It's a campsite life for Dales couple

That same year Tony Foster’s parents Bernard and Ann took on the beautiful campsite at Howgill Lodge between Barden and Appletreewick just off last weekend’s route of the Tour de Yorkshire. The similarities between the film campsite location in Buckinghamshire and Howgill Lodge are few although paradise would certainly be a much better description of the latter.

It is also extremely unlikely that Bernard would have got away with the script delivered by Fiddler or even tried, and for the record neither the film nor Howgill did not or have not engaged in the clothes-off fraternity.

Nine years ago when Tony’s parents retired he and wife Fiona became the second generation of the family to run the enterprise that today includes bed and breakfast accommodation, static caravan letting, touring caravan pitches and camping.

“Dad was born on a farm just up the lane. He worked as a plumber in the area before getting this place. I was four-years-old when we came. In those days campsites were quite different to today. At the time this was a field that took tents and had a few bits of tin sheds with buckets in the corner and a tap. It’s all changed since then. People come armed with everything to make their holidays as comfortable as they can and we do our bit too.”

Having grown up in the countryside Tony’s initial ambition had been to become a farmer.

“Both my grandfathers farmed and as a youngster I spent a lot of time at my grandfather’s farm in Hartlington where he had sheep and a dairy herd. It’s what I wanted to do and so I studied for my degree in agriculture at Harper Adams College in Shropshire, but when I came out of college things had altered and there weren’t the jobs around in farming that there used to be.”

While Tony never made it to milking his own cows in the Dales he has been responsible for the delivery of what they produce in a previous career before taking on Howgill Lodge.

“I bought a milk round in Burley in Wharfedale and added various other areas during a period of 15-16 years then came back here to take over with Fiona in 2008. I had worked alongside mum and dad prior to that fitting it in with the milk round.”

Tony and Fiona’s first year saw a spike in the camping market but they have seen a move towards caravans, camper vans and the bed and breakfast accommodation in recent years.

“The recession hit just as we had taken over,” says Fiona.

“In 2009, officially our first season, and for the first two to three years camping was a lot more popular as everybody decided they could only afford to camp.

“When we suffered a couple of wet summers everyone seemed to throw their tents in the bin and want something more. Camping is still popular but just not as mad popular as it was seven or eight years ago. I don’t think many do it as a main holiday now. It’s more of a three or four night extra break that mums throw in with their young children as a means to get away in summer.

“Walking and where we’re situated off the beaten track where it is secluded and tranquil in beautiful countryside with fabulous views are probably our main attractions for holiday makers, but we also have wonderful places on our doorstep. The village of Appletreewick is close by and has two great pubs that serve food. Bolton Abbey, Burnsall, Grassington, Skipton, Masham and Pateley Bridge are all within a short drive and we’re popular with families and older generations.

“The Tour de Yorkshire and Le Grand Depart when it came to the Dales has brought us additional campers and tourers. It’s great and has been a wonderful advertisement. We also do well when events like the 40s weekends are on. There’s one in Grassington and was another at the Craven Arms in Appletreewick recently. We had a couple of US Jeeps here. When people come for weddings in the area we see an increase in trade too.”

The site of what is now known as Howgill Holidays runs to seven acres, has 45 pitches for either touring caravans or tents, three holiday hire static caravans and four bed and breakfast accommodation rooms in a tastefully renovated 17th century barn.

“The barn came with the smallholding,” says Tony.

“Dad had been keeping a few sheep and a cow or two in it but when the roof blew off he thought he’d turn it into accommodation. It was completed 30 years ago and offers four rooms, one a family room and the others all doubles.

“We get some bookings for the bed and breakfast accommodation in winter but the camping and caravanning side of the business is closed from the end of October until Easter. Because of where we are it can be very quiet at that time but there are always jobs to be done around the place just like with a farm.”

With little income during the winter months Howgill Holidays’ harvest is between seven and eight months each year. Fiona’s background helps in keeping them on the right track.

“I’m an accountant and worked in an accountancy practice for a number of years. I squirrel away the money we take all summer so that we have sufficient to get us through the times when we have very few people here. I let it trickle back in so that we’re okay. Everything needs managing correctly.”