Helsbury Dog Photo Competition 2014 Entry 20

Kerrie Owen sent these lovely shots of her dogs staying up at Broadview, we love the one of Luca taking in the view!

And the Award for Best View from a Sauna goes to...

OK, that might not be a real award, but if it was I'm pretty sure we'd win it. I'd be happy to see the shortlist if it isn't the winner! For more on the pool go to our web site.

Helsbury Park has picked up a prestigious national award for its dedication to dogs...

From the Kennel Club

Helsbury Park, which offers luxury dog friendly holiday cottages in the heart of north Cornwall, has picked up a prestigious national award for its dedication to dogs and its unique offerings to man’s best friend.  The 5 star accommodation near Camelford received the most nominations from the public in the Kennel Club’s Open for Dogs Awards, and took the lead to be crowned top dog in the Somewhere to Stay category.

Helsbury Park is situated between three Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty – Bodmin Moor, the Camel Valley and the North Cornwall Coast – and is within easy reach of many dog friendly beaches, making it the perfect location to holiday in Britain with a dog.

Luxuries on offer to the cottages’ four-legged guests include deliveries of their favourite dog food and a local ‘dog whisperer’, a dog behaviour counsellor who can offer sessions in the comfort of the cottages.  Organic spa treatment packages are offered for human guests, who also have access to a luxury pool, sauna and gym.

The Open for Dogs competition – now in its seventh year – is based solely on the views of the public and aims to break down barriers for man’s best friend by encouraging more businesses to be dog friendly. Nominations came in from all over the country for the most welcoming dog friendly businesses, towns, and public places.

With over 28,000 canine-canny businesses listed on the Open for Dogs website, powered by Dog Friendly, competition was fierce. Thousands of nominations flooded in from dog lovers giving their paw of approval for the places that treat their dogs like royalty, or simply offer them a drink of water when they need it. Certain businesses stood out as being particularly dog-centric however.

David Wilson, owner of Helsbury Park, said: “We are thrilled to have won a Kennel Club Open for Dogs award.  Our customers, many of whom nominated us in the ‘Somewhere to Stay’ category mean a lot to us, and we appreciate the fact that they took the time to vote.  We love having guests bringing their dogs with them, and are proud to be a dog friendly place to stay.”

Caroline Kisko, Kennel Club Secretary, added: “Helsbury Park is a great example of the many businesses and public places that have already adopted a wonderfully dog-friendly atmosphere and are reaping the benefits of being open for dogs.

“They show that they are willing to go above and beyond for their customers and those businesses that welcome dogs are an important part of the British marketplace and are consistent with the UK’s love affair with dogs.  By offering a unique holiday experience, Helsbury Park is helping to ensure that dog owners across the country can holiday in the UK without worrying about having to leave their dog with someone else.”

With over 8 million dogs in the UK, and around one in four households owning a dog, the great British public are always on the look-out for places where their four-legged family members are also welcome, and the Open for Dogs Awards recognise businesses and places to visit that go that extra mile for our canine comrades.  More information on the Kennel Club’s Open for Dogs campaign can be found at www.openfordogs.org.uk.

Helsbury Dog Photo Competition 2014 Entry 19

Sue Jackson bought her little dog Mollie to Helsbury recently and sent these lovely photos in. She said: "We had a lovely, very relaxing weekend and would loved to have stayed longer. It’s a great place to explore from but with wonderful facilities onsite. Our cottage was huge, very comfortable with underfloor heating which we all enjoyed – particularly Mollie! "

Helsbury Dog Photo Competition 2014 Entry 18

Laura Trevillion-Moore sent this lovely shot of Rolo and Hugo on the beach at Trebarwith, one of our favourite dog friendly beaches and only a few minutes from Helsbury. Laura said "Our week in February at the lovely Farmhouse has become my yearly birthday treat!  So looking forward to next Feb, so are the dogs!" 

Bridge over the River Camel...

There won't be many new bridges over the River Camel any time soon so we're very lucky to have had permission to build this lovely bridge providing access to the land we have on the other side of the river.

 This bridge provides walkies on another 20 acres of land including another huge fenced paddock and more lovely woodland. It will be finished over the Winter and ready for guests in 2014. Just in case you need reminding you can see some images of the land at Helsbury here on our website.

Helsbury Dog Photo Competition 2014 Entry 17

Rachel Sinkinson sent this great shot of her dogs, she said: "We think they are asking each other if they should request another run around the fields!!!" This would make a great caption competition, feel free to let us have your suggestions.

Helsbury Dog Photo Competition 2014 Entry 16

Jess Bradbrook and her family had a "fabulous stay" recently in Broadview and sent these great shots of Luna and Cosmo enjoying their holiday.

Helsbury Dog Photo Competition 2014 Entry 15

Dawn Morgan sent this lovely pic of a very happy little chap, she said: "This is my dog Honey having a great time on the beach ! We stayed at the farmhouse, three couples and seven dogs!! The best place I have ever stayed. Will definitely come back again!"

Tortoise Friendly Holidays Part 2...

Having had our first tortoise visit last year, we had two in one week last month and here's the evidence. Eric Bradbrook who bought Trafford along said: "We would just like to say that we had a wonderful week in Broadview. Everyone had a great time, humans, dogs and especially Trafford the tortoise who had never been on holiday before!"

Helsbury Dog Photo Competition 2014 Entry 14

Shirley & Clive Stinchcombe sent these great shots of their lovely dogs on their recent holiday at Helsbury. They are already looking forward to their next visit!

Nine in 10 Dog Owners Take More Pictures of Their Pet Than Partners

New research released by Direct Line has revealed dog owners prefer their pets to their partners when it comes to screen savers and profile pictures, with nine in 10 dog owners taking more pets of their pets than partners! 86% of the 1,407 dog owners surveyed claimed to prefer to have their pet as their screen saver while 45% said they always use a picture of their pet as their social media profile.

Dog owners are constantly catching their ‘dogs on film’ with nearly a third (31 per cent) taking daily pictures, according to new research from Direct Line Pet Insurance and K9 Media. An incredible one in five dog owners admit that their phone gallery is 75% full with pet pictures as 90 per cent of dog owners reveal they take more pictures of their pet than their partners.

We rely on this happy fact for our dog friendly photo competition every year!

Spot the mystery object...

Here's a picture of something we're having built at the moment for Helsbury - any ideas what it might be?

Late Availability in the Farmhouse in September...

A poorly dog has meant that one of our regular guests has regrettably had to cancel their holiday in the Farmhouse on the 27th September, so this week is now available on a first come first served basis. Please let us know as soon as you can if you'd like to come.

Helsbury is awarded 5 Star Gold for the 5th year running...

Our recent Quality in Tourism inspection has resulted a 5th year of being awarded 5 stars with a coveted GOLD standard. Scoring in the high 90% and in some cases 100% on all of the criteria we are very proud to be offering our guests a unique dog friendly experience whilst maintaining these incredibly high standards.

Special mention was made of our housekeeping team: "An absolutely excellent standard of housekeeping and cleanliness seen at the time of the assessment. With attention to detail seen at both high and low levels, furniture pulled out and surfaces dust free. Sue and the team are to be congratulated on maintaining this standard."

The Guardian is looking for photos of 'Pets on Holiday'...

If you've been away this Summer why not post some of your pet photos to the Guardian web site:

Pets on Holiday

And if you've been to Helsbury please do give us a mention!

Helsbury Dog Photo Competition 2014 Entry 13

Andy and Louise Taylor came to stay recently and had a lovely time: "We had a lovely stay at Marhayes, Helsbury Park at the end of June, it really is a dogs paradise not to mention luxury for humans!  We will certainly recommend your holiday cottages to our friends, and for sure will visit again ourselves."

Helsbury Dog Photo Competition 2014 Entry 12

Steve and Tracy Jones sent these lovely photos from their recent holiday and said: "Thank you very much for a wonderful stay, we had a really fantastic time"

Helsbury Dog Photo Competition 2014 Entry 11

Karen Arevalo sent these lovely shots in and said: "Firstly I’d like to thank you for a lovely week in Helsbury, we all had a wonderful holiday. It really is a doggy heaven and to be honest we could have spent the entire week just walking by the river! I don’t think the dogs would have minded and the wood is one of the most picturesque I have ever seen in England!

Late Availability Alert for end August...

We've had 2 cancellations late on in August in the Farmhouse and in Marhayes. Both are now available to book and we're open to offers!

http://www.helsburypark.co.uk/bookings/availability.asp

Bodmin Moor, Cornwall - a Video Guide

Helsbury Dog Photo Competition 2014 Entry 10

Bridget and Neil Davey claimed their free week as the prize for winning last year's dog photo competition and sent us even more lovely photos of their dogs on holiday here at Helsbury. Bridget said: "We just want to say thank you very much for another wonderful stay at Helsbury Park. We loved staying at the Farmhouse and the view from the breakfast room is just amazing. Our friends and first time visitors to Helsbury Park were stunned by how beautiful it is. They loved the house, the park, the walks and they loved the pool. Porthos and Lucy Beagle felt like home and showed Barney and Jaz (the other 2 Beagles) the park and where to find the best bunny holes and the best smells. They loved playing and running at the beach and at the end of day one we have 4 very tired but very happy Beagles in the House. All four loved laying on the floor in the breakfast room when the sun came in. It was lovely seeing them all having fun and just being dogs. Thank you again for the wonderful time we had and we already looking forward coming back."

Helsbury Dog Photo Competition 2014 Entry 9

Sarah Marshall and her family stayed in our Farmhouse recently, she said: "Not only do us humans have a great time at Helsbury but the canines do too. I've wished my life away to return to the Farmhouse and it went all too quick for me. We all had a fabulous time and even managed to buy the biggest lobster from Port Isacc for my daughters 10th Birthday tea in the Breakfast Room (her request) and accompanied with crab claws, king prawns, scallops, anchovies, fresh italian bread and samphire. Stocked up again from St Kitts with the soaps and chocolate too. It was so wonderful to be able to visit the Farmhouse again with your warm welcomes and wonderful accommodation, as I said before we all cried when leaving - a good sign."

Helsbury Dog Photo Competition 2014 Entry 8

Jill Clinch sent us these lovely shots of her dogs Murphy,Sonny & Rio and said "Many thanks for a lovely weeks holiday, it's so difficult finding a dog friendly cottage that will take 3 dogs let alone one that has such a fantastic pool and land. Even the weather was gorgeous."

Helsbury Dog Photo Competition 2014 Entry 7

Steve and Jackie Gifford stayed in the Farmhouse last week and sent these brilliant shots: "We had a fantastic time at Helsbury Park, we stayed in the Farmhouse and were stunned by the quality of the accommodation. It is truly Five Star! We enjoyed it and our three dogs loved it. I have been on many holidays with the dogs and stayed in so called dog friendly cottages, but in fact they are not really dog friendly and you spend all your time trying to stop them from jumping on couches, coming upstairs etc. No worries here as all this was allowed. Dogs came upstairs and slept by the bed as normal and with the help of blankets provided laid with me on the sofa...fabulous relaxing holiday...we will be back!"