National award for Tatton

Tatton Park has been crowned 'Best Large Visitor Attraction' in the country beating off a whole host of hopefuls and gaining a prestigious gold award.

The Knutsford beauty spot is managed and financed by Cheshire East Council on behalf of the National Trust and judges from Visit England were left in no doubt that the park is a magnificent magnet for tourism which pulls in more than 800,000 a year.

The prestigious Visit England awards were held on May 12th at Cheltenham Racecourse and celebrated the best of English tourism in the country.

More than 300 attractions were in the running for various categories and, among others, Cheshire East Council beat neighbouring Trentham Estate, in Stoke-on-Trent, for the top spot.

Council Leader Councillor Michael Jones said: "Tourism for Cheshire East is booming – with visitor numbers swelling to 13.9 million last year and the Borough's visitor economy worth a record £737m. This is great news for boosting jobs and businesses across Cheshire East.

In the 'Large Visitor Attraction' category, Tatton beat: Trebah Garden in Falmouth, Cornwall (Silver Award); Walby Farm Park, in Carlisle, Cumbria (Bronze Award); and Trentham Estate in Stoke-on-Trent and Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust (both received a 'highly commended' award).

Around a year ago, Tatton Park embarked on its five-year plan to substantially develop its visitor experiences by increasing the attractions and activities on offer.

By 2016/17 it is expected that one million visitors a year will visit Tatton Park and enjoy these experiences.

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