News and media
Holiday firm plan means 10 new jobs
25th June 2008 - The Cumberland News
Holiday firm plan means 10 new jobs
23rd June 2008 - West Cumbrian News & Star
Plans for £4m green holiday park in Eden valley
23rd June 2008 - Cumbrian News & Star
The New Cool Lodges
June 16th, 2008 - Grazia
Holiday firm plan means 10 new jobs
25th June 2008 - The Cumberland News
A HOLIDAY company plans to create at least 10 jobs at a new development in Low Borrowdale, near Keswick.
Natural Retreats, based in Manchester, plans to open a development of 29 luxury holiday homes on a 336 acre farmland site next year.
The company has employed previous landowner John Clarke as farm manager and has acquired a flock of 400 Swaledale and Dalesbred sheep.
Ewan Kearney, of Natural Retreats, said: "It is our intention for the farm to remain a focal point of the site and form part of the guest experience. The site will not have shops and bars as it is our intention to encourage guests to spend their money in the surrounding area. "
Subject to planning consent, Natural Retreats hopes to start work on the site in October.
Holiday firm plan means 10 new jobs
23rd June 2008 - West Cumbrian News & Star
A holiday company plans to create at least 10 jobs at a new development in low Borrowdale, near Keswick.
Natural Retreats, based in Manchester, plans to open a development of 29 luxury holiday homes on a 336 acre farmland site next year.
The company has employed previous landowner John Clarke as farm manager and has acquired a flock of 400 Swaledale and Dalesbred sheep.
Ewan Kearney, of Natural retreats, said: "It is our intention for the farm to remain a focal point of the site and form part of the guest experience. The site will not have shops and bars as it is out intention to0 encourage guests to spend their money in the surrounding area."
Subject to planning consent, Natural Retreats hopes to start work on the site in October.
Plans for £4m green holiday park in Eden valley
23rd June 2008 - Cumbrian News & Star
A Yorkshire firm wants to build a £4 million green holiday park in the Eden Valley.
Yorkshire based form Natural Retreats wants to build 29 eco-friendly timber lodges at Borrowdale Farm, near Tebay. It also wants to convert the farmhouse and build a further seven holiday cottages. The company has applied for planning permission from Eden Council to develop five per cent of the 336-acre site. Livestock, including a flock of Swaledale sheep, would continue to be kept on the farm.
In a statement, the company said its ethos was to: "allow luxury and nature to mutually flourish without infringing on the environment or the local community." Some local residents are opposing the plans.
The New Cool Lodges
June 16th, 2008 - Grazia
Camping and caravanning are so 2007! Stay ahead of the pack and beat a retreat to one of the hot new wooden lodges.
Perhaps it's the fear that our carbon footprint is so big that even Imelda Marcos would struggle to find enough shoes to fit it. Or it could be that the euro's making the pound look weaker than an Eastenders storyline. Or maybe we're all just scared of losing the entire contents of our wardrobe on the luggage carousel at Terminal 5.Either way, right now many of us are seeking an alternative to holidaying abroad, and hankering after something simpler and more personal than just another faceless hotel. But what to do instead? The classic British seaside break might have had a glamover recently, with good old institutions like Butlins adding shiny hotels alongside its humble chalets, but it's still got a whiff of bucket-and-spade about it. And, thanks to last summer's washout weather, camping has suddenly lost it appeal, along with caravans (unless they're those cool American chrome numbers or decked out in Cath Kidston retro-chic, of course).
This year, however, there's a new twist emerging to the Great British Holiday - the modern lodge. With their romantic Scandinavian looks, wooden cabins are the hottest way to holiday this summer. Not only will you have beautiful countryside as your back garden, sometimes in the grounds of an exclusively stately home, but they're often eco-friendly, too. Effortlessly blending into their surroundings, most are built using sustainable, and often locally sourced, products. Some of the most picturesque lodges can be found at Fritton Lake in Suffolk. Situated on the 5,000-acre Somerleyton estate, the 44 woodland lodges are the brainchild of the estate's owner Hugh Crossley (one of Britain's most eligible bachelors, no less). Facing mounting maintenance costs for the family stately home, Hugh decided to open his doors to the public, but didn't want to simply bolt-on a static caravan park. 'I didn't think that was the right path for us. We wanted to do something that was different, more luxurious,' he explains. It only takes one look at the tranquil surroundings and stylish interiors of the Retreats - solid-wood floors, slick Bosch kitchens, Villeroy & Boch bathrooms and cool Habitat furnishings - to show that Fritton is worlds away from just another 'glorified holiday park'. In fact, it's like staying in your own personal boutique hotel, only without the need to set the alarm for breakfast (instead, you can cook whatever you want and enjoy it on the vast terrace overlooking the lake). And should you tire of the terrace, Fritton House Hotel - and its fab restaurant using ingredients sourced from the estate - is just a 10-minute stroll away. No wonder those who fall in love with the lodge lifestyle over a weekend can buy their own (shared ownership available, prices start at £105,000 for a 25-year renewable lease, and Fritton are about to launch a new eco-style).
If quirky rather than quaint is more your thing, the brand-new lodges at Three Choirs Vineyard in Gloucestershire are well worth a visit, too. Set in England's award-winning vineyard, the new 'lodge rooms' overlook pretty ponds, with each cosy lodges separated from its neighbour by lush vines. The luxury touch? Every morning, a breakfast hamper with freshly squeezed orange juice and pastries is delivered to your door. Meanwhile Featherdown Farms offer an altogether different kind of eco-experience. You stay on a working farm (there are 20 around the country) in a tent-style cabin, complete with shabby-chic furniture, wood burning stove and an open invitation to get involved on the farm! And for real back-to-basics living, there are even communal picnic tables and ovens for baking bread.
When it comes to eco-credentials, though, few can fault Bluestone, an environmentally aware resort that opens next month in Pembrokshire Coast National Park. Bluestone uses natural materials, local suppliers and runs on renewable energy. There's an on-site spa, restaurants, pub and sports club, plus you can hire bikes, take painting lessons and try out the UK's largest indoor boogie wave at the Blue Lagoon.
There's a similar blend of feel-good factor, fresh air and an all-round exclusive feel at Natural Retreats in the Yorkshire Dales, where sedum roofs and natural paint on the walls sit alongside ultra-modern interiors, stylish open fires and sharp contemporary furniture. OK, so you might not come back with a tan, but being able to tell friends that you're holidaying at your own private country retreats? Priceless!