Sustainability and environmental awareness at Carswell Holidays

Green Tourism AwardCarswell Holidays is located on a working organic farm in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty just minutes from the South Devon coastline.

We are a GOLD member of the Green Tourism Business scheme and are passionate about conservation and protecting the environment.

In our holiday cottages, all the cleaning products including washing up liquid and dishwasher tablets meet stringent environmental criteria. We provide ‘aqua balls’ for guests to do their laundry without using detergents, and we encourage guests to dry their washing naturally instead of using the tumble dryer.

Heating is provided by a biomass boiler, while solar panels generate much of the electricity used in the cottages.

There is an exceptional variety of wildlife and plants on and around Carswell, from hares and badgers to bats and barn owls. There are also some extremely rare species on the farm – Carswell is one of the few places in the country where you could spot a Cirl Bunting while a pair of faithful Peregrine Falcons nest on the cliff here every year.

Below are a few of the ways in which we ensure that we look after our native flora, fauna, birdlife and animals at Carswell:

  • We work closely with the RSPB to ensure that local birdlife is protected. For example, skylarks are fairly common and we have several nesting pairs who will fledge several broods per year. We do not cut or graze large areas of wild flower, low intensity grassland until late July or early August so that seeds can drop and ground nesting birds can thrive.
  • We reserve 40 acres of land for the sole purpose of maintaining habitat for wildlife.
  • We have planted many thousands of trees over the last 30 years to create habitats and corridors for wildlife, from the clifftop to further inland.
  • We have established baseline surveys for flora and fauna.
  • We farm organically, a more environmentally friendly method without using artificial nitrogen or pesticides.
  • We have a Higher Level Stewardship scheme and have been commended for our work.