Something exciting is growing at Black Beck Holiday Park near Newby Bridge in 2026 as new Head Gardener Conrad Bunday is transforming the popular Partington’s holiday spot into a stunning sanctuary of colour, conservation and wildlife wellbeing.
Conrad came to work for the Lancashire-based family business in September 2025 with a mission to build a deeper connection between all their holiday parks and the natural world. And he’s well on the way to achieving his goal with his colourful bid for a prestigious Cumbria in Bloom Award by vastly increasing the diversity of all the plants and bulbs at Black Beck in the Lake District and creating more natural habitats across the park to encourage and increase local wildlife.
He also helped to grow Black Beck’s submission to become top three finalists in this year’s Cumbrian Tourism Award for Camping, Glamping & Holiday Park of the Year!
Conrad, 30, is originally from Hythe in the New Forest and feels his career path into horticulture was almost destined: “I learned to love gardening from my father. He has been working with the land all his life and has passed down not just his many practical skills, but also his deep respect for nature and the importance of protecting the natural world in all its forms.”
That early grounding has shaped Conrad’s working philosophy ever since, and after tending gardens across the country, he is now firmly putting down leadership roots at Partington’s Holiday Parks across the Lake District, Lancashire and the Yorkshire Dales to preserve habitats, encourage biodiversity and ensure that all their green spaces don’t just coexist with nature, they actively support it.
For Black Beck this means spearheading a bold and colourful new campaign for the 2026 Cumbria in Bloom Awards, with Conrad and his team spending months enhancing all the planting schemes throughout the site, and dramatically increasing the diversity of flowers, bulbs and pollinator-friendly species to create glorious displays that also actively support local ecosystems in time for the submission.
Cumbria in Bloom has been inspiring communities to transform their surroundings through the power of horticulture and environmental care since 1983. Its mission is to encourage individuals and organisations throughout Cumbria to enhance their local spaces through stunning floral displays, thoughtful landscaping and eco-friendly initiatives. Expert judges visit entrants each summer, offering constructive feedback and celebrating achievements, with the green scheme culminating in a prestigious awards ceremony where nominations are also put forward for the national Britain in Bloom competition.
The popular Lake District holiday park snapped up the Silver Award for Cumbria in Bloom in 2025, with judging for this year’s competition taking place earlier this month and the 2026 winners announced in the autumn. As part of this year’s entry, new wildlife habitats were carefully introduced across the park, which included expanded wildflower areas, pollinator corridors and more natural planting designed to encourage birds, bees, butterflies and other native species to thrive.
Conrad explained: “Cumbria in Bloom is about so much more than simply looking beautiful. It recognises places that genuinely care for their environment and create spaces where nature can flourish alongside people. We want guests to arrive at Black Beck and immediately feel connected to the landscape around them. As such, we’ve been introducing a much wider variety of planting throughout the park, focusing heavily on species that support pollinators and local wildlife, and considering sustainability and environmental impact as well as visual appeal.”
Black Beck’s enhanced natural environment and commitment to sustainability also strengthened its submission in the 2026 Cumbrian Tourism Awards in the Camping, Glamping & Holiday Park of the Year category, with the popular holiday park reaching this year’s finals of the prestigious awards.
The Cumbria Tourism Awards celebrate and recognise exceptional quality across a wide range of tourism businesses and all shortlisted businesses must successfully demonstrate outstanding achievements which are driving fantastic levels of quality and service to visitors. Conrad believes Black Beck’s environmental improvements are also helping create a much more meaningful holiday experience for guests. “People increasingly want to stay somewhere that reflects the beauty of the Lake District and respects the natural world around it,” he said. “Guests notice when wildlife is thriving, when spaces feel greener and more peaceful, and when parks are actively investing in the environment. That all contributes to a better visitor experience.”
Conrad and his busy team of seven are also looking at creating further sustainability for the other Partington’s parks with plans to enhance the natural environment at each site – including growing wildflower turfs and introducing a wetland mix to bind the land together and make the area much more eco-friendly for birds and animals at Windy Harbour; a bold vision to turn Newton Hall Holiday Park near Blackpool into a completely edible landscape with a thriving kitchen garden that will supply fresh, seasonal produce directly to its popular dining spot Café at Walterz; and introducing hedgehog houses, bug hotels, wild planting and more insect coverage to increase the biodiversity and endangered animal species at Tarn House in Skipton.
Conrad said: “Gardens shouldn’t just look good – they should give something back. Whether that’s supporting wildlife, improving wellbeing or inspiring people to connect with nature; every green space has the potential to make a positive difference. The enthusiasm across the whole Partington’s team has been incredible. Everyone shares ideas and knowledge, and there’s a genuine passion for creating parks that are not only beautiful, but environmentally responsible too.”
The next generation are also being inspired to get involved with nature with plans for little visitors to each park being able to plant seeds during their stay and receive updates as their plants grow, with the hope it will spark a lifelong appreciation for green spaces and the environment.
With Conrad Bunday at the helm, the future of Partington’s Holiday Parks is looking greener, richer and far more engaging for all.
Partington’s Holiday Parks – sustainability and community growing side by side.
