Historic fort and powerboat school named among England's best holiday spots

A beach, history museum and zoo are among the winners

Experience of the Year finalist - Mylor Sailing and Powerboat School, Cornwall. All photos: VisitEngland

Experience of the Year finalist - Pure Outdoor, Derbyshire.

Experience of the Year finalist - All Hallows' Farmhouse Cookery School, Dorset.

Small Visitor Attraction of the Year finalist - Nothe Fort, Dorset.

Small Visitor Attraction of the Year finalist - British Music Experience, Merseyside.

Small Visitor Attraction of the Year finalist - Royal Liver Building, Merseyside.

Large Visitor Attraction of the Year finalist - Bletchley Park.

Large Visitor Attraction of the Year finalist - Pensthorpe.

Large Visitor Attraction of the Year finalist - Chester Zoo.

Ethical, Responsible and Sustainable Tourism Award finalist - Chichester Festival Theatre.

Ethical, Responsible and Sustainable Tourism Award finalist - West Bay Discovery Centre, Dorset.

Ethical, Responsible and Sustainable Tourism Award finalist - Pure Outdoor, Derbyshire.

Accessible and Inclusive Tourism Award finalist - Mylor Sailing and Powerboat School, Cornwall.

Accessible and Inclusive Tourism Award finalist - Fleetwood Beach Wheelchairs, Lancashire.

Accessible and Inclusive Tourism Award finalist - Alton Towers Resort, Staffordshire.

Small Hotel of the Year finalist - Seaham Hall, County Durham.

Small Hotel of the Year finalist - The Idle Rocks, Cornwall.

Small Hotel of the Year finalist - No.15 by GuestHouse, Bath.

Large Hotel of the Year finalist - Hotel Indigo Durham.

Large Hotel of the Year finalist - The Royal Crescent Hotel and Spa, Bath.

Large Hotel of the Year finalist - The Langham, London.

Camping, Glamping and Holiday Park of the Year finalist - Brook Meadow, Leicestershire.

Camping, Glamping and Holiday Park of the Year - Secret Meadows, Suffolk.

Camping, Glamping and Holiday Park of the Year - Landal Sandybrook, Derbyshire.

Taste of England Award finalist - Lu Ban Restaurant, Merseyside.

Taste of England Award finalist - Fischer's Baslow Hall, Derbyshire.

Taste of England Award finalist - Moor Hall Restaurant with Rooms, Lancashire.

Self Catering Accommodation of the Year finalist - Glynn Barton, Cornwall.

Self Catering Accommodation of the Year finalist - Treeopia, Worcestershire.

Self Catering Accommodation of the Year finalist - Pitt Farm Holiday Cottages, Devon.

Resilience and Innovation Award finalist - Chester Zoo.

Resilience and Innovation Award finalist - Severn Valley Railway.

Resilience and Innovation Award finalist - Black Country Living Museum Trust.

Unsung Hero Award finalist - Clive Goodwin.

Unsung Hero Award finalist - Adam Wardale.

Unsung Hero Award finalist - Neeshal Jeewon.

Pub of the Year finalist - The Devonshire Arms at Pilsley, Derbyshire.

Pub of the Year finalist - The Cotley Inn, Somerset.

Pub of the Year finalist - The Acorn Inn, Dorset.

New Tourism Business of the Year finalist - Rowley Farm Holidays, Worcestershire.

New Tourism Business of the Year finalist - Triple A Food Tours, Tyne & Wear.

New Tourism Business of the Year finalist - Three Mile Beach, Cornwall.

B&B and Guest House of the Year finalist - Horseshoe Cottage Farm, Leicestershire.

B&B and Guest House of the Year finalist - Brightham House B&B, Devon.

B&B and Guest House of the Year finalist - The 25 Boutique B&B, Devon.

The best holiday experiences across England have been identified at a tourism awards ceremony.

From the best hotels to the best new experiences, the VisitEngland awards celebrated holidays across the country just as the industry tries to rebuild after pandemic lockdowns.

VisitEngland gave a special nod to English period dramas, giving them the Outstanding Contribution to Tourism Award in recognition of their role in inspiring people to visit locations, such as Highclere Castle, Hampshire, which featured in hit TV series Downton Abbey.

A powerboat school in Mylor, Cornwall, was named experience of the year.

Three Mile Beach, also in Cornwall, the Black Country Living Museum, in the West Midlands, and Chester Zoo, Cheshire, were also honoured for the high level the experiences they offer.

Treeopia, in Worcestershire, and the Royal Crescent Hotel & Spa, Bath, were recognised as top places to stay.

“All these businesses are winners in every sense,” said VisitEngland advisory board chairman Nick de Bois.

“Millions of jobs and local economies depend on tourism and this year’s awards also highlight the dedication of tourism businesses as they rebuild, championing best practice and providing visitors with first-class experiences.”

The VisitEngland Awards for Excellence, running for more than 30 years, celebrate and champion innovation, quality and best practice in tourism.

Winners were announced in the Awards’ 15 ‘core’ categories as well as for four special awards, including Outstanding Contribution to Tourism Award, Travel Content Award, TXGB Trailblazer Award and the Tourism Superstar Award.

The VisitEngland award winners are:

Accessible & Inclusive Tourism Award

• Gold — Mylor Sailing & Powerboat School, Cornwall
• Silver — Alton Towers Resort, Staffordshire
• Bronze — Fleetwood Beach Wheelchairs, Lancashire

B&B and Guest House of the Year

• Gold — The 25 Boutique B&B, Devon
• Silver — Horseshoe Cottage Farm, Leicestershire
• Bronze — Brightham House Boutique Bed and Breakfast, Devon

Camping, Glamping and Holiday Park of the Year

• Gold — Secret Meadows, Suffolk
• Silver — Brook Meadow, Leicestershire
• Bronze — Landal Sandybrook, Derbyshire

Ethical, Responsible and Sustainable Tourism Award

• Gold — Chichester Festival Theatre, West Sussex
• Silver — Pure Outdoor, Derbyshire
• Bronze — West Bay Discovery Centre, Dorset

Experience of the Year

• Gold — Mylor Sailing & Powerboat School, Cornwall
• Silver — Pure Outdoor, Derbyshire
• Bronze — All Hallows' Farmhouse Cookery School, Dorset

Large Hotel of the Year

• Gold — The Royal Crescent Hotel & Spa, Bath
• Silver — Hotel Indigo Durham, County Durham
• Bronze — The Langham, London

Small Hotel of the Year

• Gold — Seaham Hall, County Durham
• Joint Silver — No.15 by GuestHouse, Bath
• Joint Silver — The Idle Rocks, Cornwall

New Tourism Business of the Year

• Gold — Three Mile Beach, Cornwall
• Silver — Triple A Food Tours, Tyne & Wear
• Bronze — Rowley Farm Holidays, Worcestershire

Pub of the Year

• Gold — The Cotley Inn, Somerset
• Silver — The Acorn Inn, Dorset
• Bronze — The Devonshire Arms at Pilsley, Derbyshire

Resilience and Innovation Award

• Gold — Black Country Living Museum, West Midlands
• Silver — Chester Zoo, Cheshire
• Bronze — Severn Valley Railway, Worcestershire

Self-Catering Accommodation of the Year

• Gold — Treeopia, Worcestershire
• Silver — Glynn Barton, Cornwall
• Bronze — Pitt Farm Holiday Cottages, Devon

Taste of England Award

• Gold — Lu Ban Restaurant, Merseyside
• Silver — Moor Hall Restaurant with Rooms, Lancashire
• Bronze — Fischer's Baslow Hall, Derbyshire

Unsung Hero Award

• Gold — Adam Wardale, Middletons Hotel, North Yorkshire
• Silver — Neeshal Jeewon, Hilton London Metropole, London
• Bronze — Clive Goodwin, Ouseburn Trust, Tyne & Wear

Large Visitor Attraction of the Year

• Gold — Chester Zoo, Cheshire
• Silver — Bletchley Park, Buckinghamshire
• Bronze — Pensthorpe, Norfolk

Small Visitor Attraction of the Year

• Gold — Nothe Fort, Dorset
• Silver — Royal Liver Building 360, Merseyside
• Bronze — British Music Experience, Merseyside

Travel Content Award

• Gold — Ben Lerwill, National Geographic Traveller: ‘Pirates and prehistory on Devon’s south-east coast’
• Silver — Cathy Toogood, The Telegraph: ‘Forget the countryside — this Northern powerhouse is the perfect place for summer staycations’
• Bronze — Lauren Jarvis, LoveExploring: ‘Explore the New Forest’

TXGB Trailblazer Award

• Gold — Rugby League World Cup 2021
• Silver — Visit Gloucester
• Bronze — Mike James, Savouring Bath

Tourism Superstar 2022

• Winner — George Finlay, Matlock Farm Park

Outstanding Contribution to Tourism Award

• Winner — The English Period Drama