Green Tourism

We are very pleased to have been awarded Silver in the Green Tourism Business Award Scheme. This involved being assessed by a qualified grading advisor against a rigorous set of criteria, covering a range of areas, like energy and water efficiency, waste management, biodiversity and more.

We try to promote car-free breaks; please contact us for details on both walking and cycling in Herefordshire. As Vincent Crump said in the Sunday Times in October 2006, “The shires are thick with the aroma of fermenting apples. What better way to explore than on a scrumptious cider cycle?” We have information on the 20 mile Ledbury Cider Cycle Route!

Click on the images below to zoom in for a closer look..

Care for the Environment - The use of local and sustainable materials

• Locally-sourced logs provided free for the woodburners
• Tree-planting to provide sustainable timber.
• The Woodhouse has been restored using traditional materials and techniques
• wattle and daub
• lime mortars and plasters
• Herefordshire oak
• limewashes and casein paints mixed on site with appropriate pigments.
• Wattle hurdles used in the garden

Recycling

• Guests are encouraged to recycle.
• We are developing a central point for recycling and rubbish.
• We make our own compost for use in the garden and encourage guests to do the same using the compost bins for each cottage.

Energy Saving

• Guests are encouraged to use the woodburners instead of just the central heating.
• The cottages have been recently renovated and are very well-insulated.
• We provide walking and cycling maps

Flora and Fauna

• Hundreds of native trees have been planted to encourage wildlife and provide a more attractive environment, including the rare black poplar.
• We planted two small orchards, one with very old and very local varieties of apple, and one with other fruits including the Black Warden pear shown on the Worcester coat of arms.
• Trees and shrubs planted to encourage insect and other wildlife and birds.
• Information sheets on insects, bats and birds are left in the cottages to help guests identify them.
• Bat accommodation.
• Bird feeders are provided outside each cottage so that guests are able to see birds such as woodpeckers which live in the garden.

Using Local Produce

• We won the 2007 Flavours of Herefordshire Awards Self-Catering category for providing local produce in our welcome baskets. Examples of produce are home-made bread, local butter, milk, jams (also with locally grown fruit), fruit, biscuits, crisps, eggs and chocolates.
• Our frozen meals are cooked by a local chef who sources local ingredients.

Fair Trade

• Provision of fair trade tea, coffee and sugar

Promoting Local Events

• We do our best to promote local businesses and events such as the Ledbury Poetry Festival and Three Choirs Festivals.

Green Tourism Latest News

Herefordshire Art Week 11th-19th September

Herefordshire Art Week (h.Art) is an open studio event, giving people an opportunity to visit artists’ studios and attend workshops and exhibitions. Divided into five routes, (Hereford city, East, West, North and South of the county), one can follow these artistic trails to see and (perhaps even buy) items of original art and talk with [...]

Ledbury Town Party

Yesterday saw the end of the Poetry Festival. It finished with Jazz in The Feathers’ garden on Saturday evening, the music provided by Andy Masefield’s Jazz Band, and with the town party yesterday. The High Street is closed off and given over to merriment in the form of entertainers playing on an improvised stage, along [...]

The National Gardens Scheme

There are a number of lovely gardens open to the public at this time of year, including these ones - The Garden at the Bannut, three acres of garden “rooms”, formal and informal. There is interest in every season, from thousands of wild daffodils to magnolias, rhododendrons, a laburnum walk and an award-winning tea room! [...]

Ledbury - why not eat at The Feathers?

The Feathers Hotel was a well-known coaching inn in Ledbury and still maintains those traditions of hospitality which made it a welcome staging post en route from Cheltenham to Aberystwyth. Its friendly ambience, informal atmosphere and comfortable, peaceful lounge make it an ideal place to meet friends for coffee or tea, (as I did [...]

Herefordshire Country Fair Sunday August 1st

The Hereford Country Fair is a popular event in August each year, displaying, as it does, all sorts of country pursuits, field sports and  information on conservation  as well as providing shopping opportunities and activities for all to try. This year it is being held in the glorious grounds of Hampton Court near Leominster and [...]