Skelwith Fold campsite delays fully opening to motorhomes and caravans

Lake District campsite and holiday park, Skelwith Fold, will not be fully reopening on July 04.

On that date, the owners of caravan holiday homes will be welcomed back to the 130-acre wooded grounds of the award-winning park. However, its glamping facilities and touring caravan and motorhome pitches will remain closed while staff take part in a 10-day soft opening until July 15.

The campsite's director, Henry Wild, said it will be a chance for his team to get accustomed to "the new normal" before Skelwith Fold returns to full capacity.

"We have now re-engaged all of our staff, and over the past few weeks we have been putting into place a raft of safety and social distancing measures," he says.

"The aim is to help ensure that guests can enjoy their stay with complete peace of mind, but we also want our team to be confident about carrying out their work.

"Aspects such as contactless check-ins, monitoring certain communal areas, and the deep-cleaning of accommodation between visits will all take getting used to.

"By giving everyone a dry run with only around half of our 450 pitches occupied, we can closely monitor what's happening, and fine-tune our procedures if necessary.

"Some customers hoping to come before mid-July have expressed disappointment, but are fully supportive of what we are doing to make the park as safe as possible," added Henry.

Booking requests were strong before the Prime Minister gave the go-ahead for parks to re-open, he said – but since then, demand had gone "through the roof".

"I'm so pleased that we will be able to salvage some of our summer holiday trade as the shut-down has come at a heavy price for our family business.

"I know that many other local businesses will also be delighted that our customers will be back spending money in their shops, cafes, pubs and visitor attractions.

"But nothing is going to beat seeing Skelwith Fold buzzing again with happy faces, and people enjoying the type of outdoor experience they have been craving for months!" said Henry.