Off grid & Eco elements

Upper barn is a self sufficient and sustainable Eco lodging.  In the 18 months it has taken us to convert the
derelict barn, we have installed 3.6KW of Solar PV panels with 10KW of battery storage.  This produces all the
electricity for the site and we encourage guests to be mindful of the available resources.  It is why the kettle is heated on the propane hob and toast is made under the grill. Heavy use of electrical items such as hair dryers
should be kept to a minimum.

We also have 2 Solar Thermal panels too which produce hot water on sunnier days. A Biomass boiler which uses recycled wood pellets supplies heating and hot water when the sun is resting! The boiler runs on timers and thermostats like a standard heating system (and does not need manual lighting like a log burner).

We have put in our own on site sewerage system and is therefore VERY important that no harmful products or chemicals used in the sink or are flushed down the loo, as these will damage the ecosystem in the septic tank.

We use all Bio-d Eco products for cleaning which work great and smell great too. Panda Bamboo loo paper is provided which is septic tank safe.

The stone in the Gabions by the green gates and the chalk in the curved wall were dug up and reclaimed on the site from the remains of the hay barn that once stood at right angles to the barn but was blown down in the great storm of October 1987.

Wherever possible we have used natural materials, linens and fabrics in the barn including furnishings and linens.

There is no on-site charging point for electric vehicles.