A team from Careys Secret Garden flew the flag for Purbeck at the Dorset Tourism Awards, taking gold in the section for Ethical, Responsible and Sustainable attractions, and being voted the event’s overall winner.
Careys Secret Garden near Wareham, home to the first breeding pair of ospreys in southern England for nearly 200 years, also picked up a silver award in the section for small visitor attraction at the 12th Dorset Tourism Awards night on Thursday 6th February 2025.
The prestigious event was hosted at Marsham Court Hotel, Bournemouth
Purbeck won 18 of the 61 trophies
An organisation which runs boat tours up the Wareham Channel to see the ospreys in the wild, Birds of Poole Harbour, also struck gold as their osprey tours were voted Experience of the Year, while Durdle Door Holiday Park won gold for Holiday Park of the Year.
Swanage Regatta and Carnival collected a bronze award to go with the one they were awarded in 2024 in the Tourism Event or Festival of the Year category.
They were beaten to gold by Bournemouth’s Arts By The Sea 2023, which controversially sited an arts installation, Portal, on the beach where two teenagers had died just four months earlier.
Purbeck attractions and businesses won 18 out of 61 awards in the event held at Marsham Court Hotel, Bournemouth, a fantastic result for a small region in a countywide competition so often dominated by Bournemouth, Poole and Christchurch.
Swanage Carnival take to the stage to collect their bronze award for best event or festival
Farmer Palmer’s staff with their silver award for Large Visitor Attraction of the Year. Charlie Brazier, centre, won his own award for Unsung Hero
Alpaca trekking and glamping
Local silver awards were collected by Farmer Palmer’s in the Large Visitor Attraction category, and judges who visited the farm park to look round were so impressed by teenage reception employee Charlie Brazier that they nominated him in the Unsung Hero award, where he also collected silver.
Lulworth Castle and Park won silver in the Wedding Venue category and was commended in the Dog Friendly business of the year section, and Longthorns Farm, Bovington, won bronze medals for its Alpaca trekking experience and also in the Glamping Business section.
The Accessible and Inclusive tourism award saw the National Trust take two awards, silver for Brownsea Island and bronze for Studland Bay.
Brownsea Island also won a bronze award for Large Visitor Attraction, and Rang Barse Colours Over Corfe, the 2024 Holi celebration at Corfe Castle, was commended in the Tourism Event or Festival of the year.
Two smaller businesses also did Purbeck proud – 2 Coastguards Cottage at Lulworth Cove won bronze for Self Catering Accommodation of the year, while the Wareham Garden Gate Tea Room won bronze for the Cafe or Tearoom of the year.
Lulworth Castle and Park won awards for Wedding Venue and Dog Friendly business
Durdle Door Holiday Park staff, gold winners of the Holiday Park of the Year award
Full list of winners for 2025
Accessible and Inclusive Tourism Award
- Gold – Marsham Court Hotel, Bournemouth
- Silver – Brownsea Island, National Trust
- Bronze – Studland Bay, National Trust
B and B and Guesthouse of the Year
- Gold – The Gresham Guesthouse, Weymouth
- Silver – Channel View Guesthouse, Weymouth
Business Events Venue of the Year
- Gold – Marsham Court Hotel, Bournemouth
- Silver – Lighthouse, Poole
- Bronze – Merley House Events, Wimborne
- Commended- Dorset Museum and Art Gallery, Dorchester
Cafe or Tearoom of the Year
- Gold – Compton Acres Café Tearooms, Poole
- Silver – The Upwey Wishing Well Tearoom and Water Gardens, Weymouth
- Bronze – Garden Gate Tea Room, Wareham
Camping and Caravanning Park of the Year
- Gold – Monkton Wyld Holiday Park, Bridport
- Silver – Back of Beyond Touring, Camping and Glamping Park, St Leonards
- Silver – Coppet Hill Partners, Bridport
- Bronze – South Lytchett Manor Caravan and Camping Park, Lytchett Minster
Staff of Wareham’s Garden Gate Tea Room were delighted with their bronze award
Casual Dining Award
- Gold – Sculpture by the Lakes, Pallington
- Silver – Poco Pizza, Lyme Regis
Dog Friendly Business of the Year
- Gold – Back of Beyond Touring, Camping and Glamping Park, St Leonards
- Silver – Sculpture by the Lakes, Pallington
- Commended – Lulworth Castle and Park
Ethical, Responsible and Sustainable Tourism Award
- Gold – Careys Secret Garden, Wareham
- Silver – West Dorset Leisure Holidays Highlands End, Bridport
- Commended – Sandford Holiday Park, Parkdean Resorts, Poole
Longthorns Farm picked up a brace of awards for Experience of the Year and for Glamping
Experience of the Year
- Gold – Osprey Cruises, Birds of Poole Harbour
- Silver – Hidden Dorset Half Day, Sea Kayak Dorset, Portland
- Bronze – Alpaca Trekking Experience, Longthorns Farm, Bovington
- Bronze – Yoga Retreats, Mellulah Yoga Retreats, Evershot
Glamping Business of the Year
- Gold – Dorset Forest Garden Glamping, Beaminster
- Silver – Loose Reins Dorset, Blandford Forum
- Silver – Longthorns Farm, Bovington
Holiday Park of the Year
- Gold – Durdle Door Holiday Park
International Tourism Award
- Gold – Dorset Museum and Art Gallery, Dorchester
Birds of Poole Harbour run osprey cruises up the Wareham Channel to provide an unforgettable tourist experience
Large Hotel of the Year
- Gold – Christchurch Harbour Hotel, Christchurch
- Silver – Moonfleet Manor Hotel, Weymouth
- Commended – Holiday Inn, Bournemouth
- Commended – RNLI College, Poole
Large Visitor Attraction of the Year
- Gold – Dorset Museum and Art Gallery, Dorchester
- Silver – Farmer Palmer’s Farm Park, Wareham
- Silver – Moors Valley Country Park and Forest, Ashley Heath
- Bronze – Brownsea Island, National Trust
- Commended – Nothe Fort, operated by Weymouth Civic Society, Weymouth
- Commended – Russell-Cotes Art Gallery and Museum, Bournemouth
Outstanding Contribution to Dorset Tourism
- Professor Peter Jones, Bournemouth University
No 2 Coastguards Cottage at Lulworth Cove won a bronze in the Self Catering category
Pub of the Year
Gold – The Acorn Inn, Dorchester
Silver – The Langton Arms, Blandford Forum
Restaurant of the Year
- Gold – The Jetty, Christchurch
- Silver – St Tropez Lounge, Poole
- Silver – Upper Deck Restaurant, Christchurch
- Bronze – Al Molo, Dorchester
Self Catering Accommodation of the Year
- Gold – Greenwood Grange, Dorchester
- Silver – Manor Farm Barns Dorset, Melbury Abbas
- Bronze – 2 Coastguards Cottage, Lulworth Cove
Small Hotel of the Year
- Gold – Summer Lodge Hotel, Evershot
Small Visitor Attraction of the Year
- Gold – Sculpture by the Lakes, Pallington
- Silver – Careys Secret Garden, Wareham
- Silver – Museum of East Dorset, Wimborne
- Bronze – Highcliffe Castle
- Commended – West Bay Discovery Centre, Bridport
The Rang Barse: Colours over Corfe Castle, a Holi celebration, was commended in the Tourism Event or Festival section
Tourism Event or Festival of the Year
- Gold – Arts by the Sea 2023, Bournemouth
- Gold – Bournemouth Writing Festival 2024, Bournemouth
- Silver – Inside Out Dorset 2023, Dorchester
- Bronze – Swanage Regatta and Carnival 2024, Swanage
- Commended – Rang Barse: Colours over Corfe Castle 2024
Unsung Hero Award
- Gold – Jenny Ashley, Monkton Wyld Holiday Park, Bridport
- Silver – Charlie Brazier, Farmer Palmer’s Farm Park, Poole
Wedding Venue of the Year
- Gold – Abbots Court, Blandford Forum
- Silver – Lulworth Castle and Park
- Bronze – Highcliffe Castle
- Commended – Merley House Events, Wimborne
Winner of Winners
- Careys Secret Garden, Wareham
The National Trust team on Brownsea Island won bronze in the Large Visitor Attraction category
Great reward for hard working teams
The event was the conclusion of five months of independent judging as hospitality businesses of all kinds were recognised for their excellence in customer service, sustainability, digital communications and accessibility.
Guests were inspired by a presentation from Portland based Olympic stars Etienne Stott and Laura Baldwin, who shared their tips on the importance of winning and environmental protection.
Amanda Park of sponsors Visit Dorset said:
“Visit Dorset are proud sponsors of the Dorset Tourism Awards and as always, we were delighted to have the opportunity to celebrate the sheer variety and quality of businesses across the whole of Dorset’s fantastic tourism industry, which contributes so much to our local economy.
“It is such a great reward for the hard working teams in tourism and hospitality to receive this recognition, and it is so deserved.”
Emma Shaw, garden manager at Carey’s Secret Garden, was delighted with their three awards
“Nature is for everyone”
Many of the Gold winners in the Dorset Awards will also be nominated to represent Dorset in the national VisitEngland awards later in the year.
Simon Constantine, of Careys Secret Garden, now expected to compete at national level, said:
“We are thrilled to receive these awards from Dorset Tourism and to be recognized for the great work our team does here. We aim to make Careys Secret Garden a welcoming space for all.
“Nature is for everyone, and we are in the business of good news – both for the environment and for people. We want Careys to inspire positive change, and these awards really mean a lot to us and tell us that we are headed in the right direction.
“Winning these awards means everything to our small team who work incredibly hard and we couldn’t be prouder of them and our wonderful supporters for this recognition!
“Thank you so much to Dorset Tourism Awards for a fantastic event, and huge congratulations to all the amazing Dorset tourism businesses who do such brilliant cheerleading for our county.”
Darren Strong led the Swanage Carnival delegation to collect their award
“Testament to dedicated volunteers”
Swanage Carnival chair Darren Strong said:
“To be nominated again with such other great events is testament to our hard working and very dedicated volunteers without whom the event simply wouldn’t happen!
“As a totally self-funding organisation with a long and rich history, Swanage Carnival has now become a much anticipated date in the Dorset calendar.
“We really couldn’t run this event without the generosity of our sponsors and all the people who help us without hesitation.
“A huge thanks also to the people of Swanage who support us unconditionally. We are now looking forward to this year’s carnival with new and exciting events, and will be announcing our theme in the coming days!”
The National Trust team at Studland Bay won bronze for their efforts to make the beach accessible and inclusive
An all terrain electric wheelchair
Emma Wright, National Trust visitor operations and experience manager at Studland Bay, said:
“We want to ensure everyone has the opportunity to explore and enjoy our places and want to thank the Dorset Tourism Awards for recognising us in the Accessibility and Inclusion category.
“We have undertaken a number of accessible upgrades at Studland such as adding an all-terrain electric wheelchair and a Changing Places Toilet to help us towards our goal.
“We regularly working with SEN students from Montacute School to provide student experiences in the community, and training is also provided to staff to ensure inclusivity is part of our culture.”
Further information
- More pictures and event coverage is on the Dorset Tourism Awards website
