News and media
Holiday lodges for the eco-conscious
February 16th, 2008 - Shropshire Star
Let's all go green with a family holiday in the country!
16/02/2008 - Huddersfield Examiner
Win a Green Break Away!
February 2008 - Tesco.com Greener Living
Green get-away
February 2008 - Cambridge Style
Eco retreats firm set for expansion
Destination UK - February 2008
Holiday lodges for the eco-conscious
February 16th, 2008 - Shropshire Star
It's fun and fashionable for families to go romping in the countryside again, as long as they can stay in luxury log cabins with saunas and hot tubs!
It was the often-criticised time-share which put luxury timber lodges into Britain's countryside back in the 1980s.
Now there's a solution for those who have concerns about damaging the environment by jetting around the globe. Now you can just load up the car and check into a lodges for the ultimate in "eco-holidays."
Leading the new wave of UK operators in the Yorkshire Dales is Natural Retreats, which aims to be the first UK company with lodges in or alongside all 14 UK National Parks within five years. It is adding nine units, making a total of 19 in the dales, with schemes under way in Snowdonia and Lakeland.
With lavish brochures printed on 100 per cent recycled paper, Natural Retreats promises "the chance to enjoy nature at its most amazing in environmentally friendly luxury."
Its three bedroomed lodges have glass wall frontages, stylish fittings and furnishings as well as state-of-the-art kitchens and bathrooms.
Two-night minimum stays in the Yorkshire Dales start at £325 per residence, with five nights in mid-summer from £880, including food hamper on arrival, logs, linen and VAT.
The newly-expanded site opens in July.
Let's all go green with a family holiday in the country!
16/02/2008 - Huddersfield Examiner
Come back, Enid Blyton! It's fun and fashionable for families to go romping in the countryside again.
Providing they can stay in luxury log cabins with saunas, steam rooms and hot tubs!
Ironically it was often-criticised timeshare - such as Langdale in the Lake District - which put luxury timber lodges into Britain's countryside back in the 19080s.
Now there's a solution for those who fear damaging the environment by jetting around the globe. Just load up the car and check into a lodge for the ultimate in "eco-holidays."
Leading the new wave in the Yorkshire Dales near Richmond is Natural Retreats.
It aims to be the first UK company with lodges in or alongside all 14 National Parks within five years. It is adding nine units, making a total or 19 in the Dales, with schemes under way in Snowdonia and Lakeland.
With lavish brochures printed on 100% recycled paper Natural Retreats promises "the chance to enjoy nature at its most amazing in environmentally friendly luxury." Its three-bedroomed lodges have glass wall frontages, stylish fittings and furnishings, and state-of-the-art kitchens and bathrooms.
Two-night minimum stays in the Yorkshire Dales start at £325 per residence, with five nights in midsummer from £880, including food hamper on arrival, logs, linen (towels) and VAT. But the site is closed until July.
Other important 'green' design features include the use of organic paints on interior walls, built-in recycling bins for glass, tins and paper and the use of local Yorkshire stone. A nature conservation plan will enhance surrounding flora.
Win a Green Break Away!
February 2008 - Tesco.com Greener Living
Looking for that perfect green UK break? Submit a tip or comment on our Greener Living forums and you could win a 5-day stay in one of Natural Retreats' eco friendly hideaways in the gorgeous Yorkshire Dales.
The prize
The winner will receive:
- Five nights' accommodation (sleeps six), in a luxury Natural Retreats residence
- An organic food hamper on arrival
- Logs and linen, including towels
- Travel costs to and from the Natural Retreats centre for up to six people
Good luck in the prize draw!
About Natural Retreats
One of today's biggest puzzles is whether your lifestyle can be green as well as comfortably indulgent - it can prove very difficult to have both!
When it comes to holidays, Natural Retreats has come up with the perfect solution by introducing environmentally sound and luxurious holidays within the UK.
Natural Retreats is a stylish and eco-minded organisation who launched their first site, Natural Retreats - Yorkshire Dales, in late 2006.
This beautiful site overlooks the Swale Valley west of Richmond in the Dales and enjoys sensational views over rolling meadows, woodland and farmland.
The area is bursting with a variety of wildlife, and is ideal for walking and exploring. Natural Retreats' bid is to raise awareness of the bountiful beauty of the UK and of the glorious luxury of nature.
Following their roaring success on launching, Natural Retreats has big visions for the future. They will be establishing sites either inside or just outside all 14 of the UK's national parks, hoping to bring luxury accommodation to some of the most beautiful parts of the UK.
Their next sites include Snowdonia, the North York Moors and the Lake District.
Unlike many options in the luxury travel industry, Natural Retreats is carbon footprint approved by Carbon Footprint - an independent CO2 assessor and offsetter - and holidaying there is a sure way to relax guilt-free!
Eco friendly buildings and practices
The residences are carefully built to be as sensitive to the environment as possible. Some examples are as follows:
- Timber framed residences made from sustainable woodland
- Evergreen sedum (living plant) roof
- Insulation for walls made from recyclable paper and other recycled materials including glass
- Natural water from a local spring is used for drinking and showers
- Solar: glazing, water heating system, assisted passive ventilation
- Ecover used for cleaning and bathroom products, organic paint on walls
- Recyclable waste disposable bins for paper, bottles, tins and plastics
- Klargester Sewage Treatment System
- Super efficient Zenex dual rate gas boiler
- Floor is raised leaving a 'living habitat' underneath
- 100% renewable electricity sourced from Good Energy; energy saving light bulbs
- Wormeries - to break down and recycle natural and vegetable waste
- Rainwater harvesting
- Nature conservation management plan
- Ground source heat pump
A percentage of the annual profits are set aside to support local community sustainable and eco-friendly schemes
Green get-away
February 2008 - Cambridge Style
I felt the weight of expectation on my shoulders as I directed my father up the A1 towards Richmond, North Yorkshire. It had been my idea to take my mother and the rest of the family on an eco-friendly holiday to celebrate her birthday and as he drove, the parting words of my boyfriend rang in my ears. 'Will it have a compost toilet?' What had I done?
Luckily as we dipped down the track towards Natural Retreats' Yorkshire Dales site my fears ebbed away. The sun was setting and our eco-friendly cabin made out of reclaimed timber was glowing in the red evening light.
Each dragging a wheelie case, we tripped tentatively along the unlit path - there are no external light sources on the Natural Retreats' site to reduce light pollution - and it soon became clear that we were not going to suffer a back-to-basics, hippy fate.
Like a series of camouflaged penthouse suites, Natural Retreats' eco-cabins sit in a field just outside Richmond. Once inside the glamorous wood and glass structures, you're transported away from the muddy countryside to the height of modern, urban living.
There was an audible sigh of happiness as we entered the pristine and innovatively designed lodge. Contemporarily furnished, with a welcome hamper filled with locally sourced produce on a large wooden table and a flat screen television, I began to think that I'd done the right thing. As dad inspected the wood-burning fire, mum settled herself into the enormous master bedroom and my sister and I fought over the organic wine. No-one needed to comment that this was, in fact, all rather wonderful.
But we had little time to relax and play as soon a taxi drew up outside. I'd done my homework and booked us a meal at THE place to eat near Richmond - the amusingly-titled Wensleydale Heifer.
Our taxi driver turned out to be the driving equivalent of a blue badge guide and we listened intently to his stories about Richmond. Apparently the town used to be one of the largest Roman camps in Britain, supplying goods to the conquering armies as far as Hadrian's Wall. We also discovered that one of the largest garrisons in Western Europe is located in the nearby village of Catterick. He told us that sightings of the Princes William and Harry are not uncommon and my sister and I instantly began scanning the countryside.
We were soon in the restaurant, sighing over the huge menu. The fish is locally sourced where possible and so we felt environmentally bound to go crazy. I opted for the Black Sheep beer-battered Whitby cod. A local brewery and local fish; it was always going to be a winning combination.
A few hours later, we rolled out of the restaurant and drowsily listened to the dulcet tones of our driver all the way home. Highlights included the legend that King Arthur is buried in a crypt underneath Richmond Castle and that the nearby town of Middleham was once the capital of England.
The next morning, after dreams of fish and the Royal family, we made a swift bacon and eggs breakfast and headed out to enjoy the countryside. The cabin was well furnished with Ordnance Survey walking maps but we were happy to follow a hand drawn ball-pen affair, created by the owners. The route took us high above the River Swale, through Whitcliffe Wood and along the edge of the Whitcliffe Scar where the scenery was breathtaking. We could see why so many television producers have chosen North Yorkshire for their sets. It was easy to imagine Christopher Timothy as All Creatures Great and Small's James Herriot storming up the path to save a lamb in distress or Heartbeat's Nick Berry helping you over a stile or two.
That afternoon, after a hearty lunch of local Wensleydale cheese sandwiches, we headed into Richmond. Often described as the jewel of North Yorkshire, it is a predominantly Georgian town with a long history dating back to the Romans.
Richmond Castle is the oldest stone-built Norman Castle in the country. However, if I'm honest, there was really just one thing our family wanted to see: the theatre. Richmond's Theatre Royal is the oldest theatre in Britain. Built in 1788, it has recently been restored and local enthusiasts give terrific guided tours. During the 18th and 19th centuries theatre productions could last as long as nine hours and touring actors lived in the tiny dressing rooms backstage during a run.
Returning to the eco-cabin for our last night we all cooked together and enjoyed our tiredness in comfort.
We all agreed it felt amazing to be having such a 'green' holiday while feeling so pampered. But there was just one problem that even Natural Retreats couldn't solve. All the O'Mearas wanted to cook in the gorgeous, granite-topped kitchen, in their own particular way.
It seemed that despite having mastered eco-friendly living, it would take another holiday for us to get the hang of true, 'communal' living, however sophisticated the kitchen.
Why is it green?
Natural Retreats' Yorkshire Dales development offers no obvious environmental gimmicks. The concept is intended to do the work for you. The cabins are immaculately constructed to be supremely energy efficient and blend into the local environment. Each structure has solar windows which absorb heat throughout the day and trap it for the evenings. There are no on-site restaurants, shops or bars, encouraging people to make use of the convenience of local facilities to minimize energy use and foster sustainability. Opened in December 2006, Natural Retreats will be establishing a site in all 14 of the country's national parks bringing luxury accommodation to some of the most beautiful parts of the UK
Eco retreats firm set for expansion
Destination UK - February 2008
A company offering eco retreats plans to expand across 14 National Parks throughout the UK.
Natural Retreats is to build nine new lodges on an existing site near Richmond in North Yorkshire to bring the number of properties up to 19 by July.
The company has also acquired two new sites which are now in the process of development in Snowdonia and the Lake District. This is part of a plan to expand to include other sites alongside or within all 14 of the UK's National Parks, according to the firm.
The company aims to combine high levels of luxury and sensitive development with dramatic locations. Each lodge offers glass wall frontages, solid wood floors and state of the art island kitchens and bathrooms.
Each of the new properties in North Yorkshire will feature three double bedrooms, all with en-suite showers. The main bedroom has been made slightly larger so to provide a bath for holidaying families. A spacious entrance is separate from the rest of the lodge to provide a place for wet clothes and dirty boots.
New 'green design' features include the use of organic paints on the interior walls, built in recycling bins for glass, tins and paper, compost bins for natural food waste, efficient gas boilers and under floor heating.
The Yorkshire Dales site will also be home to a new environmentally friendly sewage treatment plant, a Klargester system and a detailed Nature Conservation Management Plan to enhance the landscape and the local flora and fauna, according to the company Director Matt Spence said: "I wanted to challenge the way people saw and experience the countryside. I wanted to show them there was more to the breathtaking and varied landscapes we have in this amazing country. But more than anything I wanted to do it in a way that had never been seen in the UK before.
"The creation of truly luxurious residences that blend in with the immediate environment and local communities to create a harmonious, unique experience. The chance to enjoy nature at its most amazing in environmentally friendly luxury.