High Weald self catering farmstay, England
How this holiday makes a difference
Environment
Our ethos is to maintain and develop the sustainability of the natural and built environment. We have a ‘green’ action plan and aim to continue to improve our contribution as a ‘green’ business. We actively promote biodiversity.
The pastures continue to be let as grazing and hay is made on them every year. We have established one of the pastures as a wild flower meadow with over seventy varieties of flowers and grasses including orchids and yellow rattle. We have worked with Sussex University and the wildflower seed are collected every year. The wild flower meadow has featured as a good example by the Royal Botanical Gardens at Wakehurst place. The Butterfly Trust monitors the butterfly variety in the field too and 22 species have been observed. The High Weald has monitored the insect and spider species and we have that information.
Considerable work has been done in the woodlands to develop the sustainability. We have a woodland management plan and since the 1997 storm we have planted over 5,000 oak, ash, and cherry. Some of the wood has been extracted but some has been left to form habitat piles for woodland insects. We are constantly thinning and replacing trees to ensure sustainability and are developing the log selling business.
The woodlands contain all the essential aspects of the High Weald Area of Natural Beauty; scattered farmstead, sunken lanes, ancient woodland, steep sided ‘ghyll’ with stream at the bottom, sand rock outcrop (with 17th century carvings and the iron and clay workings). English Nature has identified the micro-climate in the 'ghyll' woodland as being unique. We have worked to enhance the ‘ghyll’ landscape for example through the opening up of the medieval iron and clay workings pond, the management of the paths and the encouragement of habitats for woodland insects.
Within the woods you will see many species of animals, birds, insects, plants and flowers. We regularly see up to 20 deer, the badger setts are easily seen. In the spring there is a marvellous display of bluebells and you may see ducklings on the pond.
The woodlands have been opened up to provide more opportunities for walkers at the Stables within the woods and beyond using the public footpath that runs across the top of the woodlands.
The Stables borders on Ashdown Forest. It is the largest area of lowland heath in the South-East and has been designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and as a Special Protection Area (SPA) for birds and a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) for its heathland habitats. It is part of the European Natura 2000 network as it hosts some of Europe's most threatened species and habitats.
Supporting the environment.
The partnership is committed to minimising waste and recycling to the maximum. We take considerable pride in the fact that we endeavour to reuse and repair to the maximum. There is a very well stocked workshop onsite and one of the family repairs extensively all mechanical and electrical materials and equipment using and making what is need as afar as possible. (He has rebuilt several veteran cars so repair and remaking is his forte).
The partnership aims to be as self-sufficient as possible, growing much of its own fruit and vegetables. All correspondence and marketing using recycled paper and we reuse envelopes and packaging as far as is possible. We use eco gadgets (for example solar powered calculators, wind-up torches) and rechargeable batteries.
We make extensive use of the local recycling centre to take any material, plastics, etc. that cannot be collected through the regular recycling refuse collection. We provide for the holiday letting marked recycling containers to facilitate their recycling.
Over the years we have repaired and renovated the Victorian farm buildings farm buildings to bring them back to their original state. This has included making sure that the materials used are sustainable and as far as possible we have sourced material as near to the original as possible. The conversion of the Stables to a holiday let was deliberately done to preserve as much as possible of the original building (e.g. the bull pen door) and to use natural materials. The wood for the staircase and platform come from the Herons Ghyll woods. The interior decoration follows the farm theme. In the conversion of the Stables, considerable attention was given to insulation and energy saving so that it exceeds recommended levels.
The Stables update in 2007 involved replacing the open water system with a closed system at mains pressure. The advantage is that the power showers can operate without the addition of an electric pump thus saving energy, power and cost. At the same time the bathroom was redesigned with water saving taps, and ensuite was added in the upstairs bedroom and dual flush toilets installed.
Community
We are committed to promoting to our visitors local business. We provide a visitors folder with information about local suppliers (less than 3 miles away) under the following headings: local farmers markets, farm shops, food shops, butchers, fishmongers, supermarkets. We also recommend local eating places (under 3 miles away) with phone numbers and whether they are accessible by foot or bus (and approximate time to get there).
We recommend local places to visit and places for children (all under 10 miles away) again with contact details and opening times as far as possible. We also have a file with leaflets for the local places to visit.
We provide information about Ashdown Forest, and about local events. We are always available to give advice and suggestions about local facilities.
Transport; The Stables is on a bus route and we provide information for visitors about the bus and train travel and also information about shops, pubs/restaurants and places to visit that are accessible by bus/on foot.
We support a number of local projects and are members of a number of local groups for example, the Uckfield Preservation Society, the Sussex Industrial Archaeological Society- Wind and Watermills, the Amberley Working Museum, the Weald Meadow Initiative, and the Farming and Wildlife Advisory group (FWAG). We have been active in the preservation of the local Nutley Windmill and have welcomed the local branch of the Council for the preservation of Rural England to visit the Ghyll woodlands.
Landscape
The Stables is in a truly beautiful and unspoilt natural environment and we want to share with visitors in the best ways, information about the natural resources at Home Farm. We provide general information within the visitor’s folder about the farm, the wildflower meadow and the woodland. We provide reference books and binoculars for visitors. There are notices on the going into the field by the pond giving information about the wildlife focuses for the month, for example in April drawing attention to cowslips, bugle and yellow rattle.
The woodlands have been opened up and provide more opportunities for walkers at the holiday lets. We provide a folder with walks that are specific to the Stables that take visitors cross the fields round or through the woodlands. These walks also identify out the specific natural features in the woodlands, the badger setts, the trout pool, the bluebell slope the reopened medieval iron and clay working site. The pubic footpath at the top of the woods gives visitors access to an number of walks taking them further afield and guidance is provided.
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