Whinlatter Forest awarded VisitEngland Gold Accolade

Forestry England are delighted to announce that Whinlatter Forest near Keswick was awarded a VisitEngland Gold Accolade on 22 October.

These prestigious awards are based on the results of VisitEngland’s Visitor Attraction Quality Scheme assessments, reflecting the attractions’ commitment to providing an exceptional visitor experience and the incredibly high standards they achieve.

The team from Whinlatter Forest attended the awards ceremony in Warwickshire on 22 October 2024, where they were presented with their award certificate.

Nominations for the accolade are based on a range of feedback, including annual VisitEngland quality assessment, the observations of an assessor, customer feedback direct to VisitEngland and online customer reviews.

The team at Whinlatter Forest has worked incredibly hard to get here, determined to extend the breath of their offer with innovative experiences and additions - including in the hugely popular Wow trail, new accessibility activities including tramper hire and trails, enhancements of their catering provision and an outstanding retail offer.

Sally Burchall, Visit Experience Manager for Whinlatter and Grizedale Forests said:

A massive congratulations to the whole Whinlatter team on receiving this accolade.

This truly is a whole team effort. We need to score highly in all areas to even be nominated. We scored 95% for our assessment visit earlier in the summer.

To put this award into perspective, there are only about 25 Gold Accolades awarded each year across the country.’

Mark Holroyd, Head of Recreation and Communications for North District says:

‘"This prestigious national award celebrates the Whinlatter recreation team’s unwavering dedication over many years to delivering consistently exceptional experiences and facilities for all our visitors.

Despite the challenges of managing a bustling visitor centre within a mountain forest—navigating plant health issues, storm damage, and ongoing forestry operations— the team has excelled.

This accolade is a testament to the entire District and national team’s collaborative efforts, including our foresters, craftspersons, civil engineers, estates, finance, and business support colleagues, who together make Whinlatter an extraordinary place to visit.’

Whinlatter Forest is now able to proudly display the accolade logo to show people that this forest is pure gold!