Council country parks awarded top visitor award

Rangers at Devon County Council’s county parks are celebrating after receiving top awards.

Visitors to the Grand Western Canal Country Park and Local Nature Reserve and Stover Country Park have heaped praise on the countryside attractions, earning them both a Certificate of Excellence from customer review website Trip Advisor.

Now in its sixth year, the prestigious award celebrates hospitality businesses that have achieved consistently great traveller reviews on TripAdvisor over the past year.

Stover County Park is rated number one place to visit in Newton Abbot, with nearly 200 visitors rating it as excellent or very good.

Recent reviews have described the park, which is managed by Devon County Council, as “a hidden gem”, with an “interesting visitors centre for young and old.”

Over 150 visitors to the Grand Western Canal Country Park and Local Nature Reserve have given it at least 4 stars, with one stating it is a “haven for wildlife, well kept, free and easily accessible…a great place to relax.”

Cllr Roger Croad, Devon County Council’s Cabinet Member responsible for Community and Environmental Services, said: “Devon has superb country parks, offering great facilities for locals and visitors to enjoy all year round.

“Receiving an accolade like this is a real source of pride for us, and reflects the excellent work of our rangers and volunteers.

“We would like to thank all our visitors who took the time to complete a review on Trip Advisor, and we look forward to continuing to welcome visitors to our beautiful parks.”

Heather Leisman, Vice President of Industry Marketing at TripAdvisor, said: "With the Certificate of Excellence, TripAdvisor honours hospitality businesses that have consistently received strong praise and ratings from travellers.”

The Certificate of Excellence accounts for the quality, quantity and recency of reviews submitted by travellers on TripAdvisor over a 12-month period. To qualify, a business must maintain an overall TripAdvisor bubble rating of at least four out of five, have a minimum number of reviews and must have been listed on TripAdvisor for at least 12 months.