Guest Environmental Charter

COMBERMERE ABBEY is a truly exceptional place, an environmental gem. Its large Mere, ancient woodland and historic parkland all form part of a breath-taking natural habitat, rich in flora and fauna. The estate history is almost 900 years old, with a number of important historic properties, and an organic farm.

At Combermere Abbey, we are passionate about the environment, its protection, enhancement and long term sustainability. We recognise the importance of preserving our environment for future generations as well as making it available to a wider public on a managed recreational and educational basis.

We are continuously striving to balance the impact of our holiday cottages and events business with our commitment to reduce our carbon footprint and contribute positively to the wider community. Our team aims to conserve natural resources by ensuring the responsible use of energy, water and materials whilst maintaining and exceeding the expected quality levels of our guests. Let us know if we are on track.

We are members of a number of associations which recognise good environmental practice: The Green Tourism Business Scheme Carbon Trust, Soil Association, Premier Cottages, EASCO, CLA and Tourism Alliance.

Our commitment to you:

Adopt a policy of 'green procurement', taking environmental factors into account in all purchasing and supplier contracts using where possible local suppliers, artists and retailers and incorporating organic and fair trade products when available.
Reduce waste at source and recycling paper, cardboard, plastic, and glass.
Use environmentally friendly cleaning products where possible, and minimise the use of chemicals throughout the business. We operate a reed bed sewage system, and we do not use sprays in our Walled or Vegetable gardens.
Adopt the practice of responsible and efficient energy management to reduce consumption in all our operations.
Encourage guests to remain on the estate for a day during their stay, offering walks and bicycles for their use. Each cottage has a ‘Blue Book' of information regarding local walks, cycle routes, places to eat and local markets and festivals.
Offer tours of the Abbey and Gardens and encourage you to enjoy the natural environment at leisure.
We supply logs for the fires and wood burning stoves from our own estate supply.
Maintain a non-smoking environment in any of our buildings, and offer guests designated outdoor smoking areas.
Invite you to reduce your carbon footprint by accepting our offer of a tree which is planted in a new woodland plantation and can be seen on further visits.

We ask YOU to adopt 5 small steps with big impact:

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. Limit purchase with unnecessary packaging, separate rubbish and use our recycling bins. Report maintenance issues promptly to the Housekeeper.

Stay Local, Eat Local, Buy Local, See Local. Explore the walking, cycling and outdoor activities choosing local routes. Buy souvenirs and gifts from local producers and artists. Support the local economy by visiting local pubs and restaurants, farm shops and eateries. Enjoy the wealth of historic properties, gardens and attractions in our area. See What's On section of the website for details.

Reduce the carbon footprint. Spend a day on the Estate -enjoy picnics, birdwatching, painting, fishing on the mere, walking in the woods, eating our award winning freezer foods, take a DVD from our complimentary library. Give the car a holiday as well.

Chill out and switch off. Turn off taps, switch off lights and equipment and close curtains to minimise heat loss during winter months, when leaving a room or cottage. Enjoy a moonlight walk through the gardens and adjoining wood.

Follow the Countryside Code: A reminder to protect and respect the estate and enjoy its beauty, but do not litter or allow dogs to foul public areas. Respect our dog policy. Leave gates as found and do not stray into areas designated as private and no entry - Combermere is a working farm and it is for your own protection and safety.