The Ringwood business, Back of Beyond, has been awarded the coveted AA five-star Gold Pennant, a prestigious award given out by the AA to its top parks.

Back of Beyond was subjected to a rigorous inspection regime which scrutinised almost every aspect of its facilities and services in order to qualify for the award.

Martin Bowrey, who owns the park with his wife Victoria, said, “This is fantastic news, and we can’t wait to celebrate the award with our customers when parks are allowed to re-open.

“This has been a record year for bookings, even during the current lockdown, and we hope Back of Beyond will be buzzing again as soon as possible this spring.

“We’ve recently been putting a lot of time and investment into ensuring the park meets the highest standards, and its great to see our efforts recognised in this way by the AA.

“An important factor with the AA awards is the quality of hospitality provided to guests, and delivering this is largely in the hands of our friendly and hard-working staff.

“That’s why they also deserve a large share of the credit for this achievement,” added Martin.

The park is also recognised as a place for eco-friendly holidays. It was presented with the David Bellamy Conservation Award at its top gold level in recognition of Back of Beyond’s many environmental initiatives, including the creation of wildlife ponds, planting new hedgerows, and installing hives for honeybees which forage on the park’s many high nectar-bearing flowers.

The couple sold their London-based photography business to pursue their dream in Dorset, aiming to run a sustainable holiday park for nature-loving guests in a part of the country where they, as a family with young children, often went camping.

The park provides pitches for camping, caravans and motorhomes – plus luxury glamping options including yurts, pods, shepherds huts and timber lodges.