Member Article

Hollicarrs Scoops Top Green Accolade for the 11th Year Running

Legendary biologist Professor David Bellamy has named Hollicarrs Holiday Park near York as one of the UK’s greenest places to own a holiday home and awarded it a special accolade for the 11th year running.

The award has been given for protecting and enhancing the natural world.

Set in 25 acres of Yorkshire countryside, Hollicarrs is home to 160 luxury privately-owned holiday homes. Over the past 11 years, owners Charlie and Rosalind Forbes Adam and their team have nurtured the park to provide a sheltered haven in existing ancient oaks and mature pines, as well as adding hundreds of indigenous trees and shrubs to provide extra privacy and landscaping.

In maintaining this eco balance, Roe and Fallow deer are often seen in the woodlands, together with badgers, hares and rabbits.

David Bellamy said he was ‘absolutely amazed’ when he discovered now much had been done by holiday parks to protect and enhance the environment.

On Hollicarrs receiving the award again, David Bellamy added: “I am delighted that you have kept up your usual exceptional standards and that you have moved forward strongly in many places – from encouraging visitors to use environmentally-friendly cleaning products to building the most wonderful moorhen house and bee hotel.

“It is great news that the Three Hagges Wood project is still going strong – please keep me informed on progress. In addition, well done on all the hard work you have undertaken to help Britain’s bees by creating the bee hotel – I am delighted to say that you are officially a “Honey Bee Friendly” park’.”

Dawn Buck, manager of Hollicarrs explained: “A carefully-managed fishing lake and separate wildlife pond is the focus for many birds, animals and amphibians. The recent addition of the moorhen house on the wildlife pond has produced its first moorhen family this year and the newly created ‘bee hotel’ is situated underneath the ancient oaks.

“Hollicarrs plans further additions for next year with more bee hotels, a mini wildflower meadow and other projects to help protect our very precious bees and butterflies. Hollicarrs received a Special Distinction Award in 2013/14 for the creation of The Three Hagges Wood, adjacent to Hollicarrs. This is a natural woodland comprising of several layers of vegetation from the ground flora to the canopy, each making a niche for a huge diversity of creatures. As well as being available to all Hollicarrs owners, this area is very accessible to the public and planted with the help of the local community.

Dawn added: “The woodland holds enormous potential for educational and community events with local schools and a range of community groups. The Royal Forestry Society hold several Teaching Trees Projects in the woodland and has also had several school visits, talks and walks in its short history.

“Our team are extremely dedicated and keen to continue to enhance, yet not disturb, the eco-balance making sure that in everything we do, the environment remains of paramount importance so we can create a truly extraordinary lifestyle for the holiday home owners.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Robert Beaumont .