Keswick has twice been named dog-friendliest town in the UK by the Kennel Club in recent years and now it can also boast of being among the nation’s most baby-friendly holiday destinations.
A new baby staycation index placed Keswick second only to Chester in a nationwide top 20 when it comes to accommodating visiting families, including babies.
The Lakeland town finished ahead of major tourist cities like York and Bath which made the top 10, along with other visitor destinations, the New Forest and Skegness.
The top 20 also included the seaside resorts of Blackpool, Scarborough and Brighton.
It came top of the index’s star ratings for the quality of its parks and gardens (four) and its child-friendly restaurants with a 69 per cent rating, which was the highest in the top 20.
Keswick also excelled with a family-friendly accommodation rating of 49 per cent and it drew praise for its pram-friendly walks and trails.
There were also an impressive 28 family-friendly things to do which were identified in the town.
The only weakness was the relatively low number of babysitters per percentage of population, according to information supplied by childcare.co.uk .
Keswick’s total of eight was way below the 124 that can be called upon in the number one rated destination, Chester.
The index was published as a record number of Brits are expected to book staycations this year.
But for many new parents, the thought of finding the perfect baby-friendly destination may be daunting.
The research by business services provider Direct365 analysed six key necessities that people with babies will want to consider when choosing a holiday destination.
It analyses the number of family-friendly accommodation, pram-friendly walks and trails, family-friendly things to do, parks and gardens, child friendly-restaurants and number of babysitters in 20 of the UK’s most popular holiday spots to rank each location based on how baby-friendly it is deemed.
The UK’s most baby-friendly holiday destinations according to the index were:
- Chester
- Keswick
- Bristol
- York
- Newcastle
- Bath
- Birmingham
- London
- New Forest
- Skegness
Chester ranked highest as the location which offers a large selection of family-friendly accommodation, with plenty of pram-friendly walks and parks and gardens to explore.
Birmingham had the most baby-friendly accommodation with 88 per cent of its accommodation suitable for new families.
London was best for on-foot sight-seeing, with 14 pram-friendly trails and routes to pick from as well as being the destination with the most family-friendly things to do.
Keswick – described in the index as “picture perfect” – was ranked number one for foodies with more than two-thirds of its restaurants catering to children.
For parents who fancy a night off, Bath is the destination ranking number one for babysitters.