Sustainable country estate hotels UK
biofilico hotel sustainability consultants review the most sustainable country estate hotels in the uk focusing on core themes such as
energy & water efficiency
local sourcing policy
building and interior materials
waste reduction, recycling & single-use plastics
biodiversity & biophilia
health & wellness
Read on to find out what some of the best examples of sustainable UK hotels in the countryside are doing in terms of sustainability.
Thyme - a nature inspired UK hotel in a conservation area
Thyme is an independent hotel in a restored 31-bedroom manor house on a privately owned farm in the Cotswolds, with a spin-off business of botanically inspired products marketed under the brand name Bertioli.
The central concept here is nature, providing guests with a myriad of ways to connect with and be in nature during their stay (a concept known as biophilia) on this carefully restored, historic estate located within an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) with water meadows that have been named a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).
Around the estate guests will find a Barn restaurant, the Baa Bar, Swan pub, a cookery school, the Meadow Spa and an event space.
An ‘English countryside with a contemporary twist’ style pervades the interiors with their nature-inspired colour palettes and botanical prints combined with a restrained use of the latest technology where required.
In terms of sustainability, a number of energy efficiency measures include enhanced ventilation and insulation measures, as well as on-site heat pumps and boreholes, taking full advantage of what the land offers them. A chlorine-free, spring water swimming pool meanwhile has a high-tech filtration system to provide a more natural swimming experience for guests.
In the food and beverage outlets, ingredients are responsibly sourced and seasonal, there is also a vegetable garden, herb bed and orchard on the estate providing the foundation of what is used in the kitchens.
Decorative flowers used around the manor’s interiors are sourced from around the UK, rather than being imported from the giant producer countries such as Holland, Colombia and Kenya.
Additionally a supplier code of conduct, or Rules of Engagement document, reportedly ensures a minimum of “sustainable standards, transparency, inclusivity & fairness, and product excellence” from businesses in their supply chain.
In hotel operations, commitment has been made to removing single-use plastics as well as composting and recycling, with the aim to achieve zero waste kitchen operations eventually.
As a hotel, Thyme doesn’t shout about its sustainability yet thanks to its nature-inspired brand positioning, a respect for the environment is clearly a vital part of the business’s future success.
Thyme is a member of 1% For The Planet, supports the conservation efforts of Tusk in Africa and is advised on sustainable meadow management by Plantlife to ensure the estate becomes a haven for wildlife.
The Wild Rabbit - a sustainable hotel UK
Billed as a modern British inn, this independent hotel is part of the Daylesford Farm estate, one of the leading sustainable and organic farms in the UK, owned by Lord and Lady Bamford.
Refurbishment works in 2013 used traditional building techniques, local craftsmen and local materials to deliver a high-end concept that is at once rustic and contemporary thanks to Lady Bamford’s architects of choice for all ofher Daylesford projects around the world and biophilic design experts - Spencer Fung Architects.
In both the dining room and bedrooms, we find plenty of exposed stone and aged oak ceiling beams, one-off furniture pieces and fine detailing. Wattle and daub panelling was restored and re-rendered while original beams and joists were exposed and given a new lease of life after the previous countryside pub context.
Roofing was insulated with pure sheep’s wool from the Daylesford estate to improve thermal performance and reducing energy expenditure, while introducing a natural, non-toxic material into the building, just as would have been done several hundred years ago.
The Wild Rabbit runs on renewable power, there are over 1800 solar panels around the farm in total, electric vehicle charging points are provided, low energy lighting has been used throughout the property and a set of recycling bins are standard in each waste collection area.
In the kitchen, no surprises perhaps to find locally sourced, seasonal food on offer with many of the ingredients coming directly from the Daylesford farm, making this an ideal ‘0km’ solution.
Bathrooms feature the distinctive green bottles of the Bamford Bath & Body collection, made with naturally sourced and in many cases organically certified ingredients. These products can also be found at the eco-luxury 1 Hotel spas around the USA.
No sustainability report available online.
Fritton Lake Hotel & Members Club - a green hotel experience
Fritton Lake Hotel & Members Club is part of the Somerleyton Estate, owned by Lord and Lady Somerleyton, who are on a mission to rewild this corner of East Anglia in collaboration with other landowners under the collective moniker of WildEast.
Farmland here is gradually being restored to self-management, ensuring it is home to free-roaming deer, cattle, water buffalo, sheep, ponies and a plethora of birds.
A 16th century clubhouse with restaurant and rooms is joined by a series of cabins and holiday cottages tucked away around the serene lake. On-site ‘wildstock’ is made up of both wild and farmed grazing animals. playing a vital role in re-engineering the land, as nature intended.
By way of a waste reduction plan, Fritton works with suppliers to reduce unnecessary packaging while a local food waste recycler turns waste into energy. Food miles are kept to a minimum as the bulk of ingredients used in the kitchen are from the Somerleyton Estate grounds, with harder to source delicacies coming from local artisans.
After an energy audit back in 2018, tenergy sourcing was switched to renewable energy providers, LED lights were introduced and ongoing energy monitoring has provided valuable real time data to assist with managing efficiencies.
In terms of guest health and fitness, there are plenty of on-site activities such as wild swimming in the lake, trail running, cycling and even one of our own Biofit designed eco-friendly gyms with a group fitness studio.
Heckfield Place - a sustainable countryside hotel
A decade in the planning, Heckfield Place is a 400-acre estate in Hampshire with a main building that dates back to the 1760s. Today it offers a high-end, sustainable hotel experience inspired by traditional values rather than sustainability being its defining characteristic.
Biomass boilers burn wood pellets from sustainable sources to heat the building and water for showers; additional energy from the grid comes from renewable sources; motion-sensors and LED bulbs reduce the energy requirements of lighting. Water meanwhile is taken from an on-site borehole and rainwater is collected for use around the estate, rather than drawing from the mains.
Various natural materials are said to have been sourced locally such as rush mats and headboards - no mention is made of the myriad other building and interior fit-out materials in that particular slice of the procurement strategy however.
Natural ingredients dominate in the spa and this connection. with nature is perhaps where Heckfield Place hits its highest notes in fact.
In addition to. single-use plastic-free bedrooms, extensive waste-reduction strategies in the kitchens include making preserves and cordials from excess fruit, as would have been done in the past, with anything that can’t be used going to compost for the ‘living soil’ that forms a central part of the hotel’s biodynamic farm concept.
Regenerative farming techniques are a commitment, requiring detailed knowledge of the local soil conditions, solar calendars and faith in traditional methods that shy away from fertilizers completely. in favour. of compost, manure and. ‘herbal remedies’ The result is an organic farm with its own dairy, seven greenhouses, a rotating mix of crops, British saddleback pigs, hens, bees and fruit orchards.
Future projects include the addition of solar tiles on the roof for energy production, a windmill and an off-grid community of ‘tiny houses’ as well as ongoing tree propagation and. planting initiatives.
The Victoria, Holkham - a green country estate hotel uk
The Victoria hotel within the Holkham Estate, owned by the Earl of Leicester, located on the Norfolk coast, is made up of two buildings with ten rooms in each.
The setting is the “most pioneering and sustainable rural estate” that has received a Gold Award from Green Tourism every year since 2016 and is regularly references as one of the finest examples of estate conservation in the UK, so the omens were always good for their on-site hotel.
sustainable hotel energy
Heating is courtesy of a biomass boiler fuelled by their own woodchip, from their sustainably managed woodland. A 100-acre solar farm was built back in 2014 in a first step towards becoming what they intend to be a carbon neutral estate by 2040.
There are also ground source heat pump energy units and air source heat pumps on the grounds. In 2021 Holkham undertook two carbon audits covering both the leisure and agriculture components of the estate’s activities.
Working at this level as part of a hotel sustainability strategy, is a far greater commitment than merely buying recycled toilet paper or going digital at reception, it requires long-term planning and expert consultancy services.
green hotel kitchen ingredients
Ingredients are sourced either on-site (such as venison, beef and lamb) or from within a 50 mile radius of the estate, this type of local procurement policy is nothing new of course but it has become increasingly less common in a world where avocados can be flown in from Peru all year round. Making this type of commitment means following the seasons, and reducing the impact of food miles further along the supply chain.
Green Hotel waste management
One of the central tenets of the Holkham sustainability strategy is waste reduction. They are set on closing the loop on compostables with the help of a local recycling supplier who turn it into compost suitable for agriculture.
A target of a 10% reduction in non-recycled waste each year for the next decade shows yet again their long-term vision for reducing environmental impact both on the estate as a whole and at their sustainable hotel The Victoria. No surprises therefore to see a prominent recycling bin strategy in place for visitors to do their bit whilst on the estate.