The two properties have a high efficiency oil boiler, solar water heating as support, and wood burning stoves (logs are provided, ask if you need more).

I am working to be environmentally friendly in all I do and encourage your active participation by reducing and recycling:

Food waste (not meat or fish) can be composted. The grey Council bins across from the car park are for mixed recycling (glass, plastic, cardboard and tin). Please leave newspapers in the apartment as we use in compost.

On sunny days please air dry washed clothes on the clothes line (pegs in the washroom cupboard)

I am converting this old subsistence hill farm of 4 hectares (10 acres) into a wild life area, and it adjoins the 20 hectare Tegg’s Nose Country Park. This work has involved the installation of both new sewage and water capture tanks, and much building of dry stone walls. An 18 metre pond was created in the farm garden – challenging on a hill – so with added swales to keep water longer on the land. There is an orchard in the lowest field and much hedge planting. I manage as “no dig” using mulches so we produce compost on a grand scale.

The c.20 chickens are rescues from battery farms, and welcome visitors bearing gifts of various hand picked greens. Eggs can be purchased using the honesty box at the end of the drive. The various cats are all rescues, now enjoying good care.

Major to-do projects are to build the 9 metre greenhouse along from the farm house, install wood burning central heating for the site and plant the forest garden in the areas around the pond – this is a 7 layer food producing forest https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IBQCKK4sLhg with apples trees as the tallest and working down to ground plants.