Ecolnet Case Study :: Hunting Hall Farm

The cottages were traditionally built Grade II listed buildings. Hence all work required planning permission and had to with stone walls, wooden and cement floors (added later). Hence all work had to be sympathetic to the style as well as adhere to building regulations. Local high school pupils helped with the research for the project, researching the various forms of heating, insulation and other green technologies. Local builders were used throughout the project and construction material was sourced from local areas when possible.

A 4 km nature trail showing a variety of farmland habitats and conservation areas was developed to educate guests as well as local school children. More recently a a .75 hectare community orchard has been planted with 82 species of fruit trees to produce organic apples.

All furnishing and paints used in the cottage are made from natural materials and are environmentally friendly. All products used for cleaning are environmentally friendly

Customer feedback is used to continually make alterations to the cottages and improve the quality of the experience including: Paint recommendation: A guest recommended Ecos paints. They liked the product and the company ethics so painted much of our second green cottage in Ecos Paint. Access to the Countryside: An older guest mentioned she found the farm trail walk too long without a seat – a local teenage environmental group came to the farm to create seating around the trail. Electricity Monitor: A family staying at the farm recommended an energy monitor to help holiday visitors see where they were using most electricity during their holiday. The family kindly donated one to the the owners who then bought another two; one for the other holiday cottage and a spare, which they lend out to guests to try in their own homes. Shower Flow Restrictor: One guest said the shower water pressure was quite high – and sent the owners a flow restrictor, which they fitted. Green Laundry: After customer feedback, they highlighted the quick 15-minute ‘green’ programme on the washing machine. Carbon Offset: It was suggested by a visiting family that guests who already informally planted a tree during their visit would support a carbon-offset tree-planting scheme. They have now introduced this scheme.

Visitors are encouraged to order from the local organic green grocery. Their orders will be collected and avaiable on their arrival. The owners will also collect people from the nearest train and bus stations to encourage the use of public transport.

Electricity monitors are installed in both cottages; the appliances in one of the cottages are all 'A' rated and ground; air source heating ares used to heat the cottages.

Guests are reminded about the amount of energy it takes to wash towels and bedding; one of the cottages has a toilet that uses rainwater for flushing.

Hunting Hall has won awards for their conservation activities on the farm including planting various species rich communities and developing and/ or managing protected habitats. Local people including school children have been involved in developing some of these areas and have open access to them.

Awards given are displayed on the web page and plaques are mounted outside the cottages to show the high standards the accommodation provides