Building Sustainability into Holidays
After years of planning and fundraising the new Denmark Farm ’Eco Holiday’ units are going up fast and we are all set to welcome guests from early 2013. The new accommodation will provide ‘Visit Wales’ 3 star standard accommodation at an affordable cost.
As well as using sustainably sourced timber for the main frame, we will have a biomass heating system using locally sourced wood pellet fuel. Rainwater will be stored for the toilets and waste water will run to a biodiversity-boosting wetland treatment system. Sheep’s wool insulation will enhance heat conservation and all will be topped by a living green (sedum based) roof. Not forgetting wildlife, of course, we plan to demonstrate a range of bird and bat boxes in the surrounding trees, wildlife-friendly landscaping and a ‘natural play’area for the ‘human wildlife’. Because of the lie of the land, the end of the accommodation range is on the same level as nearby oak tree canopy, adding a new dimension to bird watching at Denmark Farm!
The accommodation will be self-catering and have a highly flexible internal layout. Three spacious units offer lounge and kitchen areas, 6 double bedrooms in total, of which 4 are en suite. Each unit can be expanded or reduced for a range of visitor group numbers by opening and closing interconnecting doors, for example three units of 2 bed roomed accommodation or a 4 bedroom unit and 2 one bedroom ones or a 3 bedroom unit plus a 2 bedroom and a one bedroom. Overall, the three units can comfortably accommodate up to 12 people per night using 6 double bedrooms over the three units, (plus up to another 6 people using the bed settees in each units). Two bathrooms will cater for disabled visitors with easy wheelchair user access to all units. Each unit will have its own wood burning stove to ensure a cosy stay for winter visitors.
Denmark Farm is a place to come for a holiday or a short break if you really care about nature and your impact upon the environment. We also plan to organise activity holidays, for those of you who would like to learn new skills and have some fun. So whether you want to get to grips with a new craft, brush up on your wildlife identification skills, learn how to live more sustainably or give your children an opportunity to explore our lovely woodland on an activity day then we should have something to suit.
We will be ready to take bookings from around October this year, but if you’d like to make an enquiry before then please do get in touch now.
This is all possible through a grant from the Ceredigion Social Enterprise Growth Fund, administered by Ceredigion County Council on behalf of the Adfywio Ceredigion Regeneration Partnership and supported by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) through the Welsh Government. This project has also received funding through the Rural Development Plan for Wales 2007-2013 which is funded bythe Welsh Government and the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development.
