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Bosworth Battlefield wins East Midlands Tourism Award

Posted on 12/10/2009

Leicestershire Councty Council Community Services

12 October 2009

Bosworth Battlefield wins East Midlands Tourism Award

Bosworth Battlefield Heritage Centre and Country Park, run by Leicestershire County Council, has won the Gold Award at the 2009 East Midlands Tourism Enjoy England Excellence Awards.

Bosworth Battlefield won the Small Visitor Attraction category, which was judged by a panel of industry experts.

The award ceremony, held at the Athena in Leicester on the 8th October, celebrates the very best tourism businesses from across the East Midlands. In particular, the judges are looking for those businesses that have excelled in providing a first class experience for visitors.

BBC One Show host Des Coleman was on hand to oversee the night’s festivities and to present all of the gold, silver and bronze award winners with their accolades at a gala black tie event in Leicester.

Ernie White, Leicestershire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Museums,

said: "We are delighted to receive this award and it is a credit to all the people who have been involved with the Heritage Centre since it was established in 1974. We have had fantastic feedback from visitors since we opened the new exhibition in February 2008, and will continue to develop and improve the site in a way that really brings this pivotal moment in history to life."

Tourism Director at East Midlands Development Agency, Ruth Hyde commented:

"I would like to congratulate all of the 2009 tourism award winners. We had a record number of businesses entering this year and the competition was extremely high so it’s a great achievement to have reached this stage of the competition.’

‘In the current climate it is more important than ever to give customers good quality and good value, and these awards are about recognising those tourism businesses in the East Midlands that are prepared to go that little bit further, and really work to create a first class experience."

Many of the regional gold award winners will now go forward to the national final next April, where they will compete against other regional winners from across England for the chance to be crowned ‘England’s Best’.

- Ends -

Notes to Editors

Background: Bosworth Battlefield is run by Leicestershire County Council and is the location of the Battle of Bosworth. The battle, which took place on 22 August 1485, brought an end to 30 years of English civil war, now known as the War of the Roses and saw the infamous King Richard III lose both his life and crown to Henry Tudor. The Battlefield includes an award-winning exhibition telling the story of the Battle and looking at its impact on British history, which has been funded by an award from the Heritage Lottery Fund.

Address: Bosworth Battlefield Heritage Centre and Country Park, Sutton Cheney, Nr Market Bosworth, CV13 OAD

Telephone: 01455 290 429

Web: www.bosworthbattlefield.com

For further information: Mel Atkinson – 0116 3057046 – mel.atkinson@leics.gov.uk