TV WOODSMAN RAY MEARS has helped a Worcestershire holiday parks business to launch a wildlife-rich nature walk which takes in local footpaths and nature reserves.
The family owners of Offenham Park and Offenham Touring Park in the Vale of Evesham welcomed Ray as their guest of honour this summer.
Ray led a group of nearly 100 people along the four-mile publicly accessible walk from the park which takes in some of the area’s most ravishing countryside.
He was accompanied by park guests, local residents, visitors from further afield, and members of the Pilling family who have owned the parks for over 25 years.
The walking trail has been established as a joint initiative between the parks and Evesham Place Board, the tourism promotion arm of Wychavon District Council.
Also involved in launching the trail were Evesham Welcomes Walkers, Evesham Rambling Club, and the Vale Landscape Heritage Trust.
The parks already use the trail’s footpaths as part of their weekly “wardens walks” initiative which enables visitors and local residents to explore the Worcestershire countryside.
During the three-hour walk, Ray Mears – well known for his landmark nature documentaries on BBC and ITV – pointed out the many wildlife highlights of the trail.
“This remarkable landscape is subtle, but incredibly rich in natural discoveries along its rivers, and through its fields and hedgerows,” said Ray.
“Here you very quickly feel connected to the rhythm of the countryside, and reminds us that you don’t have to travel to the far corners of the world to experience something special.”
Families staying at the parks also enjoy one of the county’s most famous natural features just a few paces away, because both are located on the banks of the sublime River Avon.
They are also bordered by protected countryside including the Windmill Hill Nature Reserve, a limestone grassland rich in wildflowers, butterflies and other pollinators.
The two parks were founded by Karen and Craig Pilling who continue to manage the business today with the help of their sons Jack and Tom, and daughter-in-law Lauren.
The Pilling family also own the popular Fish and Anchor pub located between the two parks, and which they acquired just over ten years ago, saving it from likely closure.
The pub has more recently been leased out to local people who, say the family, are best able to give it the time and attention it deserves.
Lauren Pilling said that the new walking trail is a continuation of the family’s commitment to ensuring that their parks help benefit all members of the surrounding communities:
“We’ve long worked closely with local charities and other bodies, and with Visit Worcestershire to help swell visitor numbers to the area whose spending supports other small businesses.
“Our new walking trail has already put the spotlight on the Vale of Evesham as a perfect holiday destination for walkers and lovers of the natural world, and that’s just what we hoped.
“We’re also very pleased to be able to offer access to the trail from our touring park to local families and schools; it’s a fantastic collaborative project all round,” said Lauren.
The parks are active members of the Holiday and Residential Parks Association (HARPA), and accompanying Ray’s walk was the association’s Policy Adviser George Cogzell.
More information about owning a holiday home or staying as a touring guest at Offenham is available at www.offenhampark.co.uk and www.offenhamtouringpark.co.uk