Our Environment and Eco-Tourism
in the Cotswolds
At Broadway Manor Cottages we care about our environment and we have joined the Green Tourism Business Scheme and have been awarded a Silver grading reflecting our dedication to sustainability and eco-tourism in Worcestershire and the Cotswolds. We are the only self catering holiday cottage business in Broadway and the North Cotswolds to be awarded a Silver grading by the Scheme.
We have been awarded the following Sustainable Tourism accolades:
Winners of The 2011 and 2010 Worcestershire Welcome Awards for Sustainable Tourism
2010 Heart of England Excellence in Tourism Sustainable Tourism Silver Award
Cotswolds Green Scheme Accreditation
We are committed to working in a sustainable way and take care to reduce, re-use and recycle at all times. We are undertaking the following actions in order to achieve this and have also listed below how we strive to reduce our waste, pollution, carbon impact and environmental impact.
- We comply with the requirements of environmental legislation and approved codes of practice.
- We continuously seek to improve our environmental and social performance. We are currently converting an old barn into a drying room and cycle storage so that we can offer better facilities for walkers and cyclists.
- We raise awareness and encourage participation in sustainable business practices.
- We liaise with the local community and are actively involved in local trade associations and events such as Broadway Arts Festival, Broadway's Late Night Christmas Shopping Evenings and events in the Cotswolds AONB.
- We aim to use local labour for building and ongoing maintenance of our buildings and gardens.
Reduce
- Our aim is to reduce the amount of waste we throw away and recycle as much as possible.
- We purchase items without packaging or in packaging as free of toxics wherever practicable.
- Whenever possible shopping is purchased on foot or by bicycle or delivered as a part of a delivery round (lowering food miles).
- We grow our own fruit and vegetables providing guests with homemade marmalades and jams (subject to availability).
- We supply our own eggs (subject to availability).
- The majority of our windows are double glazed. We have replaced the Velux windows in Rafters with glass that has a better thermal efficiency reducing heat loss and have replaced many of the Velux blinds with blinds that have an aluminium backing which also reduces heat gain and loss.
- The majority of our and walls and loft areas are insulated. During the summer of 2009 we added to the insulation in our loft areas and many are now insulated with insulation blankets to a depth of at least 20cms (8"). Some of our vaulted roofs are lined with insulation boards and some of our walls are dry-lined with insulating boards to reduce heat loss.
- All radiators (where possible/practicable) have thermostatic valves fitted to help minimise energy use.
- Our hot water cylinders (including those in Rafters and The Stables) are pre-insulated with foam.
- In 2008 we installed solar panels to heat some of our water.
- All bathrooms have showers.
- We are fitting low energy bulbs wherever practicable (reducing our carbon impact).
- We use rainwater wherever possible to water the garden.
- All of our surface water is piped into the stream at the bottom of our garden and surface water from the Cotswold escarpment feeds our wildlife pond.
- The water and central heating in our cottages and apartment is provided be energy efficient boilers. The boilers in Corner Cottage (replaced in late 2006) and The Stables (replaced in the spring of 2009) are energy-saving condensing boilers which should cut our heating and hot water bills by between 15-20% and should be up to 30% cheaper to run than the old boilers.
- We use a local laundry service to launder your linen and towels.
- We replace electrical appliances with ‘A’ rated or higher appliances and aim to purchase durable long-lasting goods.
- We turn off electrical appliances rather than leave them on stand-by and encourage our guests to do the same.
- Willow Cottage, Corner Cottage, Rafters and Sheldon Cottage have energy saving approved digital LCD TVs, recommended by the Energy Saving Trust.
- We regularly monitor and manage our energy and water usage.
- We use a web host for our website that relies solely on renewable energy.
Re-use
- We re-use carrier bags for shopping or use biodegradable jute bags and have jute bags available for our guests to use during their stay.
- Egg cartons are reused whenever practicable.
- Any wire hangers are returned to a local laundry service for recycling.
- We re-use paper whenever possible.
- The Manor House, when it was rebuilt in the late 1980s, used mostly Cotswold stone reclaimed from the surrounding grounds and we aim to use as much recycled and local materials as much as possible in our building projects.
Recycle
- We use the fortnightly local recycling service for all that can be recycled: plastics, cans, glass, paper, card and magazines.
- All garden and organic kitchen waste can be recycled. A compost bin for guests' use is located in our grounds.
- We recycle used stamps for the RNIB supporting blind and partially blind people.
- We use logs from our land and woodland to fuel our log fires.
Responsible Visitor Charter
At Broadway Manor Cottages we are working towards becoming one of the most eco-friendly self catering places to stay in Worcestershire, but we need your help to achieve that target. As a guest you have a very important role in helping us conserve our natural assets and become a more sustainable destination. Here are some ways you can help:
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Conserve energy – Reduce energy by switching off lights when not needed and by closing windows when the heating is on. Please use the outside airer rather than the tumble dryer whenever possible.
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Leave you car behind – If only for a day, walk, cycle or take the bus - Enjoy a Car Free Day. Walk whenever visiting the village (we provide torches so that you can walk home after dark). It is only a short walk from your cottage into the centre of the village. Please ask for bus timetables or local bicycle hire.
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Shop local, eat local – Use local products and the village for your shopping to help support our local community. There are some great farm shops in the area and the local foods such as asparagus, apples and plums are not to be missed.
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Reduce, recycle, reuse - Try to avoid overly packaged goods and say no to that extra carrier bag. In our Laundry Room there are some jute bags, please use them for your shopping and return them after use or reuse your plastic bags. Please recycle and use the recycling and compost bins available.
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Be water wise - Please use water wisely. Turn off the tap when brushing your teeth and only use the washing machine when you have a full load.
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Respect our environment and nature – We are in The Cotswold Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Please help us to look after our wonderful landscape and wildlife by not littering, guarding against fire and using footpaths and cycle ways responsibly. Ensure you follow the Countryside Code.
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Carbon Offset your stay with us.
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Support Green business – Whenever possible, please support the hundreds of businesses in the region trying to reduce their carbon footprints. Members of the Green Tourism Business Scheme can be identified by the above logo - have a look at www.green-business.co.uk for more information.
Most importantly we hope you enjoy your stay with us and we’d like you to come back! If you feel there is anything else we could be doing to reduce our environmental impact please let us know.
Wildlife in our Grounds
We encourage wildlife in our garden and woodland areas and if you stay with us you will see a wide variety of wildlife during your stay. Our regular inhabitants include:
- A number of garden birds including the: Blackbird, Blue Tit, Chaffinch, Gold Finch, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Great Tit, Green Woodpecker, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Grey Heron, House Martin, Kestrel, Kingfisher, Long-tailed Tit, Magpie, Mallard (ducklings born Spring 2009, 2010 and 2011), Moorhen (4 chicks born June 2009), Pheasant, Pied Wagtail, Quail, Red Kite, Robin, Song Thrush, Sparrow, Sparrow hawk, Wood Pigeon and Wren.
- Badgers
- Butterflies and moths
- Foxes
- Grey Squirrels
- Muntjac (also known as Barking Deer) and Roe Deer
- Rabbits
- Weasels
During your stay you are invited to take time to wander through the grounds and see whether you can spot any of the above or even some not mentioned. Please record any sightings in the Nature Diary in the Laundry Room. Please also take a look at our online Nature Diary.
Ross and Debbie Williamson
November 2011
