Meet the owners: 40 years of Holme Valley Caravan & Camping Park

Award-winning Yorkshire campsite, Holme Valley is celebrating its fortieth birthday in 2026.

The site sits just outside the market town of Holmfirth, surrounded by the rolling countryside of West Yorkshire and within easy reach of the Peak District. Over the past 40 years, the park has grown from a derelict mill site into a well-established destination, now offering a blend of touring pitches and glamping accommodation. We spoke to Naomi and Ben Humphreys to find out more about Holme Valley's 40-year journey.

How did Holme Valley first begin? 
Before moving back to the UK, Naomi’s parents, Hazel and Phil, used to hire out touring caravans on the Mosel River in Germany, where they lived for 10 years. It persuaded them to give up their day jobs and open their own caravan park in Holmfirth, West Yorkshire. The local council was on the lookout for someone to open a caravan park in Last of the Summer Wine country, as the area was becoming well-known and inundated with tourists keen to see the location of the sitcom.

What were those early days like? 
Difficult! Developing the land from a derelict mill site led to so much mud that Hazel and Phil feared it would be the last place anyone would want to bring a caravan or tent! Fortunately, grants from the local council and West Yorkshire, as well as winning the SHE magazine award for new businesses, helped to keep us afloat.

How has the park changed and developed? 
Gradually, over the years, more and more land was bought and added to the park, including farmers’ fields and woodland. In 2014, just in time for the hundreds of guests arriving to watch the Tour de France passing by the park, a new two-storey park building was completed. This houses a reception and shop at the entrance to the park and, below, new toilets and showers as well as family bathrooms. More recently, in 2018, Ben and Naomi introduced glamping accommodation. The Camping Stove, a takeaway food cabin, opened in 2023.

What do you enjoy most about running a campsite after all these years? 
Working in a beautiful green location with an excellent team and meeting new customers every day. We love to see families returning each year and watching children grow up and return with their own families.

What have been some of the biggest challenges along the way? 
Covid introduced new dynamics; however, it also opened us up to new ideas and developments.

What do you think keeps people coming back to Holme Valley year after year? 
The warm welcome, friendly staff and beautiful setting.

What makes the location of Holme Valley special for visitors? 
We are not miles from anywhere, so guests from nearby towns and cities such as Leeds, Sheffield and Manchester can reach us quickly. The market town of Holmfirth, just one mile down the road, is a gem with plenty of independent shops, cafés and restaurants. We are surrounded by many fantastic walking trails and reservoirs, and we are located on the edge of the Peak District.

What have been some of the biggest milestones over the years? 
The longest-running British TV comedy programme, Last of the Summer Wine, filmed several scenes at the campsite in the early 90s. This was great promotion in the park’s early years and made us popular with fans. Getting our first David Bellamy Award for Conservation was another milestone. We received a Silver award in 1995, the second year of the scheme; since then, we have achieved a Gold award every year. Being selected as a location for a Swift motorhome advert and, very recently, scenes for an upcoming Channel 4 drama. Being crowned Out & About Live Campsite of the Year 2026!

What has stayed the same since the beginning? 
Its green ethos. From the very beginning, Phil and Hazel were passionate about conserving wildlife while developing the site. A borehole ensures that the park always has a supply of fresh water. Native trees and hedgerows continue to be planted, and both amenities blocks are run sustainably using biomass boilers and solar thermal panels.

What does a typical day look like for you? 
We started with a team of two (Hazel and Phil), and now the team numbers 25! We see significantly more arrivals every day, and it can often take two members of staff just to field the phone calls.

What are your hopes for the future of the park? 
The park still has plenty of potential! We plan to further our green credentials and build a solar array. We are also planning to expand the range of activities for children with woodland walking trails and activity backpacks, and perhaps a Cresta Run and outdoor cinema. We’re always looking to run our business in an ethically sound and more sustainable way while being supportive of the environment.

Finally, what do you enjoy doing when you get a rare moment away from the park? 
We love the outdoors – walking, biking, skiing, and especially family holidays. We have a campervan, so we can’t help enjoying a busman’s holiday and checking out what other campsites are doing!