Devizes B&B for walkers & cyclists, Wiltshire, England
How Devizes B&B for walkers & cyclists, Wiltshire, England makes a difference
Environment
Energy: we have been using solar panels to heat our water for several years. In early 2011 we had photo-voltaic panels installed and are producing a good supply of electricity, some of which we are able to feedback to the National Grid. We organise our days to take advantage of the sunshine - doing washing, ironing etc during the times that electricity and/or hot water is being generated, - line-drying as much as possible to minimise the use of the tumble dryer. We have recently installed a woodburning stove which we fuel from logs from our own garden. These measures will reduce our dependence on oil - which we purchase through a community-buying scheme to minimise transport costs and pollution.
Waste: we bulk-buy guest amenities such as shampoo, conditioner, handwash etc, using dispensers in the bathrooms. All these products are made in the UK. We also bulk buy cleaning products, which are all environmentally friendly. This minimises transport and packaging. We recycle as much as we possibly can: paper, cardboard, cans, glass, plastic, cartons etc and encourage our guests to give us their waste to recycle. We minimise food waste by incorporating uneaten breakfast items into our own personal meals. And uneaten bread often becomes bread pudding which guests enjoy after their days' activities!
Community
Friends & neighbours: we buy local produce wherever possible and encourage guests to visit local attractions, restaurants, cafés etc. We research and hold a wide range of information which we share with guests, both in person and through our website. Our website is very comprehensive and contains far more information about the local area than most B&B websites. We not only want people to stay with us, we also want them to enjoy Wiltshire as we do. As well as leaflets produced by local attractions, we have folders containing local walks (devised by ourselves and by others) and sample menus from local restaurants, pubs and cafés. If we are unable to offer accommodation at any time, we recommend other local providers and encourage people to visit our area. We are members of Visit Wiltshire which helps keep us abreast of what is going on within our county. They provide training and information sessions during which local service providers can share their knowledge and information. This enables us to better understand what is available to our guests.
Local crafts and culture: we promote local cultural attractions and hand-crafted gifts. e.g. we have a selection of glass jewellery for sale which is individually handcrafted in Devizes by a lady in her garden shed! We promote local galleries and photographers and also encourage guests to explore attractions with local guides. We give information about cultural and other events on our website and on Facebook, on which we also show photos and links. During the crop circle season, we research where the circles can be found and help guests to locate them.
Landscape
Experiences in the landscape: we provide information about local areas enabling guests to see how diverse this region is. This information is available both in our home and via our website and Facebook page, on which we also post photos taken as we too explore our beautiful county. We have written many local walks, pointing out areas of particular interest and can always make suggestions to suit a guest's requirements.
In 2010 we worked with the local museum on an exhibition about Wiltshire's white horses and hill figures and arranged a walk incorporating two of these as well as other points of interest: canal, Wessex Ridgeway, old village pub.
We try to experience as much of Wiltshire as we can so that we can share it with others. Much of this is done on foot and we encourage others to try walking, even if only into town. They will see so many different things on foot than they would see on four wheels.
Devizes B&B for walkers & cyclists, Wiltshire, England
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