Orchard Lodge B&B, Cornwall, England

How does Orchard Lodge minimise its impact on the environment and contribute to a sense of place?

Having been awarded Gold by the GTBS, Orchard Lodge have installed solar panels to help heat the water supply, as well as insulating the loft to ensure as little heat is lost as possible. All of the appliances in the kitchens and guest rooms have a minimum A rating, while the guest room kettles only hold 1 litre of water. Each of the guest rooms also has a recycling bag for glass, plastic, paper and card, while all of the bathrooms have shower gel and hand soap dispensers. All of the shower rooms have also been refurbished to insert energy-saving fittings such as dual-flush toilets. The showers either have water-saving shower heads of flow restrictors, while towels and linen are washed using environmentally friendly laundry liquids, or eco-balls. Some linen is even hired from Cornwall's only eco-friendly laundry. There are butts around the house for collecting water for the garden and each month the water usage is monitored and compared with previous years.

Look to the breakfast menu and you'll see that nearly all of the ingredients have been sourced locally, with sausages made from the site's own pigs, reared on a nearby organic farm, and dairy products that are delivered daily from the dairy in the next village. The cure dry bacon is Cornish, the marmalade is homemade and apples are grown on their own trees. There are discounts for all guests who arrive on foot, by bike and by public transport. The accommodation is not only a short distance from the castle at Tintagel, it is also close to the famous Eden Project, where visitors can take part in exhibitions and workshops regardin sustainability.