RORY CUTS RIBBON ON UK’S FIRST ’HOBBIT HOLES’
Rory Stewart MP has officially opened the newly-constructed ‘Hobbit Holes’ cabins at Ullswater camping venue The Quiet Site, cutting the ribbon at a ceremony attended by dozens of supporters on Friday.
Winner of numerous awards – including from Cumbria Tourism, The AA, Mumsnet and Green Tourism – The Quiet Site is one of the UK’s premier camping destinations, and the number one Cumbrian camping destination on Tripadvisor. The Hobbit Holes, which have been constructed using local suppliers and a local workforce, are spacious underground living spaces with spectacular views over the Ullswater valley, and are the first of their kind in the UK.
They have already proved very popular with walkers and travellers to the Lake District. A recent Facebook competition to win two nights in a Hobbit Hole, raised over 40,000 shares.
Rory praised the craftsmanship of the build, and congratulated owner Daniel Holder on his enterprising vision for Lake District tourism, incorporating sustainable business aims with energy efficiency and a respect for the local landscape.
Speaking at the event Rory said: “Many congratulations on this really exciting project, which really goes to the heart of what is special about Cumbria. I am hugely impressed at the speed at which these have been constructed, created beautifully using local suppliers, and fantastic in terms of energy efficiency and the visual impact on the landscape. This is the sort of project we talk about, when we talk about what the future of Cumbria is: relatively small scale to begin with, but putting us on the map. A real national leader and inspiration, and with a fantastic connection to the whole idea of hobbits. They are quite understated, quiet things; but they are a symbol of courage and ingenuity, a real symbol of what is great about Cumbria and Britain.”
Site owner Daniel Holder said: “I was delighted that our local MP Rory Stewart could officially open our latest development at The Quiet Site, a ‘Hobbit Hole village. These new earth-covered holiday accommodations tick many boxes for us and are hugely sustainable on many levels. They have much lower running costs than traditional tents and caravans (500W per unit max); they fit nearly invisibly into our spectacular landscape; they are completely weather independent so very suitable for our year-round operation; they have allowed us to invest securely in our business and provide more full time jobs; they provide a top-end accommodation experience at an affordable price; and they provide secure year round visitor spend in our area which is crucial to the local economy.”
“They follow on well from other major sustainable investments here at The Quiet Site over the last decade which include reed bed water treatment technology, solar thermal and PV panels, biomass heating, electric cars and water recycling. Investment in sustainable technologies over the last decade is now over £1 million. We are the only holiday park in Cumbria to have a Green Tourism Gold award.
Keeping ahead of national trends has allowed us to compete nationally with the top parks in the country and we are currently number one on Tripadvisor in Cumbria and, in the top ten nationally.”
