Green Friendly Cottage

A self-catering cottage that cares about its enroment

Bracken View Cottage is dedicated to protecting and maintaining the natural beauty of North Devon.

Here you will find details of the tasks that we are under taking to reduce the carbon footprint of all that stay at Bracken View.

Reducing Energy Consumption
	A water wheel to generate green electricity for use in the cottage. Making use of fallen trees from our woods for heating.
Recycling Waste Fuel
	Petrol Diesel mixed fuel collected from local Garages to run our old 1940 tractors which are used to maintain our fields.
Use of Sheep
	Here we have a small flock of sheep to help keep the land in good order and also keeping weeds to a minimum, making the use of chemical sprays redundant and reducing the need to use carbon based fuels to cut the grass. Sheep grazing has been shown to enhance wildlife habitat in a variety of ways. By allowing sheep to graze different areas at specific times of the year, the quality and quantity of certain critical vegetation types can be enhanced.
Leaving Hedgerows and Field Margins
	Hedgerows and field margins provide essential habitat for invertebrates, offering food, shelter and breeding sites for a wide range of species. On our 10 acres of land covering 3 main fields we leave our headgerows and small field margins. View this PDF showing the importance of Hedgerows & Field Margins
Management of our Ancient Woodland
	(A site which has been continues woodland for at least the past 400 years) Woodland management helps sapling and young trees to grow into the gaps created from storms and disease. By leaving some dead wood and old trees birds like wood peckers, lots of interesting beetles and a range of fascinating fungi can be encouraged. Keeping a hazel shrub layer beneath the trees provides the door mouse which is in decline with its habitat.
Making the Cottage Green
	Provide and encourage visitors to use recycling facilities. Low energy light bulbs. Environmentally friendly washing and cleaning products. Rotary washing line to dry washing. Compost heap to be used on garden and vegetable plot. Provide to our visitors with home grown organic vegetables, apples and pears, own duck eggs and free range chicken eggs when in season. Using local producers for Welcome basket containing Miles tea and fair trade coffee, Bristow’s of Devon Ltd for Fudge, toffee and biscuits. Using local suppliers for all animal feeds. Include information packs on how best to conduction them selves in the countryside and on the beach
Reducing Water Consumption
	Collect rainwater for washing surf wetsuits. Use stream water for watering plants and vegetables also as drinking water for the animals.
Encouraging Holiday Makers to have a Car Free Day
	Using our local bus service on days out for shopping in Braunton and Barnstaple saving on expensive parking charges and fuel of hire bikes locally and ride the many cycle trails in North Devon. Download the 308 bus time table here Hope to show visitors how much energy is being generated and saved so helping to reduce their carbon footprint.