Elham valley holiday cottages in Kent, England
How this holiday makes a difference
Environment
We encourage wildlife to visit our garden, by putting up bird feeders. We also encourage badgers, which come to the garden most nights. We encourage separation of waste food, paper,cardboard,tins, and bottles for recycling, so that we can all reduce our contribution to landfill.
Garden waste is composted to benefit the garden. We collect rain water and store it underground and use it to water the garden. We also have water butts on the outbuilding to collect rain water which is used in the greenhouse, where we grow lots of vegetables. We have a large vegatable patch and many fruit trees in the garden. We have just purchased a bee hive and are attending a beekeeping course. We will get our first bees in the Spring.
Our wonderful old barn has been preserved in its orignal form as a grade two listed building, given a new leaser of life by converting it into two self contained cottages .We regularly receive requests from local history groups to visit the house and barn, and are pleased to show people around when it's convenient.
We have a local bus route through the valley and encourage our guests to use it, because the views from the top of the bus are outstanding. The bus stop is outside the Barn, which is very useful for the less mobile.
We have a dairy farm next door, which sells dairy produce we buy for ourselves and encourage our guests to use.There is also a local farmers market at Elham that we use and tell our guests about.
During our welcoming talk we point out all the local shops. We promote a local potter who runs lessons; and a lady neighbour who practices spinning and can teach the technique.
Community
There's a wide choice of local pubs and restaurants, craft makers and markets, and a local farm shop that we can recommend to guests.
Our next door neighbour is a farmer who is in his 80s. He has many stories to tell about times past, and he regularly talks to our guests. At lambing time we can take children staying who are interested, to see new born lambs.
We sponsor the local under 11s football team, and have helped to raise money for the new childrens playground. We employ a local gardener, cleaner, and window cleaner.
Information is available on display for our guests about local crafts. Local people are welcoming to visitors and realise that they bring value and benefit the local community and economy.
We provide information for guests on where to go and what to do, and recommend a local lady who offers guided walks, so we always promote her.
We also recommend a shop at our neighbouring dairy farm, where the farmer often chats to guests about his animals and how the farm runs. This always goes down well with our guests; and we find that many buy the milk, cheese,and yogurts etc that are made on this farm.
The Elham Going Green project enjoys our support to help protect the local enviroment, conserve the natural resources and biodiversity of our beautiful valley; and promote use of renewable energy.
Landscape
Ottinge is our small hamlet, and it lies between the ancient villages of Lyminge and Elham amongst dramatic Kent Downs landscape typical of chalk downland. Ottinge itself nestles in the stunning, and usually dry, Elham valley, where occasionally the Nailbourne runs. This legendary underground stream is known as ‘woe waters’ by the superstitious. It runs on the surface only when the water table is high.
The broad valley is surrounded by a network of myriad lanes passing though hidden dry valleys; and farmland bordered by a network of hedgerows and ancient wooded hilltops such as Lyminge Forest and Elham Park Wood. This area of the Kent Downs offers numerous opportunities for both walking and horse riding. Part of the Elham Valley Way you can now walk, was once an old Railway line, or you can ride and cycle in cooler surroundings nearby in Lyminge Forest.
We supply Ordinance Survey maps for guests and can point out the best walks, particularly where to spot up to twelve varieties of orchid and other wild flowers in spring and early summer on local nature reserves. Discover Park Gate, a Site of Special Scientific Interest where, if the time is exactly right, you might spot a very rare monkey orchid, or the musk, or scarce late spider orchid.
Local farmers are always keen to share information about the local landscape and tell our guests their fascinating stories about their valley. We tell our guests about the history and stories behind the old Elham Valley Railway line which once ran the full length of the valley until 1947 when it was abandoned.
To experience the tranquillity and beauty of the local landscape of the Kent Downs Balloon rides are available over the valley and we promote these to our visitors a luxury way of seeing the local landscape.
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