Holidaying in the UK can certainly help lower your carbon footprint - but is it possible to stay in an environmentally responsible holiday cottage without compromising on comfort and luxury? Rachel Mead heads to Mazzard Farm in Ottery St Mary to find out.
On hearing that our holiday cottage in Ottery St Mary was ‘sustainable’, I’ll be honest, I packed (to my partner’s disgust) a pair of knitted bed socks. Mazzard Farm has been the winner of the most sustainable tourism business at the highly prestigious Devon Tourism Awards not once, but twice, and this winning streak made me a tad nervous. With the gloomy forecast predicting below-normal temperatures for our mid-week break I feared enforced anti-clockwise twists of the thermostat would have me reaching for the hot water bottle. Can you really have a comfortable stay while lowering your carbon footprint?
As we weaved through the Devonshire lanes, eyes peeled for signage, it was actually the giveaway glow of an electric car charging point, and the sight of a small recycling station which hinted to us that we had arrived. Dusk was falling fast and as we crossed the courtyard and knocked on the front door of Ruud and Jacqueline’s farmhouse to check in, the night-time hoot of barn owls provided the backing soundtrack to our conversation.
‘You’ll hear them calling most of the night, they seem to love it here’ said Ruud, ‘The log burner is lit, and your breakfast hamper is in your kitchen ready for the morning – relax and enjoy!’
On opening the oak door to our purpose-built barn conversion, my earlier trepidation was immediately thawed as the heat from the log burner welcomed us in; the cosy sofas inviting us to sit down and bask in the golden flickering firelight. With bags unpacked and a bottle of red to savour, we perused the supplied tourist guide information to plan our mini-break in Ottery; all thoughts of additional knitwear permanently cast aside.
Misconceptions of ‘going green’ are of course fading and as the uptake of responsible and sustainable tourism is on the rise, it’s great to know that our county is welcoming to savvy staycationers. Last year statisa.com reported that the number of Brits booking a 'staycation' in the UK had increased by 50 percent compared to 2022.
With so many of us actively looking to leave a smaller footprint on the planet we are turning to climate-smart businesses. Ruud and Jacqueline have embraced this notion by generating heating and hot water through a biomass boiler and installing solar panels to provide electricity. Their self-catering cottages are insulated with West Country sheep wool and as such have been recognised for passing high-level environmental standards; with additional green credentials met by providing water from their own bore hole and firewood from their own forest.
But it’s not just the functionality of Mazzard Farm that ticks the sustainability boxes, as Ruud says: ‘A huge factor in being a sustainable business is that you do all you can to work with, and stimulate, the local community and economy. We love to support neighbouring businesses and actively encourage our guests to walk to the nearby eateries and visit our town and shops.’
The husband-and-wife duo helped to create the platform, East Devon Excellence, which gives all tourism businesses the opportunity to celebrate their region whilst simultaneously helping visitors to navigate the local area.
Jacqueline says, ‘We love to recommend the places we believe are worth recommending to our guests, whilst also creating a relaxed environment with us. It took us a long time to find and create Mazzard Farm - we viewed over 200 properties in two years before we fell in love with Ottery! But we know, after all that research, that we are offering a chilled place for chilled people. We don’t have inventories, if you break a wine glass, so what? Our aim is welcome visitors to our 17 acres of land and ensure they are happy whilst they are here.’
A tour around the grounds of Mazzard Farm reveals a multi-generational offering. Complimentary use of the wellies which line up beside a wide selection of outdoor children’s toys and games invite guests with young families to embrace the outdoors. Tricycles, a trampoline and climbing frame are all on offer so that guest’s children or grandchildren can enjoy the gardens and woodland alongside the resident chickens and goats.
Plus, as a unique and added bonus, for those guests who would like to holiday with their horses, Jacqueline has turned a nine-acre field into a Natural Horsemanship Yard. Jacqueline says, ‘Our guests can make full use of the lush paddocks and onsite stabling whilst having direct access to an extensive bridlepath network which explores the East Devon National Landscape We really are so fortunate with both the riding and the walking possibilities in Ottery.’
If all of this outdoor activity is sounding a bit action packed, fear not, as a stay at Mazzard Farm is immensely peaceful due to its rural location. Whether you are meandering amongst the Devonshire apple trees in the orchard or reading a book in the Italian garden beside the pond, the entire grounds have a tranquil vibe.
And, for those guests who are perhaps seeking additional relaxation you can even embrace the on-site spa treatments, ‘It’s proven really popular’ says Jacqueline, ‘in addition to reflexology, I also offer full body and Indian head massage and foot spas from the comfort of your holiday cottage, it’s the ultimate way to relax and unwind.’
‘It’s key to remember that a Mazzard Farm holiday will not feel that different from one where maybe the environmental impact hasn’t been looked at’ says Ruud, ‘Most of our sustainability measures are invisible to our guests. We have done that on purpose, after all, why should an environmentally positive holiday be any different from a regular one?’
It seems a disservice to say ‘a stay at Mazzard Farm was indifferent to any other holiday letting’ but if you put that in context, it is a compliment. The good news story here is that an environmentally responsible holiday let in Ottery St Mary is offering both comfort and luxury, whilst also lowering your carbon footprint.
Some might say it’ll even knock your (knitted) socks off!
mazzardfarm.com; eastdevonexcellence.co.uk
