Working towards a Greener way to stay

Making holidays more sustainable: one step at a time.

Here at Lower Hearson we are very keen to reduce our impact on the environment, be as sustainable as possible and support native wildlife. This is going to be a continual journey of improvements as we develop the site and renovate the cottages and our processes.

2022-2024 progress

Energy

Air source heat pumps installed on both the Linhay and Annex to replace the old oil boilers.
Electricity tariff changed to one that utilises and supports renewable energy
Added insulation to the hot water tanks in the Roundhouse, Grain Store and Threshing Barn.
Installed an energy efficient heat pump for the swimming pool and upgraded the pumps to reduce energy use.

Consumables and waste

Kitchen roll and plastic sponges replaced with multi-use, plastic free cloths and sponges from Composty. These are washable and can be composted at the end of their life.
Introduced collection of food waste for all cottages. All waste is hot composted on site to ensure it is diverted from landfill. The compost produced is used on site and means we no longer purchase any peat-based compost for our veg patches.
Enhanced the recycling information in the cottages to support guests. Glass, plastic, cardboard, tins and paper are recycled via our trade waste contract with North Devon Council. We also started collecting soft plastics and take these for recycling at the local supermarkets.
Encourage guests not to bin leftover food at the end of their stay. We will sort it for them and compost and recycle containers or donate as appropriate.

Natural world and environment

Rewilded the orchard area within the garden to encourage native plants and the wildlife that relies on them.
Planted new native hedging and oak trees on our paddock boundaries and in some woodland gaps.
Added a bird feeding station and source of water to the front courtyard.
Rehomed commercial hens to maximise our own egg production. Zero food miles and can ensure high standards of welfare.
We have made the decision not to install hot tubs on our site. To meet health and safety regulations for commercial use these would have to be completely emptied between every booking. This is a huge waste of water and risks dispersing chemicals into the environment. There is also a significant amount of energy required to heat the fresh cold water after every refill. Taking all this into account we believe that in our situation the swimming pool has less environmental impact than installation of 6 hot tubs.

The same water is repeatedly filtered rather than being disposed of.
Chemical usage is lower overall as the large volume means the water stays balanced.
We only heat the water from cold once a year and use a cover to minimise heat loss and enhance solar gain.

Plans for 2025 and beyond

Energy

Continue to decarbonise our heating systems

Air source heat pumps for the other 4 cottages
Solar panels to help run the swimming pool equipment

Increase the insulation in all lofts
Install double glazing for all windows and doors that are currently single glazed.
Where old double glazing is installed upgrade to better rated modern versions.

Consumables and waste

Introduce cards to let guests show that beds haven’t been used and don’t need changing. Reduce the energy, detergent and water required for washing and drying the linens.
Purchase hand soap in bulk and use refillable non-plastic dispensers in the cottages to reduce single use plastics.
Change cleaning products to more sustainable ranges
Introduce a scheme to teach young children staying with us about recycling and waste reduction.
Introduce a “pass it forward” scheme for unwanted items e.g. body boards, buckets & spades, welly boots etc..

Natural world and environment

Remove the non-native conifers and leylandii that offer little to local wildlife and replace with native species to offer food and nest sites for our insects and birds.
Create a bug hotel
Continue to fill gaps in the woodland with native tree saplings.