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Green Holidays

It was refreshing to holiday where people clearly care for and want to work in harmony with the environment and wildlife - not just pretend to. Charlotte & Peter, August 2011

The Bar at Salcombe Fresh air, stunning views, quality accommodation, wildlife watching, and food that speaks of the local area – these are the ingredients for a great green holiday in South Devon.

So with some practical solutions, lots of enthusiasm and a willingness to embrace new things, we hope to minimise the impact our business has on our area, and to encourage our visitors and suppliers to join us in taking eco-action.

Here are just some of the ways we are trying to do this.

Nature & Wildlife – our specialist subject

Tufted Duck We have a rich and varied landscape in our private valley – 20 acres all maintained and managed for the enjoyment of our guests. There is a nature trail, ponds, a stream, woodland trails, meadows and wildflower banks all on the doorstep of the cottages. And we provide wildlife guides, books and binoculars so that guests, if they wish, can identify and record the plants and animals that they see.

For more information please click to enlarge the nature map and link to our Nature & Wildlife and Gardens pages.

Car Free Days Out

Walking is a wonderful past-time in South Devon and we are blessed with a spectacular piece of South West Coast Path from which walkers can drop down to coves and beaches, lighthouses, pubs, cafes, and freshwater lakes. Many of the walks are dog-friendly.

Once guests have settled into their cottages we offer two car-free suggestions: Taking time to enjoy a leisurely stroll around the Dittiscombe nature trail, guests can discover the woods, stream-fed ponds and open or shady places with benches, picnic tables and bird-viewing areas along the way; and a little further afield but also car-free is the 50-minute walk from a cottage door through leafy lanes and farmyard trails to historic Slapton village with its small shop, two excellent pubs, the freshwater lake and nature reserve and the 3-mile beach of Start Bay. We provide a map and directions for this walk in each cottage.

Low Carbon Activities

There are a number of different opportunities in the area to have fun but in an eco-friendly way. Guests can use the Kayaking at Bantham Round Robin bus, boat and steam train ride around the Totnes and Dartmouth area, or take a bike ride to the Avon Dam on Dartmoor. Using Kayaks guests can discover the gentle and wildlife rich waterways around the estuaries and rivers. We are now offering daily Kayak Hire from Dittiscombe and more information can be found on our Kayak Hire page.

There are further transport links and suggestions on our About the area and Experiences pages.

Buy Local, Eat Local

Over the last few years there has been a great swell of interest in locally produced and organic food and here in South Devon we have an abundance of excellent food producers and suppliers. We supply a Fair Trade welcome pack in each cottage and there are brochures and Wifi in the cottages which guests can use to find the best sources of local food. Please visit our Food & Drink page for more information.

Energy & Water

We are open all year so our cottages must be kept warm and snug during the winter months for our guests. We therefore use a mixture of heating such as Economy 7 night-storage, woodburners (using some wood sourced from our own woodland), oil and LPG gas central heating. We use rechargeable batteries, low-energy light bulbs, TRVs on the radiators, dimmer switches where possible, dusk-to-dawn and solar lighting outside.

We try to save water by using water butts for watering, planting dry-loving plants, shrubs and hanging baskets, installing dual flush toilets, A+ rated appliances, tap aerators, water-pressure reducers and eco shower heads. We use Ecover or Bio-D liquid for our laundry, a steam cleaner, micro cloths, and lots of elbow grease!

Don’t let Devon go to waste

Graphic by Jacqui Bignell To reduce the amount of landfill in Devon we ask our guests to help with recycling waste products such as bottles, newspapers and magazines, cans, plastic bottles, Tetrapaks, and kitchen waste which is made into garden compost. We supply corn starch kitchen waste and dog waste bags, and recycled or biodegradable bin liners in the cottages. We take strip lights, old batteries, and old cooking oil to the local recycling centre, and use a local charity who recycles ex white goods and furniture.

Green Footsteps

Over the course of the year we assess our environmental impact and try to take small steps to find ways of doing things better. We take part in the Green Tourism Business Scheme and have been awarded Gold, the highest level achievable. Further information about our participation in the scheme can be found by clicking on the Green Tourism logo and by visiting their website www.green-business.co.uk.

We are also members of and support a number of environmental charities: Friends of the Earth, Population Matters, Compassion in World Farming, Devon Wildlife Trust and the National Trust.

The Feel Good Factor

If you decide to take your holiday at Dittiscombe we hope to make you feel good about what we have to offer and the way we do it. Before your arrival you may wish to look at the responsible visitor charter.

If, after your visit, you feel you have enjoyed your holiday experience please tell others about it and should you have any comments or suggestions please get in touch with us or the agencies we work with - Visit South Devon and Green Tourism Business Scheme.