Surrey Hills B&B accommodation, England
How this holiday makes a difference
Environment
Wildlife: Ewhurst Green, an area of ancient common land, is a haven for wildlife. The pond on the Green harbours Great Crested Newts, some of which find their way into our garden, and every spring at least one pair of ducks raise their young on and around the pond. A spring walk in the early morning or mid evening will discover rabbits, deer and foxes, and a number of different birds.
Rumbeams Cottage is situated on the edge of the common land, with a small spinney of uncultivated woodland just outside the gate, harbouring rabbit and fox dens. The old oak on the edge of the property is home to a bees nest, a family of voles and a squirrel's nest and innumerable birds nest in the garden, including - last year - two lesser spotted woodpeckers - helped along by careful feeding and their share of the food put down for my chickens and ducks.
The joy of living in such an unspoilt area is having wildlife on our doorstep. We deliberately leave parts of the garden uncultivated to encourage wildlife, there are many trees and shrubs to offer haven and nesting opportunities and we grow a lot of wild flowers to attract butterflies and bees.
Living with nature is an integral part of our life, and we enjoy sharing the experience with our guests.
Community
We have lived in Ewhurst for 20 years now and know the area well. We buy the bulk of our supplies from our village shop, owned and run by people who live in the village, we buy our meat from the local farm and milk from the locally run dairy. We employ local people: our gardener is a local man, as is our cleaner.
When guests are looking for somewhere to eat, we recommend local pubs and restaurants, and keep up to date with their menus and promotions to ensure that we suggest the most appropriate experience and best value of money to our guests.
We keep brochures on local attractions and are happy to offer local knowledge, advice and tips on places to go, directions on how to access them, and offer transport and information on special offers where appropriate.
Having been a parish councillor for 12 years, I am now chairman of our local environmental group. As well as promoting and supporting projects in the village, such as litter picks and footpath clearing, as well as our celebrated 'Junk Swap' day, I ensure that we follow the principles at home, using energy saving bulbs, encouraging recycling and - with the benefit of livestock - never wasting anything.
Landscape
Ewhurst is surrounded by lovely countryside and breathtaking views. As well as the pleasure of taking a walk on common land from our front door, the Hurtwood is within a 5 minutes drive and offers fantastic walks over Pitch Hill and through Peaslake, Holmbury St Mary, Gomshall and the surrounding villages in one direction and Farley Green in the other.
Going a little further afield, through Albury, Newlands Corner offers wonderful views across the South of England and wonderful walks on the North Downs Way, following the Pilgrims Way through St Marthas.
Walking my dogs every day has given me a fantastic opportunity to explore these landscapes, from the local walk around a field full of wildflowers and frequented by green woodpeckers, to the stunning views up in the hills. We are currently putting together a series of illustrated walks for our visitors, ranging from one that takes 20 minutes to a selection of much longer ones, and thoroughly enjoying doing the research involved.
For those unable or unwilling to walk, there are some lovely view points within a short drive, and a wide variety of pretty little villages boasting shops, pubs and tea rooms to recommend!
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