Eco self catering accommodation in Yorkshire
| country: | England |
| location: | Nr Howden, East YorkshireSee map here |
| price: | From £210 - £260 per week (sleeps 2-3). Weekends and midweek breaks are available |
| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |
read 5 travellers reviews
description
The first of its kind in the UK, the recently completed straw bale cabin is furnished and equipped to a high standard. It sleeps 2 comfortably with a sofa bed option for an extra guest. We are easily accessible by train. Energy is provided by a wind turbine and solar panels. Other environmentally friendly features include the free use of bicycles, collection from the local railway station, buy local shopping service, organic sheets and towels, “green” library, wormery and composting facilities.
The quiet rural location near Howden, East Yorkshire, is the perfect place to relax and enjoy the countryside. There are lots of walks and bike rides, golf and fishing close by. Although Howden is a small town it boasts a 14th century Minster the Bishops Manor. It has a range of traditional family run shops, café’s, restaurants, nature reserve and entertainment in the Shire Hall. Day trips train to York, Leeds, Hull and the coast are easy from our local station.
The quiet rural location near Howden, East Yorkshire, is the perfect place to relax and enjoy the countryside. There are lots of walks and bike rides, golf and fishing close by. Although Howden is a small town it boasts a 14th century Minster the Bishops Manor. It has a range of traditional family run shops, café’s, restaurants, nature reserve and entertainment in the Shire Hall. Day trips train to York, Leeds, Hull and the coast are easy from our local station.
travellers' tales
We had a fantastic break and came back relaxed and rested despite having done far more exercise than we would normally during the course of a week. (more)
rooms, food and facilities
The bedroom has a comfortable double bed with king size duvet and ample wardrobe space. Organic bedding and towels are provided. The bathroom has a shower, basin, mirror and towel radiator. Recycled loo roll and a bar of natural soap is provided.
The kitchen has a sink inset in an oak worktop, Baby Belling cooker, fridge and a good range of equipment, crockery and cutlery. Tea towels, cloths, recycled kitchen roll and environmentally friendly cleaning products are provided.
The lounge has a sofa bed, table and chairs and dresser with books, games, DVDs, local information and honesty shop. French doors open onto a full length south facing verandah with picnic bench and Adirondack chair.
Cycling & walking friendly: Free bicycles (and helmets, lights, fluorescent bibs, locks and baskets) are provided. There area is flat so walking and cycling is easy. There are lots of footpaths and quiet lanes and information on a variety of routes and things to do on foot, bike or train.
how to find us
By train: We are only one mile from Howden railway station. Hull Trains direct service from London Kings Cross stops here regularly throughout the day and there are also regular services from York and Leeds so that we are easily accessible from anywhere in the UK.By car: We are 5 miles from junction 37 of the M62, just off the B1228 from Howden to Bubwith.
how this holiday makes a difference
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The cabin is a show case of environmentally responsible building. Although there a handful of straw bale houses in the UK, this is the first holiday home. We aim to provide high quality accommodation in natural surroundings whilst demonstrating to the wider public that straw can be used to create a beautiful yet practical and durable home.
An open day soon after completion attracted over 70 local visitors and we hope to make this an annual event. Many more have enjoyed individual guided tours or listened to presentations about sustainable building. The walls of cabin were built during training workshops run by Amazon Nails in 2006. Nearly 30 people learned valuable sustainable building techniques. The super-insulated walls of locally grown wheat straw are rendered externally with lime and internally with clay. They will keep the building warm in winter and cool in summer, reducing the amount of energy needed for heating. The roof is made of sustainable Western Red Cedar shingles from Cornwall and insulated with sheep’s wool. Natural paints and finishes have been used throughout. The south facing aspect is perfect for solar hot water. A micro wind turbine and solar photovoltaic panel provide sufficient energy for the lights, fridge and 12V kettle, slow cooker and DVD player but mains electricity is needed for the cooker and to ensure visitors are never left without power on a foggy day in February! A wind up radio and torch are provided. A TV is available if required. We have a great little railway station nearby; quiet but well served by trains from anywhere in the UK. To encourage train travel we offer a collection service on arrival, free use of bicycles, a buy local shopping service and in-cabin honesty shop. We provide lots of ideas for walks, bike rides and train trips so that everyone can enjoy everything the area has to offer. We provide a kitchen composter and wormery, and collect glass, plastic, paper and tin for recycling. We provide recycled kitchen roll and loo roll and most of the furniture and fittings are recycled (carefully chosen for their good quality). Our “Green” library contains many books and magazines about building with straw and other eco friendly materials and a photographic record of our straw bale journey. There are other books too – nature, poetry, romance and thrillers and a good selection of games, jigsaws and DVDs. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |