We’re green & proud of it

Our environmental policy guides everything we do

We were awarded the first Gold Award for Green Tourism back in Suffolk in 2002 – recognition and encouragement for our constantly evolving (and challenging) environmental policy. We are hugely aware of our responsibilities to the environment and as custodians of the countryside and manage our lovely farm, its history and wildlife in as sympathetic and environmentally friendly way as we can. We use our own produce wherever possible when catering for guests, we promote local produce, and recycled/ethically/sustainably produced goods from further afield. We hope our guests will join in with this green ethos which guides our everyday living, working and hosting. Here’s a snippet of what we are doing and check out our low-carbon footprint activity ideas, green rewards and incentives for greener guests!

Four people next to a trailer of coppiced wood

Renewable energy

We generate more solar energy than the electricity we and our guests use - and are at our limit of what we are able to generate.

We use sustainable, well-seasoned wood in the Tudor barn and Hall farmhouse wood-burners using wood from rotationally coppiced from ancient hedges and woods we planted 30 years ago – a traditional management technique that promotes good habitat for scrub-nesting birds such as blackcap.

On our very heavy clay soils, we use minimum tillage techniques wherever possible to improve our soils.

We now have an EV charger for guests in the car park.

Someone sitting next to boxes and bin bags of bottles, cans and more

Recycle and re-use

We aim to re-use and recycle in every aspect of the business. We compost and recycle as much as we can to reduce waste, landfill and to provide our own compost to reduce peat digging elsewhere.. and we’ve bought an acre of peat bog to protect it.

We recycle all guests’ bottles, cans, paper etc - and try to generate cash for charity by recycling.

We buy from charity shops and we buy items made from recycled materials, goods that are not over-packaged and products which are durable or refillable.

Check out Green Guest discounts and rewards - and scroll down for what we do on the farm

Minimise water use

We have 10 farm ponds managed for wildlife. We try to minimise use of water across all activities even in times of plenty to save money and energy spent on purifying water and reduce pressure on water abstraction sites, and consequently habitat destruction.

We have water butts, we mulch in the veggie garden, we have low-water-use showers for guests - and we encourage guests to drink our great tap water rather than bring bottled water to minimise the energy and plastic consumed.