From building construction to green energy, every aspect of the Dovecote Barns has sustainability built in. A Visit England five-star standard sits comfortably alongside a Green Tourism Gold award status.
Read about our green story by clicking here.
Comfort without compromise, for you and the environment.
An electric car charging station is available for guests to allow you charge both your car and your own batteries overnight! Bring either your 32amp charge cable with you please. All electricity is 100% renewable energy and we have been with Green Energy/100 Green since opening in 2008.
Recycling and composting facilities are encouraged with recycling bags and kitchen compost bins in each barn. You are guided as to how to recycle on arrival.
The eco-laundry is a purpose-built communal laundry. It is always warm and makes a perfect drying room.
A ‘Yorkshire’ welcome basket is provided for both our short break and weekly stay guests. In it a selection of Yorkshire and locally grown produce is supplied as well as homemade bread.
We work with local people to help service your comfort, whether it be handmade soft furnishings, artwork on the walls, home chef or coach hire for large groups.
Our complimentary toiletries are the high end ‘Noble Isle’ toiletry range, manufactured in the UK and not shipped long distances to us. We use refillable containers rather than throw away ones.
For cleaning products, washing up liquid, dishwasher tabs, etc we purchase the ECOVER and METHOD range of green products.
You are supplied with a Yorkshire based welcome basket of Yorkshire eggs, Yorkshire butter, Yorkshire tea, Locally produced jams and marmalade, homemade bread and any other Yorkshire based produce available.
We have built a purpose-built boiler room to house the technology controls, boiler and thermal store. Your heating and hot water are all driven by a biomasss boiler.
The hot water generated ensures constant supply to your en-suite showers and baths. In addition, all properties are heated by under floor heating which is a healthier alternative to conventional radiators and is a more efficient form of central heating. Each area is thermostatically controlled for your comfort.
We produce more electricity than we use. The surplus goes into the national grid, however to cover peak periods we are signed up to ‘100 Green/Green Energy’ a company that only uses 100% renewable sources for its electricity production.
Low energy bulbs and energy efficient ‘A’ rated appliances are installed throughout.
We encourage you to use the public bus service which operates from the barns into York city centre. Timetables and directions to bus stops as well as details of the ‘Park & Ride’ bus service operated from the York Designer Outlet are available on arrival. The Arriva No. 42 Selby-York bus service has an online app.
There are walks in the guest information file as well as a copy of the cycle Sustrans ‘Solar System’ route which operates into York from nearby. We are members of the national Visit England Walkers and Cyclists Welcome schemes.
The farm aims to create and maintain biodiversity and wildlife habitats through such things as wilding and hedgerow management, providing wild bird cover and creating buffer strips alongside the edges of cropped fields. Thousands of hedgerow plants have been planted, acres of wild bird seed planted and dozens of bird and owl boxes put up to encourage the already large populations of bird species (incl 10 on the BTO red list).
We have a family of wild deer at the wood, and a large number of hares and owls.
Richard is a full time arable farmer, but in his spare time, he voluntarily hosts farm walks around the fields and does demonstrations at the farm for various interest groups eg. The University of York, RSPB and Wildlife and Nature Groups.
2022, Richard acting NFU Chairman of the Environment Forum.
In 2018, Richard was the first ever recipient of the NFU ambassadorial farming award, the Meurig Raymond Award.
In 2014, he was the winner of the Yorkshire Agricultural Society Tye Trophy for excellence in farming and conservation.
In 2013, he was the northern regional winner of the National RSPB Nature of Farming Awards.
In 2009, Richard was a finalist in the Countryside Farmer of the Year Awards.
“Through wildlife-friendly farming schemes and his own initiative, he has undertaken a huge amount of conservation work for the benefit of everything from butterflies and bats to skylarks and hares. The farm throngs with wildlife and is a joy to visit.”
Chris Tomson, RSPB
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