Ribble Valley Retreat wins two awards at the Lancashire Tourism Awards

Ribble Valley Retreat picked up the New Tourism Business Award, and the Camping, Glamping and Holiday Park of the Year prize at the prestigious event held at the new Blackpool Conference and Exhibition Centre.

A farm diversification created by husband and wife team, Emma and Peter Turner, the couple has turned a parcel of their land, close to the Forest of Bowland and Clitheroe, into a small but perfectly formed glamping site, with stunning views and great access to local areas of interest.

They have been flying the flag for the Ribble Valley since opening in summer 2021 and are proud to be representing the area with these new prestigious awards, which follow a previous 2022 award from the Ribble Valley Tourism Association.

"Us and guests that have visited knew we had something special at Ribble Valley Retreat, but to be recognised in this way is truly incredible, we are so proud," said Emma.

"We are passionate about the Ribble Valley, it has a lot to offer, and we are delighted to be flying the flag for the area and Lancashire.

"We would like to thank friends, family and neighbours, as well as Marketing Lancashire, for a wealth of support. Farm diversification isn’t easy, but this has made all our hard work worth it."

It was a fantastic night for the Ribble Valley as a whole, as businesses from the area dominated the stage, taking home a quarter of the 22 awards presented on the evening.

Winners included Hedgerow Luxury Glamping, Newsholme, Ethical, Responsible and Sustainable Tourism; The Out Barn, Waddington, Wedding Venue of the Year; Mitton Hall Hotel, Whalley, Hotel Wedding Venue of the Year; Oakdean Cottages, Langho, Self-Catering Accommodation of the Year.

In a speech from Rachel McQueen, chief executive of Marketing Lancashire, she praised the winners and finaliss.

“There is absolutely no shortage of pride, passion and ambition in this room, and myself and the Marketing Lancashire team look forward to working with you to support the county’s tourism and hospitality sector to thrive.”