Alton self catering accommodation, Peak District

We have been awarded Gold in the Tourism category at the 2007 Staffordshire Green Award Ceremony. We aim to be as environmentally responsible as possible but are happy to acknowledge that we are not perfect. We are keen to show guests that while they relax and enjoy their 4 star holiday they can also be environmentally responsible without too much work. We use water hippos, low energy bulbs, we don't allow chemical cleaner in the house and provide good range of Ecover products, supply washable nappies, great recycling facilities with instructions including paper, tins, plastics, glass, cardboard and composting facilities too.

We also communicate to our guests where they can shop local for their own food and souvenirs. This includes the farm shop, farmers markets, local food store, local fair-trade shops and fair-trade town of Ashbourne. We can also arrange a tour of the Burleigh pottery factory. We offer a babysitting service using the local nursery nurses.

We provide a printed explanation of the organically managed garden in the accommodation for guests to read. We explain why we keep the lawn quite long to reduce energy use and water consumption, why we leave seed heads on through the winter for bird feeding. We also use water butts and not hoses. We explain the non usage of chemical in the garden and how we manage pests and weeds. We also offer little tours of the organic veg garden next door explaining the raised beds and food production for our family. We can also arrange a short course in home grown food.

We arrange guided walks for guests who want to explore the conservation area in more detail. We use a local guide who is able to detail local concerns and issues about the environment. We have a ‘buy local policy’ and have close links with our local organic farm shop and cheese maker. We offer their products to our guests and can arrange delivery to the accommodation. While fitting out the accommodation, we have used local suppliers from bedding to electrical equipment. We also have an ongoing policy to use local craftsmen, professional engineers and shops. An example is that we have used local Burleigh pottery as it is the last pottery in Stoke using traditional transfer print methods. This is helping maintain local craft and expertise with no out sourcing abroad. We also encourage guest to visit the historic factory for a tour. We promote activities and days out that don’t involve guests needing to use their cars. We provide information for our guests to try alternative days out by volunteering for the Staffordshire Wildlife Fund.

We are also able to offer guided walks to guide visitors to specific areas of interest like local waterways, conservation areas and National Trust woodland. Guests also have information of local water company conservation schemes offering days out and information centres.