Yurt accommodation in the Cotswolds, England
How this holiday makes a difference
Environment
We care deeply about the animals and plants we share the farm with and manage the land to encourage bio diversity. We are thrilled that the rare Marsh Fritillary butterfly is now breeding on the farm - a great reward for all the hard work so many of us have put into creating sustainable habitats here over many cold winters! We hold several conservation days over the winter open to volunteers from the local community and beyond. You are also welcome to join us for wild walks, butterfly picnics and owl prowls led by local experts.
To reduce the impact of your holiday - why not leave your car at home? We offer a pick-up service from the local train stations and have arranged bike hire from a local bike shop.
To minimise the ammount of rubbish we put in landfill sites, we offer a comprehensive recylcling service to all our guests; everything from batteries, cardboard, plastics and paper to glass, tins and light bulbs. Organic waste can go in our compost heap. When furniture becomes a little too well-worn for holiday accommodation, we put it on freecycle for others to make use of.
As water is a precious resource - yes, even here - we have water-saving bricks in the toilet cisterns and save rain water in butts for watering the garden and greenhouse. We have solar water heating to reduce the use of fossil fuels and use the green tarrif with Ecotricity. All the cottages have electric meters to make guests aware of the electricity they use. The yurts rely on solar powered lamps.
Community
We rely on our network of local services and suppliers and in our pre-arrival emails we encourage people to shop locally, giving details of the wonderful range of shops to be found nearby like the organic dairy in Minchinhampton where they sell their own milk, cream, eggs and cheese - all made on their family farm lass than 2 miles from us! We also advise people to book a table at our local pub - The Crown in Frampton Mansell, where they serve good food that is locally sourced. The pub is a 20 minute walk from us across the fields so you don't even need to get into the car - and we supply wind-up torches for you to borrow if you stay till it goes dark. We are lucky to have a fantastic farmers market in Stroud every Saturday and we tell all our guests about it - it is really the best introduction to the wealth of local art, food, music and eccentricities of the area! The pub in Minchinhampton hosts folk music nights weekly as well as frequent visits from the local morris men.
We also support local charities, groups and ventures. the Chalford donkeys live on the farm rent free, we host local woodcraft childrens camps for free and we are active members of the Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust. We encourage people to visit the farm with open days, free to the public and we have created several permissive paths through the farm to allow people to explore it as they like.
Landscape
Julian and I have built up considerable knowledge of the landscape and history of the area. Julian was founding chariman of the Stroud Preservation Society with a passion for old buildings and our industrial heritage. I am a landscape archaeologist. We are happy to share our knowledge with guests over a chat but we also provide lots of information in the cottage folders covering the geology, prehistory and later history of the area in the form of short newsletters about the local canal, Brunel's railway, the local Saxon churches and much more.
We like to invite the wider community to find out more about their rural environment too, and we hold an open day here every other year or so to showcase the wildlife, the geology and the artists and crafts people this area offers.
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