Stowhouse Farm Cottages

Stowhouse Farm enjoys a truly stunning rural location, we have no noise or light pollution. On sunny days you can relax in the garden and have a barbeque, while listening to our resident woodpecker drumming on the trees opposite the farmhouse. On an evening you can sit outside your cosy cottage and enjoy starlit skies and clean country air whilst   listening to one of the resident tawny owls hooting in the trees surrounding the farm. Nature activity packs are provided to keep children entertained by looking for bugs, butterflies and many other species of wild plants, flowers and animals. We are aware of the fact that our activities have an impact on both our local and wider environment. In order to achieve sustainable tourism, we do the following to minimise our impact and improve our environmental performance.

We are members of the Green Tourism Business Scheme and the Countryside Stewardship Scheme. By joining theses schemes, we are committed to going green and undertaking environmentally friendly farming and business practices.

We are currently working with the Durham Wildlife Trust on a number of projects around the farm to improve habitats for wildlife such as erecting bat boxes and nesting boxes for birds and planting wild flower meadows. We plant insect friendly plants and flowers in our gardens and leave fallen trees and woodpiles to attract more insects. We also maintain all of the dry stone walls and hedges around the farm. You may be lucky enough to see some of the wildlife which has already chosen to make Stowhouse Farm it's home, including woodpeckers, squirrels, brown hares, fallow deer, tawny owls, barn owls, foxes and bats.

All of our energy and waste is monitored and we seek to reduce our power usage and waste to improve our environmental performance. We replace all light bulbs with energy efficient light bulbs and replace electrical equipment with 'A' rated equipment, as it is needed.

There are several ways in which you can help us to have sustainable tourism, both during your visit to Stowhouse Farm Cottages and at your own home. Below are just a few examples of ways in which you can help, please also take a moment to see what else we are doing by reading our Environmental Statement and Ways in which you can help the environment.

We aim to reduce our carbon footprint and encourage guests to have a green holiday. We run a Carbon Offsetting scheme in which guests are invited to offset their holiday carbon footprint by making a suggested £5 donation to The Durham Wildlife Trust. If you would like to opt in to this, there are 2 ways to do it:

• If you are booking online, just click the appropriate box in Extras Menu on the Availability/Booking page
• If you are booking by phone, please tell us you would like to add an Offset donation

Either way, £5 will automatically be added to the amount you pay. We undertake to add £5 to every donation.

For more information about our local Wildlife Trusts, please go to www.durhamwt.co.uk

We have many wonderful walks and cycle routes starting right from your doorstop. Try at least one day on holiday without the car Hire a bike and cycle around the Consett to Cornsay and Tow Law circular route. Experience the countryside and take a walk to Hedleyhope Nature Reserve. Take a nature walk around the Farm and please complete our Nature Diary to help us monitor the wildlife here at Stowhouse Farm

Buy local produce. Add a hamper to your booking from the selection of extras on our booking/availability page to support some of our local businesses. All of the products in the hamper are made locally.

Save energy. Please turn off electrical appliances at the plug when not in use – this includes leaving the TV on standby. Studies show that the standby light on a TV uses as much electricity as the TV does when switched on and in use.

Don't leave doors and windows open when the heating is on. Turn heating down or off and close all windows when you go out.