New Forest self catering cottages, England
How this holiday makes a difference
Environment
Being based on the boundary of the New Forest National Park, we understand how important it is to look after our environment. The New Forest National Park is more than just a place to come and visit, it's a place full of wildlife, ponies, pigs, cattle and the farmers and commoners that look after them. It's a working living place that needs to be handled with care so that future generations can experience this wonderful place. We have tried to do our bit wherever possible. We have retained the character of the Victorian Farm whilst installing a number of new technologies that help minimise our impact on the environment.
Upper Kingston Farm is helping to sustain the environment by using Air Source Heat Pumps which supply under-floor heating and hot water. These are more efficient than conventional systems and the heating is backed up by wood-burners using wood which comes from nearby farms. This means our heating system is also a point of interest and learning for our staying guests and we are very happy to spend the time explaining the benefits. We also have our own Sewage Treatment Plant which discharges clean water at the end of the process. Our cleaning materials are eco friendly wherever possible and we also operate a strict recycling policy and encourage our guests to help us reduce waste wherever possible.
We recommend local visitor attractions to visit and encourage that guests leave their car behind when practical and use public transport if possible. Our guests are encouraged to use the New Forest Tour which is an excellent way of seeing the New Forest National Park and to take traffic off the roads which is a benefit to the local community. We are close to bus stops along the New Forest Tour red route, which serves the north and west of the Forest. It's a truly memorable experience and great for the environment.
Community
At Upper Kingston Farm we strongly believe that supporting our community is part of a bigger picture to being more sustainable. Thanks to a rural development programme grant from New Forest RDPE (Leader), work commenced on the farm building conversions in November 2009. The first four cottages were completed in August 2010 with our grand opening on August 20th. The Stable , being the final cottage conversion, was completed in March 2011. We used local builders and designers for our conversions and local materials where available.
We purchase local New Forest products wherever possible and encourage guests to use the local pubs, shops and cafes in nearby Ringwood. By supporting our local community, we help to create employment locally giving young people opportunities to work in our business and keeping our villages vibrant and busy. We promote local New Forest Marque produce and farm shops to help reduce food miles and also so that visitors get a real and authentic 'New Forest National Park Experience'. We support the Wednesday market in nearby Ringwood, it’s one of the oldest markets in the country being established for at least 780 years. Dozens of stalls collect in the Market Place at first light, the rights of which are still owned by the Lord of the Manor, Edward Morant who now lives in Lymington. Henry III granted the Market Charter to the Earl of Pembroke in 1226. It’s a great market for local produce.
As you’d expect on a working farm, we have a range of animals including 18 hens, from which we source eggs for use in the cottages. We also have cattle and sheep. We are also a member of the local Green Leaf Tourism Scheme which further enhances our sustainability criteria.
Landscape
We provide welcome packs so that we can pass on as much information about this destination as possible. We recognise that it's the landscape that attracts people to the New Forest National Park and we share our local knowledge and experiences with our guests. We have been living in the Forest all our lives and there is plenty to tell people to inspire them and visit again. We encourage our guests to bring their own horses by offering quality grazing for their animals. Cycling is also recommended, either by bring their own bicycles or hiring them locally and we want people to leave with a better understanding of the place.
Our family have been farming here for over 400 years and knowledge has been passed down through the generations. We are particularly proud of our World War II links as during the build up to the invasion of France, D-Day, in 1944, the whole area was the staging ground for the launch. Part of the farm was taken over by the US Air force and used as a small airbase for P47 Thunderbolts to launch pre D-Day raids on targets in France. Although the peace and tranquillity has long since returned, evidence of the airfield can still be seen around the farm as the tracking for the airstrip is now used as 'temporary' fencing.
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