Go Green or Go Home
Green tourism is at the heart of everything we do. We’re not perfect but we are striving every day to reduce our carbon footprint and be as eco-friendly as possible. Our Gold Star Green Tourism rating was something we were really proud of in 2018 and we can’t wait to build on that reputation.
When we started renovating Fraithwen in 2012, we knew we wanted to be as green as possible. Ian has been a heritage builder for over 30 years, specialising in renovations and stonework, and has been installing renewable energy for 25 years, well before it became mainstream.
We began by installing a 100kw biomass boiler which services the whole smallholding via a district heating system, from the house, to the cottages and static caravan, plus our office and the equine facilities. This was recently enhanced by the addition of a large solar thermal system consisting of over 750 tubes. This means that all heating and hot water is supplied by solar power with the biomass system to cope with any overflow.
There are currently three 4kw solar photovoltaic systems installed too so daytime electric is largely self generated, and every light on the property is LED.
We have now installed a tesla EV charging point and a second, type two charger will be installed very soon. These are free for our visitors to use.
As all the properties are 300 years old, they predate the village sewerage system by quite a long time! We therefore have our own sewerage which was upgraded in 2018 to a large clearwater system, which manages the waste water and discharges perfectly clean water into the ditch that runs to the stream. In support of this system, our cottages are managed with eco-friendly products from carefully selected companies who use no plastic or chemicals, or where unavoidable, that the plastics are recyclable. We also make maximum effort to chose local suppliers; our furniture is upcycled or from Laura Ashley, which was a company born only 7 miles from here. The food and facilities we provide are from local artisan micro-businesses, many of whom we know personally. Their stories are told on little notes around the cottage, near the items they describe. The art and decor is local and some can be bought to take home as a memento of your stay.
We are always aware you are on holiday and work hard to offer choices that suit you, supporting our green journey whilst making your stay as luxurious and cosy as possible. We'd love to hear your ideas to help us improve and develop.
Green tourism is at the heart of everything we do. We’re not perfect but we are striving every day to reduce our carbon footprint and be as eco-friendly as possible. Our Gold Star Green Tourism rating was something we were really proud of in 2018 and we can’t wait to build on that reputation.
When we started renovating Fraithwen in 2012, we knew we wanted to be as green as possible. Ian has been a heritage builder for over 30 years, specialising in renovations and stonework, and has been installing renewable energy for 25 years, well before it became mainstream.
We began by installing a 100kw biomass boiler which services the whole smallholding via a district heating system, from the house, to the cottages and static caravan, plus our office and the equine facilities. This was recently enhanced by the addition of a large solar thermal system consisting of over 750 tubes. This means that all heating and hot water is supplied by solar power with the biomass system to cope with any overflow.
There are currently three 4kw solar photovoltaic systems installed too so daytime electric is largely self generated, and every light on the property is LED.
We have now installed a tesla EV charging point and a second, type two charger will be installed very soon. These are free for our visitors to use.
As all the properties are 300 years old, they predate the village sewerage system by quite a long time! We therefore have our own sewerage which was upgraded in 2018 to a large clearwater system, which manages the waste water and discharges perfectly clean water into the ditch that runs to the stream. In support of this system, our cottages are managed with eco-friendly products from carefully selected companies who use no plastic or chemicals, or where unavoidable, that the plastics are recyclable. We also make maximum effort to chose local suppliers; our furniture is upcycled or from Laura Ashley, which was a company born only 7 miles from here. The food and facilities we provide are from local artisan micro-businesses, many of whom we know personally. Their stories are told on little notes around the cottage, near the items they describe. The art and decor is local and some can be bought to take home as a memento of your stay.
We are always aware you are on holiday and work hard to offer choices that suit you, supporting our green journey whilst making your stay as luxurious and cosy as possible. We'd love to hear your ideas to help us improve and develop.