[F]ollowing a flurry of entries from across Cumbria, the finalists for the Cumbria Tourism Awards 2018 can now be revealed.
With a total of 18 awards on offer, brand new categories for 2018 include Culture & Heritage Experience of the Year and Adventure Experience of the Year. The finalists have all been chosen by an independent panel of tourism experts.
Tickets for this year’s awards ceremony at Cartmel Racecourse, on Wednesday 20 June, will go on sale shortly. The event will be hosted by Alan ‘Deadly’ Dedicoat – best-known as the National Lottery’s infamous ‘Voice of the Balls’ – with catering on the night provided by The Ilex at Holker.
Managing Director of Cumbria Tourism, Gill Haigh, says, “The award categories celebrate the huge range and diversity of Cumbria’s tourism industry. The awards are now in their 16th year and following Cumbria’s second World Heritage designation for the Lake District, it’s another great way to mark our Year of Celebration. We’ve seen an exceptional number of entries and I know the judges have once again been bowled over by the fantastic quality shown right across the county.”
The Cumbria Tourism Awards 2018 finalists are:
Large Hotel of the Year (35+ rooms) – Sponsored by Armstrong Watson
- Armathwaite Hall, Bassenthwaite
- North Lakes Hotel & Spa, Penrith
- The Trout Hotel, Cockermouth
Small Hotel of the Year – Sponsored by Colliers International
- Cedar Manor Hotel & Restaurant, Windermere
- Rothay Garden Hotel, Grasmere
- Briery Wood Country House Hotel, Windermere
- Lindeth Howe, Bowness-on-Windermere
Boutique Guest Accommodation of the Year – Sponsored by Lamont Pridmore
- 1863 Bar Bistro Rooms, Pooley Bridge
- Askham Hall
- Lindeth Fell Country House, Windermere
Bed and Breakfast of the Year – Sponsored by Cumberland Business
- Westwood, Cockermouth
- Raise View, Grasmere
Self-Catering Holiday Provider of the Year – Sponsored by Out of Eden
- Tottergill Farm Cottages, near Brampton
- Bridge End Farm Cottages, Eskdale Valley
- Iconic collection Whitbarrow Village, near Penrith
Self-Catering Holiday Property of the Year – Sponsorship opportunity available
- Heart of the Lakes – Bristowe Hill, Keswick
- Heart of the Lakes – High Cunsey, Far Sawrey
- Glen Bank, Brampton, near Appleby
Holiday Park of the Year – Sponsored by NatWest Commercial Banking
- Black Beck Holiday Park, Bouth
- The Quiet Site, Ullswater
- Park Cliffe Camping & Caravan Estate, Windermere
Visitor Attraction of the Year – Sponsored by H&H Reeds Printers
- Old Hall Farm, Bouth
- Cocoa Bean, Hawkshead
- Derwent Pencil Museum, Keswick
- Senhouse Roman Museum, Maryport
Large Visitor Attraction of the Year – Sponsored by Burnetts
- Lakes Distillery, Bassenthwaite
- Lowther Castle & Gardens
- Honister Slate Mine
Tourism Pub of the Year – Sponsored by Christie & Co
- The Wheatsheaf @ Brigsteer
- Queens Head, Troutbeck
- Dockray Hall, Penrith
Taste Cumbria – Sponsored by Enterprise Answers
- The Plough at Lupton
- The Castle Dairy, Kendal
- 1863 Bar Bistro Rooms, Pooley Bridge
- The Moon Highgate, Kendal
- The Cottage in the Wood, Whinlatter Forest
- Merewood Country House Hotel, Windermere
- George & Dragon, Clifton
- The Three Hares, Sedbergh
Sustainable Tourism Award – Sponsored by Lake District National Park
- Cedar Manor Hotel & Restaurant, Windermere
- Newlands Adventure Centre
- Upfront Arts Venue, near Penrith
Culture & Heritage Experience of the Year – Sponsored by Carlisle Lake District Airport
- Line of Beauty – Percy Kelly Exhibition, Tullie House, Carlisle
- Ravenglass Railway Museum
- Blackwell, The Arts & Crafts House, Bowness-on-Windermere
Adventure Experience of the Year – Sponsorship opportunity available
- Newlands Adventure Centre & Keswick Climbing Wall
- Go Ape Whinlatter
- Cyclewise Whinlatter
Tourism Event of the Year – Sponsorship opportunity available
- Eden Arts – Winter Droving, Penrith
- Eden Arts – C-Art
- Printfest, Ulverston
- Westmorland County Show, Crooklands
Wedding Venue of the Year – Sponsored by Napthens Solicitors
- Broadoaks Country House, Windermere
- Castle Green Hotel, Kendal
- Heather Glen, Ainstable Village, near Carlisle
New Tourism Business Award – Sponsored by Thomson Hayton Winkley
- Another Place, The Lake, Ullswater
- Wheatsheaf at Beetham
- Snooty Fox, Kirkby Lonsdale
The Sheila Hensman Award for Outstanding Customer Service
- Rachel Dunckley (Hazelbank Country House Hotel, Borrowdale Valley)
- Victoria Blanco (Tree Top Trek, Windermere)
- Christine Brown (Castle Green Hotel, Kendal)
Cumbria Tourism would like to thank all its generous sponsors for making the event possible. To find out more about the Cumbria Tourism Awards, visit: www.cumbriatourism.org/awards
