Little Dunley Cottages – Eco-Friendly and Sustainable!
Are you conscious about the environment, and wish to holiday in eco-friendly surroundings? Look no further than Little Dunley Cottages in South Devon. We pride ourselves in offering luxurious and relaxing accommodation, utilising as many sustainable sources as possible – allowing you to take a well-earned break, safe in the knowledge that you are doing your bit to help protect the future of our planet.
All of our Devon holiday cottages use solar power and a Biomass energy system, providing both a renewable and efficient energy source. Water is provided from boreholes – naturally occurring water from under the ground, which is extracted by a pump, through wells. Here at our site in South Devon, we also have on-site waste water treatment, to collect, treat and distribute waste water. Cleaning products used in our cottages are eco-friendly, and all of the recycling bins are available for guests to use.
What is Biomass Energy?
Biomass energy is created through the use of a combustion chamber, which is fuelled by natural, sustainable and eco-friendly materials such as logs, wood chippings, or wooden pellets. Some may also burn manure, hay, straw and waste wood products. Hot gas and air, produced by the burning raw materials, go through a heat exchanger to heat the water in a Biomass boiler. The water is then used in heating systems and/or to provide a source of hot water. Any excess heat is stored in a thermal tank, to be used later.
What Makes Biomass Energy Eco-Friendly?
Biomass energy is eco-friendly, due to it being renewable energy, which leads to reduced carbon emissions, as compared to fossil fuels. You might think that cutting down trees for fuelling purposes is not very environmentally friendly. However, there are copious amounts of trees felled and grown, as part of sustainable woodland management. Woodland management is essential, in order to protect the health of trees, plants and wildlife. If managed properly, there will always be a renewable source, unlike fossil fuels, which are increasingly becoming a scarce commodity.
Where possible, materials for Biomass fuel are sourced locally. This not only helps the local economy, but also limits excessive fossil fuel emissions from long distance transportation. Fossil fuels can contribute to acid rain, which in turn, can be harmful to wildlife, fish (and other water creatures, through water pollution) and cause untold damage to crops and forests.
The burning of Biomass fuels does still produce CO² emissions, although the quantity is only equal to the amount that the plant/wood had absorbed during it’s life – resulting in negligible effect to the atmosphere. Remaining matter after burning, (plant ash) is also eco-friendly, and as it is harmless and natural, can be reused by gardeners or placed in landfill to decompose.
If you wish to find out more about biodiversity and the UK Action Plan, follow the link below, to the Government Website.
(Biodiversity UK Action Plan – John Gummer; Ian Lang; John Redwood; Sir Patrick Mayhew & Baroness Chalker Of Wallasey – Jan 1994.)
Eco-friendly Hot Tub Holidays at Little Dunley Cottages
Little Dunley Cottages in Devon, know that protecting the planet doesn’t mean that you can’t take advantage of a peaceful holiday, with relaxation and luxury included.
Our Acorn, Hazel, Holly, Maple and Willow cottages all come complete with private hot-tubs for you to enjoy at your leisure. Whilst in many holiday locations, hot-tubs are filled with cold water as standard, and then heated (which can take up to 12 hours and incur high energy usage, waste and costs) – here at Little Dunley, our hot tubs are filled with hot water from the eco-friendly Biomass boilers, and are fully usable after only 1 hour!
What’s more…our cottages are surrounded by acres of unspoilt countryside, and are only a short drive away from the coast. So what are you waiting for? All of this, in addition to the on-site facilities we have to offer – check out the availability calendar and book your Devon holiday cottage today!
Contact Us
For more details about our Devon holiday cottages, or if you would like to book a holiday, head to our website and book online for the best prices. Alternatively, if you have any queries, please contact us either via our contact form, or by telephoning direct on 01626 831510. We would love to see you very soon!