National tourist board VisitEngland has announced the 2021-2022 winners of its Visitor Attraction Accolades highlighting the quality and diversity of visitor experiences on offer across the country.
The winning attractions have gained the accolades based on scores received following their annual VisitEngland Visitor Attraction Quality Scheme assessments.
Marks were allocated to the 97 attractions for the outstanding experiences they provide to visitors across categories including Welcome, Best Told Story, Quality Food & Drink, Hidden Gem and Gold for overall winners.
And among winners were attractions from Lincolnshire, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire and Hampshire, see below.
Introduced in 2014, the accolades are available to VisitEngland’s Visitor Attraction Quality Scheme participants across a wide range of tourism experiences in England from museums and galleries, farm attractions, historic houses and gardens to churches, cathedrals and country parks.
Participating attractions are supported by a network of highly trained and experienced assessors who advise them on improving and promoting the quality, accessibility and sustainability of their offer.
Tourism is one of England’s largest and most valuable industries, supporting hundreds of thousands of businesses, employing about 2.6 million people and, in 2019, generating £76 billion in domestic visitor spending.
Bransby Horses, Lincoln – Gold; Fishing Heritage Centre, Grimsby – Welcome; Lincoln Castle, Lincoln – Welcome; Rand Farm Park, Market Rasen – Welcome; The Collection, Art & Archaeology in Lincolnshire, Lincoln – Welcome.
Emma Bridgewater Factory, Stoke-on-Trent – Gold; Ford Green Hall, Stoke-on-Trent – Hidden Gem; Trentham Gardens, Stoke-on-Trent – Quality Food & Drink; Trentham Monkey Forest, Stoke-On-Trent – Best Told Story; World of Wedgwood, Stoke-on-Trent – Gold.
Lichfield Cathedral, Lichfield – Best Told Story; Museum of Cannock Chase, Cannock – Hidden Gem; National Memorial Arboretum, Alrewas – Gold; Weston Park, Shifnal – Quality Food & Drink.
Chawton House, Alton – Hidden Gem; Paultons Park, Romsey – Gold; Whitchurch Silk Mill, Whitchurch – Best Told Story.