Overwater Hall, near Cockermouth and Keswick
A hotel and restaurant that has recently been granted planning consent for its own 15kw wind turbine (despite being inside the Lake District National Park). It already has a biomass boiler and wood chipper and its website includes an extensive environmental policy. The owners have incorporated the best environmental innovations into a traditional grand hall. Its closest wind farm is Wharrels Hill.
Visit them online at www.overwaterhall.co.uk
Holmhead Guesthouse at Greenhead on Hadrians Wall
This hotel has a Cben Retained Gold award. (Cumbria Business Environment Network runs a green accreditation scheme, which applies to all kinds of businesses and at a bronze and silver level is more about having systems in place than making actual improvements. You can read about it at www.cumbriaben.com). Holmhead has solar water heating, use only biodegradable cleaning products and buy organic and local food, using the farmers market at Greenhead. www.bandbhadrianswall.com This is a useful place to stay if doing the Hadrians Wall cycle route before travelling on to West Cumbria.
Winder Hall Country House Hotel, Lorton, nr Cockermouth
This hotel holds a silver award from Green Tourism Business Scheme (see above) and are the only hotel in Cumbria, which currently hold better than bronze. Having made a 5 year commitment to their environmental credentials already were disappointed not to gain gold, but are determined to get a gold award next year.
The owners have their own pigs and chickens and are completely self-sufficient in sausage, selling their surplus through the villages shop. Lorton Saddleback sausages are much sought after. They also produce their own bacon (but not enough). They are more or less self-sufficient in free-range eggs, grow their own herbs and are investing in bees this year. It comes as no surprise that Nick Lawler is on the Board of Slow Food Cumbria.
This year they hope to invest in 6 solar water heating panels, and a boundary hedge of fruit bearing trees. They already buy their electricity from green supplier Ecotricity.
They refuse to have our windfarm guide leaflets (or indeed any leaflets at all) but make a laptop available in the foyer for their guests and have as favourites the interesting places to visit.
Visit them online at www.winderhall.co.uk
Cumbria House, Keswick
This guesthouse has a silver award from GTBS. The owners were pleased to be recognised with silver but are hoping to get gold next time round. Faced with an old building there are limits to what they can do, but they buy their electricity from a green supplier Ecotricity and look forward to a coming more permissive planning culture for micro-renewable schemes.
The website www.cumbriahouse.co.uk has a good section on their environmental policies and they welcome suggestions.
