10 Eco-Friendly Staycation Destinations in the UK

The Scarlet, Cornwall

Located on a quiet beach in Cornwall, The Scarlet Hotel perfectly combines comfort, luxury, and nature. They are one of the most sustainably-minded hotels in the UK and they have a strict sustainability policy. They consider the life cycle of each product and system used within the hotel to ensure they are doing the most to reduce waste and reduce energy usage. The hotel was even built with ecological solutions, such as recyclable materials and waste materials.

Each bedroom is thoughtfully designed with organic linens and towels, locally made toiletries, and loo roll made from recycled paper. Their restaurant is a must-try, as all of their dishes are seasonal and made from locally sourced ingredients.  Plus, they have a fantastic organic wine selection! If you have time, make sure to book in for an Ayurvedic treatment in their spa, which uses Cornish ingredients. Check out their list of 111 ways they are sustainable!

Heckfield Place, Hampshire

Situated in the beautiful Hampshire landscape, Heckfield Place is a luxury and considered hotel which has been lovingly restored from a Georgian family home. Each room is carefully designed to be cosy yet beautiful, the perfect little sanctuary to relax and enjoy the views of Heckfield’s vast gardens and grounds.

We especially love Heckfield Place because the wonderful chef and sustainable food pioneer, Skye Gyngell is the Culinary Director. Skye ensures the food at Heckfield is locally and responsibly grown, to celebrate the simplicity of seasonal food grown from the earth.

Listen to our podcast episode with Skye Gyngell to learn more about sustainable eating.

The Pig Hotel, Devon

While all seven Pig Hotels are beautiful and sustainably-minded, the Pig at Combe in Devon is a must-visit. Only 15 minutes from the coast, nestled in the secluded Devonshire hills. They have three walled gardens, where they grow a lot of their own ingredients for their fantastic restaurant. When they aren’t using their own produce, they source everything locally from great farms under 25 miles away. They grow around 17 tons of their own fruit and vegetables, plus their gardens are organic.

Their hotels are decorated with reclaimed and natural materials, plus most of their furnishing is upcycled and bought secondhand. Even if you don’t stay a night, make sure to stop in for an organic, flavorful lunch with a glass of local English wine!

The Wild Rabbit, The Cotswolds

Part of the organic farm, Daylesford Estate, sustainability is at the heart of The Wild Rabbit. This goes beyond serving organic and local foods in their kitchen – every aspect that has helped build this beautiful inn has been done with the upmost care and consideration to the environment. In the restoration of the inn, local, reclaimed and natural materials were sourced and recaptured.

Beyond the modern yet cosy interior and the delicious organic food, at the Wild Rabbit you are situation in the heart of the breathtaking green Cotswolds landscape, making this in the perfect countryside getaway. To help you explore, the reception offer maps of local walks and bikes are also available to borrow.

Number One Bruton, Somerset

Situated in the very chic and sustainably-minded town of Bruton, Number One Bruton is the perfect little hotel for a weekend away from London. With only twelve rooms, the hotel is small but offers welcoming and attentive hospitality. On arrival, you will be welcomed with a beautiful assortment of edible goodies alongside organic local toiletries from Great Elm Physick Garden.

One of our favourite restaurants happens to be situated in Number One. Osip is a truly unique farm to table restaurant that serves delicious seasonal and organic cuisine. A beautiful fresh farmhouse breakfast is included with booking. We highly recommend partaking in a glass of natural wine from their list in the evening. While you’re in Bruton make sure to check out the Hauser & Wirth Gallery for some culture and Westcombe cheddar for some amazing cheese!

Thyme Hotel, The Cotswolds

Situated in a restored manor, Thyme Hotel is more like a little village, where you feel at home from the minute you arrive. They carefully and thoughtfully restored this old property to ensure they were conserving history along with making sure they were building and operating in accordance with the nature that surrounds the manor.

Thyme’s rooms, houses, and cottages are all beautifully designed – it will be hard to put your camera down. Their farm stretches across 150 acres and they carefully protect the alluvial soil. The Ox Barn restaurant uses the kitchen garden to create absolutely delicious dishes. You can even learn some cooking skills in their cookery school, where you can forage for your ingredients!

The Newt, Somerset

A breathtaking Georgian estate set in the Somerset countryside, The Newt offers luxury hotel rooms all which have been elegantly restored and reimagined. For us, the abundant gardens, farmland and woodland are what really make The Newt a special place to visit – the perfect setting if you are looking to reconnect with nature on your staycation. If you aren’t able to stay but wish to visit the beautiful gardens, keep an eye out for The Newt’s Great Garden Escape day trip launching in 2021!

Passionate about garden-to-table dining, The Newt’s garden eateries serve produce handpicked straight from their gardens – delicious local, fresh and seasonal food. We also recommend trying their cyder which is made on site from 100% apple juice and available to pick up in their Farm Shop.

The Water Cabin, Norfolk

The Water Cabin is an idyllic home stay owned by Fiona Burrage, founder of Nor-Folk and our newest natural body care line, Sop. Situated in the Broads National Park on the river Thurne, the cabin was carefully and considerately renovated by Fiona and her husband, who worked with local craftsman.

Fiona encourages guests to switch off and reconnect during their stay at the water cabin, and the interior is minimal yet beautifully designed to be the perfect setting to do so. Learn more about the creation of Sop and The Water Cabin in our interview with Fiona Burrage, here.

The Zetter, London

Located in the backstreets of Clerkenwell is the Zetter Hotel. A green tourism award-winning hotel, which has integrated environmentally friendly practices to reduce their carbon footprint. The hotel was built to be an energy-efficient hotel, designed with sustainably sourced building materials. They even have a ‘Green Team,’ who survey the hotel every month to not only maintain standards but to brainstorm new ways to make the hotel even greener.

The Zetter uses an energy loop system, so for example, when guests heat their rooms, it helps to cool the hotels’ fridges. Also, when you leave your room for the day to explore London, the occupancy detection system will switch off the energy in your room! If you’re already London based, you can always go enjoy the fabulous restaurant, which sources ingredients from local and sustainable suppliers. Also, why not do a staycation in your home city? Enjoy the vacation experience without having to take a flight!

Haye Farm, Devon

We first learned about Haye Farm in our podcast episode with Arizona Muse. This 66 acre organic farm is set in stunning hills of East Devon. Haye Farm owners Harry and Emily are passionate about creating sustainable food systems. Through a careful, regenerative management approach of this organic farm they are able to improve soil fertility to ensure successful crop growth, whilst maintaining healthy plant.

Haye Farm offer two types of cottage accommodation – Haye Farm Cottage and The Hayrick. Both are beautifully maintained in a traditional cottage style with incredible views of the surrounding green landscape.