Pisces & Acorn Country Park, located in Welney on the Cambridgeshire/Norfolk border, has seen more people choosing to buy holiday accommodation following a stay at the park. It is because holiday makers – and people from the locality – are choosing to get back to nature for short holiday breaks. With 84% of people in the UK living in urban areas (according to 2024-2026 data), interest in countryside accommodation is enjoying a revival.  

There has been an increase in bookings for this Spring including Easter via holiday booking sites such as Pitchup.com and HolidayCottages.co.uk and this is partly to do with the UK’s growing obsession with fishing and wildlife breaks. 

Says Paul Stanton of Pisces & Acorn Country Park, owned by Chiltern Parks, ‘Fishing and wildlife breaks are the go-to for escapes to the countryside but never before has this been so relevant with global tensions as they are and the new economic pressures on people.’

‘Escaping the cities is what seems to be the new trend as we see visitors delighted to swap traffic noise for tranquil walks, fishing and birdwatching.  It’s the sight of flocks of geese moving across the sky, ducks settling onto nearby waterways and the call of lapwings over the fields that makes it so special.’

‘Here at Welney – home of the phenomenal Welney Wildfowl and Wetlands Reserve and setting for BBC Springwatch programmes – we can offer visitors the rare chance to truly reconnect with nature swapping the sounds of sirens for the soothing sounds of the Fens with its quiet waterways and wide skies.’

‘While we have always been known as an award-winning fishing venue – being fortunate enough to host the legendary Bob Nudd over the years – we are becoming a prime location for wildlife watching too.  From the Wetlands for wildfowl to the countryside for butterflies and birds of prey, there is something here for all nature lovers.’

The holiday park has four abundantly stocked fishing lakes – situated on a 20-acre site featuring beautifully landscaped lawns, shrubs and wooded areas.  This is the ideal location for those who enjoy peace and tranquillity – and above all getting away from busy everyday life. This has become the destination of choice for people from all over the UK since staycations have enjoyed a surge in popularity.  

Explaining the link between visitors who rent a property ahead of purchasing a lodge, Paul explains, ‘Lodges cost less than you would expect to purchase but the benefit they bring families is priceless.  A place to escape to whenever you need some family time.  These holiday homes offer outstanding value for money – and that’s key to any purchase with the rise in the cost of living.’

‘More than ever people want to make the most of their leisure time, so many are joining the growing number of holiday homeowners in the UK.’

Established in the 1940s as a tench fishery, Pisces & Acorn Country Park had three lakes heavily stocked with mirror and common carp, pike, tench, roach and bream.  It has won the David Bellamy Conservation Gold Awards for countryside achievement and been recommended by some of the country’s most famous anglers – including Bob Nudd MBE who is now angling ambassador for the park.

The park was acquired by its current owners in 2019 since then significant investment has been made in the facilities there.  The holiday home accommodation on offer has recently been upgraded with many new units for rent and purchase, improvements in the infrastructure and conservation work to enhance the grounds and lakes.’

Continues Paul, ‘Fishing is one of the UK’s largest participation sports and it is great for mindfulness and health.  Getting out into nature is clearly what people want, to live a more fulfilled life, so we are seeing more visitors than usual and more people wanting to invest in a holiday home so that they have somewhere to go wild at the weekends!’

Luxury furnished holiday lodges are available to rent and buy. Rental prices start from £95 per night including fishing and holiday home sales from £34,995 for a fully furnished luxury holiday home.  All accommodation is situated beside a lake.

For more info, please call 0800 048 5326 or visit www.holidayparkhomes.co.uk