By William Coleman
There are a lot of sites, parks and companies who are very conscious of what kind of carbon footprint their business causes and they do their best to try and reduce that. One park owner feels that motorhome owners are actually the unsung heroes of the nature conscious tourer. Is this fact or theory?
Certain destinations around the UK remain almost untouched, as much as possible in this day and age, thus meaning they are actually quite sensitive to outside elements like fuel pollutants. One such location is fragile area is the Lake District.
Henry Wild of Skelwith Fold feels that parks in the area should be doing all they can to entice motorhomers as he believes that they have a smaller impact on the environment. But why, they still use fossil fuels?
The belief is that motorhome users, based on his encounters with them on site, are a lot more likely to leave the site on foot and leave their motorhome pitched and ready to use as soon as they get back.
This is a very interesting point as my one bugbear of using a motorhome is the fact that you usually have to pack everything up every time you want to go somewhere. In an area such a the Lake District heading out on foot is a lot more doable as there are tons of walking paths, bike routes and these areas are much better seen on foot.
Buses, bicycles and two legs are the preferred ways of exploring Lakeland for many of Cumbria’s thousands of motorhome users each year, says Henry.
Due to the fact that motorhome users who visit the area much prefer walking, it positively impacts more than just fuel pollution, they also reduce congestion on roads which further diminishes the release of harmful greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere.
Last summer, Henry reports, motorhome visitors to his park grew by 8% compared with the previous year, and are fast gaining ground with many younger couple and families.
But despite their size, he believes, motorhomes should be hailed as green holiday heroes – as long as they opt for holiday park pitches and not roadsides or public car parks.
“Much of the tourism traffic seen on Lake District roads is likely to belong to people who have already checked in to their destination, and who are now enjoying the sights,” said Henry.
“By contrast, motorhomes will often spend the entire duration of their stay parked-up whilst their users find alternative ways to tour around and get to where they want to go.
“The same will apply in many other rural areas, and suggests that we should be encouraging motorhome visitors in parts of Britain where the countryside is deemed to be at risk,” added Henry.
Now the same argument can be said for a lot of caravan users. I know a lot of people who go on short breaks to sites and spend the entire time either on site or walking around the area they are staying.
I am not saying the number is the same as it is much more likely that you will use your car to get around if it is there to use.
Without trying to throw up an opposing argument in defense of caravan users I feel that Henry does have a point, less usage of vehicles will reduce pollution.
However, he adds the caveat that “wild campers” – those who prefer a roadside to a legitimate holiday park – should be discouraged, not least because of the visual pollution they cause.
Skelwith Fold is taking part in a national campaign, mirrored by many local authorities, to put across the message that a park is a much more practical and comfortable option for such vehicles.
In contrast to a decade ago when touring caravans were king, says Henry, motorhomes now occupy almost 50 percent of Skelwith Fold’s 150 touring pitches.
Motorhomes also bring in increasingly younger couples and families, he believes, thanks to the much wider availability of hire and their promise of a more adventurous holiday experience.
To help motorhome guests stay mobile, the park – just a short stroll from Ambleside – offers electrically powered bikes for hire, and provides information on local transport services.
It has also provided additional “super pitches” to accommodate longer length vehicles.
Skelwith Fold was crowned last year as Lakeland’s top holiday park in the Cumbria Tourism Awards, and is the current holder of the David Bellamy Conservation Award at its top gold level.
As well as touring pitches for motorhomes and caravans in its 130-acre grounds, the park provides luxury glamping pods, safari tents, and holiday homes to own.
