News and media
Welcome to the Future of Travel
January 27th, 2008 - The Independent Review
Five Best Log Cabins
January 12th, 2008 - The Independent
100 Things you must do in 2008
January 2008 - High Life Magazine
New in the North
January 2008 - Jet 2, First Up
Natural Retreats get planning permission to expand in the Dales
January 4, 2008 - A Luxury Travel Blog
New Environmentally Friendly Retreats in the Yorkshire Dales
4th January, 2008 - Hotel Designs
Welcome to the Future of Travel
January 27th, 2008 - The Independent Review
Eco - North Yorkshire
Natural Retreats is proof that green doesn't have to mean grunge. Its first development opened early last year, a collection of eight lodges set in 50 scenic, privately owned acres of North Yorkshire countryside. Built from sustainable timber and glass, with insulation made from recycled paper, living-plant roofs and solar and green energy, the lodges also come with sleek open-plan kitchen and dining areas, solid oak flooring, cedar decking, flat-screen TVs, CD and DVD players and rain showers.
Between now and July, the company is adding nine new, improved, buildings to the North Yorkshire site and upgrading its existing properties with even more ecological features. When that is complete, work will then start on two new sites, one in Snowdonia and one in the Lake District; and over the next few years, Natural Retreats hopes to roll out its vision across Britain's 14 National Parks.
Five Best Log Cabins
January 12th, 2008 - The Independent by Claire Llyod
If you like the idea of "green living", but with all the latest gadgetry, Natural Retreats is ideal. The 10 cedar-clad cabins use 100 per cent renewable energy, provided, in part, by the cabins' solar-glazed frontage. Chic, open-plan living is complemented by the tranquil setting of private woodlands and meadows. Inside are high-spec kitchens, and living rooms with LCD TVs, DVD players and coal stoves.
"Bush-style dinner parties", for guests wanting to experience something of the exotic in the Dales, can also be arranged.
100 Things you must do in 2008
January 2008 - High Life Magazine
Be Green in Yorkshire.
Check into an Aislabeck Lodge in Richmond, Yorkshire. Built from sustainable timber and glass, all lodges are surrounded by countryside and use green sources of energy.
New in the North
January 2008 - Jet 2, First Up
Need a Yorkshire break to keep you perky till your next holiday abroad? Natural Retreats, Britain's first luxury sustainable holiday company, has opened eco-friendly cabins in the Yorkshire Dales National Park. Aislabeck is set in 54 acres of private meadow and woodland. With stunning views over the Swale Valley, the three-bedroomed residences come with wood-burning stoves and en-suite bathrooms, while solar panels and recycled materials take care of the green credentials. If you have enough of your rural idyll, the town of Richmond is just a mile away with its many cosy pubs and tea rooms, a Georgian theatre, Norman castle, museums, farm shops, galleries, restaurants and gorgeous riverside walks.
Natural Retreats get planning permission to expand in the Dales
January 4, 2008 - A Luxury Travel Blog
Natural Retreats is proud to announce that 9 new retreats are to be built at their Yorkshire Dales site. The new properties are set to be completed by early July 2008 and will bring the total complement to 19. Natural Retreats combine the highest levels of luxury and sensitive development with some of the most dramatic locations the UK has to offer, close to the pretty towns of Hawes, Reeth and Leyburn.
New Environmentally Friendly Retreats in the Yorkshire Dales
4th January, 2008 - Hotel Designs
Natural Retreats is proud to announce that 9 new residences are to be built at their Yorkshire Dales site. The new residences that are set to be completed by early July 2008 will bring the total complement to 19.
"It was a fantastic achievement to receive planning permission for the new residences and goes some way to show that not only the local community but also the Richmondshire District Council is embracing the Natural Retreats concept" said Ewan Kearney, Director, Natural Retreats.
The Natural Retreats concept is simple, as is shown in the images below. They want to combine the highest levels of luxury and sensitive development with the most dramatic locations our country has to offer. Matt Spence, Director, Natural Retreats comments "I wanted to challenge the way people saw and experienced the countryside." The company recently acquired 2 new sites which are now in the process of development, these are: Natural Retreats, Snowdonia and Natural Retreats, Lake District.
The residences offer the most luxurious way to allow guests to be closer to nature and they benefit from extensive glass wall frontages, designed to bring the natural light, surrounding woodland and meadows directly into the open plan living room. Stylish furnishings offer unrivalled levels of comfort and all the residences have solid wood floors throughout and state of the art island kitchens and bathrooms.
Design of the New Residences
The Natural Retreats design team of Adaptive Space have worked hard on the design concept for the new residences and in doing so they were keen to not only keep some elements of the current residences the same but to make a few changes and improvements to the original design concept following guest feedback.
The contemporary design used makes it clear from the beginning that Natural Retreats is a new type of experience. Some may call it minimal but Natural Retreats prefer to think of it as simple and elegant, without frills. They want the space to feel open and uncluttered with high quality design details and materials used throughout.
Each of the new residences will feature three double bedrooms, all with en-suite showers and the master bedroom has been made slightly larger so to provide a bath for holidaying families. To avoid muddying the living areas after long walks, a spacious entrance has been created that is separate from the rest of the residence to provide a place for wet anoraks and dirty boots!
Leading on from the entrance area the kitchen/dining/living space will stay open plan as before and all the furniture and materials used have been designed and chosen to make the space feel as open and light as possible. To enhance the concept of space further, the glass walls will be made up of as few elements as possible, to allow for unrivalled views. Oak flooring will be put into continued use throughout the new residences to keep them looking as similar to the existing ones as possible.
Natural Retreats will also be adding a number of new green design features to the new residences including 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. They will also be using local Yorkshire stone when building the residences. The Natural Retreats, Yorkshire Dales site will also 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.
The buildings also use:
- Timber frames made from sustainable woodland
- Evergreen sedum (living plant) roof
- Insulation for walls made from recycled materials
- Natural water from a local spring for drinking and showers
- Solar glazing
- Wood chip boilers, rainwater harvesting & reed bed sewerage system
- Ecover used for cleaning and bathroom products
- Recyclable waste disposable bins for paper, bottles, tins and plastics
- A percentage of the annual profits are set aside to support local community sustainable and eco-friendly schemes