses and signals the fact that this important arterial route linking the north and south Lakes is now operating normally as we go forward into the busy summer season”.

He adds, “Although businesses will understandably still feel cautious, we are now looking forward to the summer with a sense of renewed optimism. A series of new and established local events such as the Keswick Mountain Festival are planned for the coming weeks, and the record number of high quality of entries for the upcoming Cumbria Tourism Awards also underlines the continued resilience and determination of tourism businesses to promote what they do with passion and enthusiasm.”

Official bodies including Cumbria County Council, Highways England, United Utilities and the Lake District National Park have all played an important part in getting the road back into action for motorists.

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

For more information, please contact Cumbria Tourism Press Office on: 01539 825019 or email pressoffice@cumbriatourism.org

1. Cumbria Tourism is the lead organisation for tourism in the county and is at the heart of the Cumbria Visitor Economy. It is also the largest membership organisation in Cumbria with more than 2,400 members. In 2015, more than 43 million people visited Cumbria, contributing more than £2.62 billion to the local economy and supporting around 61,000 jobs.

3. For more information about visiting the Lake District, Cumbria, visit: www.golakes.co.uk

4. To find out more about the work of Cumbria Tourism, visit www.cumbriatourism.org