Green Issues at Greenwood Grange

We believe very strongly here at Greenwood Grange in the importance of supporting the natural environment, ensuring sustainability and protecting the heritage of this area we are lucky enough to be part of. Our goal is to become a Green site whilst offering the very best quality in terms of accommodation, facilities and products.

During the refurbishment that took place early in 2008, we endeavoured to use local companies, contractors, suppliers and materials wherever possible. This included thatchers, plumbers, electricians, decorators, joiners and gardeners. We have installed new beds, bedding, furniture, flooring, lighting, kitchen and bathroom facilities, plus extra luxuries, to modernise the cottages and provide a modern, eco-friendly holiday experience.

Greenwood Grange has created a new growing space offering composting, an organic fruit and vegetable garden and living willow constructions. We are pursuing a programme of native planting which will encourage wildlife to the site and you are already very likely to see a wide variety of birds, hedgehogs, deer and badgers. Free range chickens, a wormery composting system, bee logs and butterfly and bird houses have been introduced. Children (and parents!) can learn about the benefits of growing your own produce and we will be forging links with local schools to encourage visits to Greenwood Grange. We will also be working to establish further links with Kingston Maurwood College as we can offer work placements for horticultural students. After all, the students of today will be the guardians of our environment and sustainability in the future.

We can advise on local producers of food boxes for our guests’ arrival and will be expanding this in the future as contacts and links are built up with local producers of organic and free range products. We have on-site recycling facilities and encourage all our guests to use the bins provided in each cottage for this purpose. Details of local food suppliers and local farmers’ markets are provided to all our guests. In addition, Greenwood Grange can recommend local restaurants and pubs, many of which are particularly family orientated. This relationship with our local community is an important part of the Greenwood green ethos as we believe we all have a responsibility to keep our carbon footprint to a minimum where possible, even while we are on holiday.

Greenwood Grange has been awarded a Silver standard Green Business Tourism award and, in completing the application and working towards the Gold award, we are guaranteeing our commitment to our green policy. This has involved introducing our staff to green issues and making changes to our work practices, such as using more ecologically friendly cleaning and gardening products. We have notice boards detailing green updates for staff and guests to read and where we publish our green targets on recycling, savings on energy and reducing the use of cars.

Greenwood Grange’s target of becoming a Green site is moving steadily forward and we believe it will become one of Dorset’s most prestigious holiday accommodation providers and a market leader in encouraging green tourism into the area.

Our goal is to become a Green site whilst offering the very best quality in terms of accommodation, facilities and products.