We are in Wales,the worlds first FAIRTRADE nation.

We are located in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty ( Wye Valley) and close to the Brecon Beacons National Park.
Is it any wonder we like to be as green as possible!

We hold the Green Dragon award at level two at each cottage. Green Dragon is a Green award available to all Welsh businesses and we are annually audited. Level two is the highest appropriate level for us ( higher levels apply to heavy manufacturing industry) so this is a real accolade.

What does it mean to your holiday?

First of all. Let us be clear that our green efforts do NOT mean that you sacrifice comfort in any way! We are terrifically proud to hold our luxury 5 star ratings and we mean to keep them!
Nor does it mean you will find any cranky “knit your own yoghurt” type ideas here! Our cottages are completely “normal” in use (and frankly, if you didn’t ask or we didn’t write this you might not notice we were green at all.) What it does mean is that we are passionate about looking after our very special Monmouthshire environment (and the planet in general come to that since we only have the one) and so we are always looking for a kinder, cleaner, less wasteful, more responsible, way of doing everything we do for you.

The big ways in which we have made changes are

Heating and hot water
Our boilers are as efficient in their use of precious oil as we can make them They are serviced often by local engineers and Foxes Reach now boasts the newest condensing type. The houses are very well insulated and we have thermostats and timers so that the heat is on and cosy when you are likely to be home and not wastefully running when you are likely to be out.
At Foxes Reach we have a solar hot water system which means that the sun heats the water when it shines ( often, in fact, even in winter, as we are high here) but when that fails the oil kicks in. You wont notice the difference but it’s a good one.
Our hot tub is refilled with solar water but so far not heated by the sun. Its our least green facility ( and its fab!) but we are working on the green aspects.
Our firewood and our kindling is grown locally and packed into handy nets by a local farmer for your convenience and as his locally earned income . We don’t apply big markups to our firewood supplies, and we are often cheaper than supermarkets for similar sacks of wood. We want to encourage you to buy our sustainable wood and use it instead of the oil heating.
Lighting
Wherever possible we have energy saving lightbulbs, the outside lights are on timers and the garden lighting is all solar.

Recycling
We recycle and encourage you to do so too. Where there is a doorstep collection we use it. If not, we take the things to the collection points ourselves. Unclaimed lost property and items no longer meeting our 5 star very smart standards go to charity shops or for recycling as appropriate.

Insulation
We have thick attic insulation and double glazing throughout. Unfortunately we cannot further insulate our solid stone walls.

Equipment
All our machinery ( dishwashers, cookers etc) has AA or even AAA ratings and/or eco programmes and we give you enough crockery and cutlery so that there is never a need to run a half filled machine. We have washing lines and pegs too!

Cleaning and laundry
We use eco friendly products and cool washes wherever we can. However you will have noticed that we don’t compromise on cleaning standards and if we need to bring in the serious chemicals we will do so- but only rarely and after the gentler options have failed.
Linens are dried on the line as far as possible. They smell better for a blow in fresh air as well as using less power!

Local suppliers
We do our very best to use local products. Where we cant do this we prefer the Fairtrade or other eco option and we buy from local suppliers at least. All our workmen are from locally based family firms.

Garden planting and wildlife
We use no harsh garden chemicals and our gardens are deliberately planted to encourage the visiting wildlife. In summer you will see many birds bees moths and butterflies as a result. We don’t deadhead until the birds have eaten the seeds from the heads and we compost the grass cuttings. Our flowerbed fertiliser is a recycled product supplied by our own horses. The lavender and santolina from the gardens, in particular, perfume the bedlinens.

Eating out and shopping
In the cottages you will find lists of places to eat and drink which use local produce as well as ideas of where to buy it to take home. Its convenient, it tastes better and its fresher. What more could you ask?

Sightseeing
Unfortunately public transport is pretty inconvenient in our area so we know you will need to use a car to get the most from your holiday. However we do have wonderful cycling and walking and we would encourage you to get out and enjoy the scenery in the fresh air. Its free- and you will feel wonderful come rain or shine. How many years is it since you went jumping in puddles?

Behind the scenes
Our office is at our own home and we do our best to reuse and recycle the huge mass of paper we accrue. (What happened to the notion of the paperfree office?)We think we are losing this battle!