Meet the team: Longnor Wood Holiday Park

Located in the Peak District National Park, this adults-only site sits between the spa town of Buxton and Bakewell, the charming town famous for its tarts and puddings. Cycle trails are close by and walking routes abound in the region. Attractions including Chatsworth Estate, Haddon Hall and the Heights of Abraham are a short drive from the site. Sam Kitchen, Longnor Wood’s Site Manager, takes up the story….

How long have you been running your campsite for? 
We started work here in 2006 when my parents bought the park. I was pregnant with our middle daughter, who has just turned 19 and now works alongside us on the site. We started as wardens and worked up to managers as my parents started stepping back. When my parents sold the business to WCF in 2022, we took over running the site.

Tell us a little about your site and how it first began 
It started as a basic camping and caravan park, having previously been a farm. The site was originally an over-50s campsite, changing to adults-only when the previous owners took over. From a basic campsite, it is now a multi-award-winning holiday park that offers lodges, static caravans and pods, while still maintaining the touring and camping aspect.

What did you do before becoming the owners of this site?
I was a young mum working in a little Italian restaurant, and my husband was a mechanic. We started off as passing ships, never really seeing each other, and then started seeing each other 24/7. Living and working together is not for everyone, but it works well for us.

What made you want to run a campsite? 
For as long as I can remember my parents dreamed of owning a caravan park. When I was a child, we started going to Eurocamps in a tent and then bought a caravan of our own. This started my passion for the camping life and the outdoors, and my husband and I enjoyed taking our girls, first camping and then caravanning. I still love nothing more than sitting around a campfire with my family.

What do you like most about being a campsite owner/manager? 
There is a nice mixture of indoor and outdoor work to be done every day. No two days are the same. It’s always great to see the guests enjoying the site and making happy memories that will hopefully keep them coming back time and time again. 

What are the challenges? 
As with most campsites, the weather can sometimes be a challenge. We have recently installed a heated summerhouse/camper’s kitchen, which has been a great addition for campers. 

What is a typical day like for you? 
There is no typical day. One day you can be cleaning toilets, the next you can be on the ride-on mower, mowing the four-acre dog walk and admiring the beautiful views that are all around. The job involves so many different things: meeting and greeting guests, making bookings, cleaning the amenities, ground maintenance, and making pizzas that we offer on the site – but, most importantly, making sure our guests have a memorable stay.

What do you feel makes your site special and appealing to the guests who return every year? 
The main attractions are being adults-only and being such a peaceful site, and all the abundant wildlife you can experience on the site. Also, all the facilities we have to offer. We have recently had installed an accessible bathroom. There’s the catering kitchen, the gym, the games room and the sauna. The enclosed dog walk with its breathtaking views has a big appeal. But most importantly, I feel, the friendliness of all the staff means people know they will be given a warm welcome.

What do you love about the region your site is based in? Do you have any favourite locations/attractions?
There are so many attractions close by, like Chatsworth House, Haddon Hall, Bakewell and Buxton Opera House. For walks, there is the Monsal Trail, Tittesworth and my favourite, the Goyt Valley. For the more adventurous, there’s Alton Towers and the Heights of Abraham. The Peak District is such a beautiful place, with so many exquisite views to see. We really are lucky to live in such a beautiful place.

What do you like to do on a rare day off? 
We love to spend time with our daughters and grandsons, or take our dogs, Roxy and Maverick, to the Goyt Valley for a walk.