Soaring demand for Derbyshire's outdoor holidays

Demand for outdoor holidays in Derbyshire is booming as families embrace the opportunity to escape the four walls of their home and make the most of beautiful countryside.
Beltonville Farm campsite at Millers Dale, near Buxton.Beltonville Farm campsite at Millers Dale, near Buxton.
Beltonville Farm campsite at Millers Dale, near Buxton.

Derbyshire was the second most popular county in the East Midlands for outdoor holidays in 2020 and saw a 30 percent rise in bookings.

Beltonville Farm, at the start of the Monsal Trail, was the second best-selling site in the UK, according to Pitchup.com, Europe’s largest outdoor accommodation provider.

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Despite lockdown restrictions meaning campsites could not reopen until July 4, Beltonville Farm was booked more than 2,180 times on the platform.

David and Charlotte Gibson are the owners of Beltonville Farm camping site.David and Charlotte Gibson are the owners of Beltonville Farm camping site.
David and Charlotte Gibson are the owners of Beltonville Farm camping site.

David and Charlotte Gibson, who are Beltonville Farm's owners, and campsite team, said: “We are thrilled to be the East Midlands’ best-selling site and second in the whole of the UK. We really see it as a testament to the care we take with maintaining the site, as well as our service. We’re exceptionally proud of the camping business we have built on the farm and have regular returning customers. Pitchup.com has helped us grow the business further, elevating our profile and maximising staycation bookings. As lockdown eases and the domestic travel demand is realised, we look forward to welcoming previous and new visitors to the site and hope to continue our success.”

Beltonville Farm is a back to basics site that offers grass pitches for tents and campervans, as well as a two-bedroom bunkhouse in Millers Dale, between Bakewell and Buxton. Facilities include a farm shop, fire pit hire, toilet block, showers and drying room. Cycle hire and cycling routes, gold and indoor pool and several pubs are within a three-mile radius. Pitches start from £12 per night.

Dan Yates, the founder of Pitchup.com, said: “Beltonville Farm is a fantastic example of well-maintained, farm campsites in picturesque locations on offer across the UK. Situated in the Peak District’s White Peak area, just one mile from the Monsal Trail, it is perfect for those looking to embrace the great outdoors with a holiday full of countryside hikes, cycles, and horse rides.

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Overall, Derbyshire’s outdoor holidays went from strength to strength, accounting for 4.6% of all UK bookings on the platform.

Dan said: “2020 was a tumultuous year for everyone, particularly so for the travel and hospitality sectors. We’re pleased to say that we still saw consistent growth in bookings, which in part has been supported by the boom in staycations as people look for relaxing getaways closer to home and at a good price. It’s also given people the opportunity to discover more of the beautiful countryside on their doorstep, and we expect that to continue into summer 2021 and beyond. We’re already seeing record numbers of new sites across the UK joining the platform. There’s plenty of choice and availability for this summer for a break in the great outdoors.”

For more information on Beltonville Farm and other campsites in Derbyshire, go to www.pitchup.com/

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