Please Note: Although our Yorkshire Dales site is currently being refurbished you can book online now for July 08 onwards.News and media
Green Scene with Sheherazade Goldsmith - Explore our home-grown holiday havens
28th May, 2008 - Mail Online By Sheherazade Goldsmith
Eco holiday success
6/5/2008 - MEN By Kevin Feddy
No Place Like Home
May 2008 - Woman & Home
Entries (RSS)NATURAL RETREATS Luxury Eco-Getaways in the UK
01/05/2008 - Greengear online
By Bridgette Steffen on Travel
Natural Retreats - Where luxury greets nature in a green style
01/05/2008 - Ecofriend (website)
Green Scene with Sheherazade Goldsmith - Explore our home-grown holiday havens
28th May, 2008 - Mail Online By Sheherazade Goldsmith
Have you made your summer holiday plans yet? My family will be spending the best part of the school holidays in Devon, as usual, where I'm relying on the local saying: 'A wet spring brings with it all the hope of a long, hot summer.' The dollar exchange rate may be enticing, but with one long-haul flight producing as much CO2 as the average motorist does driving in the UK for a year, discovering the glories of Britain is by far the greenest travel option. Yes, the weather's a lottery, but with its rolling countryside, charming rural pubs and unbeatable bucket-and-spade beaches, there is nowhere like Britain for a good old-fashioned family holiday.
The British hotel industry is becoming so sophisticated that the countryside is now peppered with beautiful stately home and manor house hotel conversions, spectacularly located cottages and houses for rent, and even five-star B&Bs. The ones I've listed come with at least one eco credential: a locally sourced organic menu, natural pampering treatments, or fun activities such as cookery classes, walking or riding, that are much less environmentally damaging than whizzing around in a speedboat.
For instance, check out Natural Retreats' eco lodges: with solar-glazed glass frontages offering uninterrupted views, sedum 'living roofs' planted with carpets of mixed grasses and wild flowers - and even their own wormeries! - these are the ultimate in eco lavishness.
Self-catering prices start at £325 for two nights, but each lodge has three en-suite double bedrooms, an open-plan living/kitchen area and underfloor heating (considered by Friends of the Earth as environmentally friendly). By 2011, they aim to have locations in all 14 of the UK's National Parks; for more details go to naturalretreats.com. Or try ecocabin.co.uk: tucked in a secluded valley in the Shropshire Hills (classified as an area of outstanding natural beauty), this self-catering cabin - built using local Douglas fir and native larch - is a perfect retreat for those wanting a comfortable wilderness experience.
However, as beautiful as sweeping rural views are, my preference has always been for rock pools - hence my frequent visits to Mothecombe in Devon. Surrounded by rolling pastures and broadleaf woodland, this private, sandy beach (open to the public on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays) is part of the 5,000 acre Flete estate, on which you can rent holiday cottages. What makes these particularly sought after is that they are all within walking distance from the three estate beaches, to which you have constant access. On non-public days, it's like having your own beach. (For more information, visit flete.co.uk.)
I can't claim to have turned my back on the temptations of an aquamarine-coloured sea and guaranteed sunshine. But the increasing nightmare of lost luggage and long delays at Heathrow - plus the fact that my children seem to enjoy a cold river in Devon as much as the Caribbean sea - has made flight-free destinations more appealing than ever. And where's the fun in lying on a sun lounger somewhere exotic, worrying about your carbon footprints in the sand?
Eco holiday success
6/5/2008 - MEN By Kevin Feddy
A MANCHESTER company which designs and builds environmentally-friendly holiday homes has received a multi-million pound cash injection to expand its operations.
Natural Retreats plans to use the money to create nine new log cabin-style properties at its flagship development at Aislabeck, near Richmond in the Yorkshire Dales.
The firm, based in Piccadilly Plaza, opened its `eco-park' last year with 10 homes on a 55-acre site.
Each residence is built with sustainable materials, such as cedar. The roofs consists of evergreen plants and the walls are insulated with recycled paper. Running water is sourced from local springs. There are no shops, bars or restaurants on the site as visitors are encouraged to use local businesses. Natural Retreats also plants trees to offset carbon emissions produced by guests travelling to the site.
The business, which is a subsidiary of private equity outfit K2 Capital, secured £1.2m from the Royal Bank of Scotland last summer and has now received a further £2.7m. The nine new homes will be ready by July. In addition, bosses have bought development sites in the Lake District and Snowdonia.
Operations director Ewan Kearney said: "The Aislabeck site has proved very popular, with people looking for an environmentally-friendly break.
"Our challenge is to allow more people to visit the site while protecting its character and unique features."
Rob Harris, a senior manager at the RBS's commercial banking team in Manchester, said: "Natural Retreats is a unique concept that provides guests with something completely different.
"It has made a great success of the first development in Yorkshire and we look forward to seeing more locations around the country."
No Place Like Home
May 2008 - Woman & Home
In the race to find the exotic, we've forgotten our green and pleasant land. Go on, spoil yourself and stay home this summer, says Jo Foley.
Sustainable Yorkshire
A house in the country usually means a twee but pretty cottage with low ceilings and no storage, or a draughty stone house with a recalcitrant Aga. But now there's Natural Retreats, the last word in contemporary chic. Built with the location in mind, these properties use local, natural and sustainable materials and have every possible green connotation to their use. The first ten appeared last year in the Yorkshire Dales and this summer will be joined by nine more. Light and airy, the retreats have walls of glass to make residents mega aware of their environment and view. Each one has three double bedrooms with ensuite shower rooms and an open-plan dining and living space with state-of-the-art island kitchen. The latter have built-in recycling bins, efficient boilers and underfloor heating.
Set near the charming market town of Richmond, the houses are the perfect base for walks in the Dales. A stay costs from £880 for five nights, including a food hamper, logs and linen.
NATURAL RETREATS Luxury Eco-Getaways in the UK
01/05/2008 - Greengear online
By Bridgette Steffen on Travel
Combining the highest levels of luxury and sustainable development with beautiful locations, Natural Retreats offer a chance to explore beautiful national parks, bask in luxury, and feel confident that your holiday has a low environmental impact. Built with sustainability in mind, these eco-getaways can be found within four of the UK national parks, with plans to acquire sites in, or alongside, ten more. At current, green-minded travelers can escape to Yorkshire Dales, Snowdonia, Lake District, and North York Moors - all beautiful landscapes and perfect settings for an eco-friendly nature retreat. (more.)
via:inhabitat
Natural Retreats - Where luxury greets nature in a green style
01/05/2008 - Ecofriend (website)
Summer times are ideal to get out of the cities and enjoy the country sides in UK or similar green getaways. In our bid to go beyond ecotourism to find retreats that are committed to the environment and greening of the hospitality industry, here is one idle location to hit this weekend. Natural Retreats offer a chance to explore beautiful national parks, bask in luxury, and feel confident that your holiday has a low environmental impact. These eco-getaways can be found within four of the UK national parks as of yet. However there are plans to acquire ten or more sites. In present day, you can opt from the stunning landscapes of Yorkshire Dales, Snowdonia, Lake District, and North York Moors that are ideal for an eco-friendly nature retreat. Going Green has never been more fashionable and moreover you can leave smaller footprints.
The green building technology and sustainable design practices included in the residences are extensive. The lodges all incorporate sustainably-harvested timber, recycled glass insulation, green roofs, raised platform foundations and organic paints. Mechanical systems boost energy efficiency through energy saving bulbs, super efficient, dual rate gas boilers and solar glazing. All electricity needs are met by 100% renewable sources through Good Energy, and landscaping has minimal impact on surrounding ecosystems by use of native species. Recycling and composting stations are conveniently located within each residence to encourage earth-friendly behavior from guests.
In addition to being built green, the residences are stylish and contemporary, with solid wood floors, extensive glass wall frontages, and simple design. The inviting spaces are light, open and uncluttered providing the perfect eco-friendly shelter to complement the beauty of the surrounding nature. So here's your chance to enjoy nature at its most amazing in environmentally friendly luxury!