Ecocabin, Shropshire, UK

Britain has its fair share of unimaginative holiday cottages that offer little more than three-star sameness, so you have to look around carefully to find a green getaway where the kettle doesn't match the curtains. Ecocabin is a small, self-catering lodge in the south Shropshire Hills, nine miles from Craven Arms mainline train station.

I was collected by the owner after the 3½-hour journey from Paddington, and spent an hour or so by the warmth of the woodchip stove in the living room before sliding into bed. I woke up the next morning to sunlight beaming through the tall windows. The single-storey cabin, built out of native woods, has a strong eco theme: solar power, sheep's wool insulation, and you can order a delivery of local organic food. The owner, Kate Grubb, says people used to consider her green and extreme, but now the majority of her guests are "seasoned holiday cottage visitors".It's not exactly eco chic; most of the furnishings are from a community recycling scheme, the 1950s kitchen cabinet was plucked from a junk shop, and there are strict instructions on how to dispose of your bacon rind and egg-shell waste separately. That's its charm. · Costs from £420 a week or from £90 a night (minimum 2 nights) for four.

For contact details see greentraveller's full listing of Ecocabin.

This article, by Richard Hammond, was first published in the Guardian.

Buy tickets for trains to Shropshire

Other ecocabins, and information about green holidays in England can be found in the links below:

Ecocabins | Eco Lodges | Green Accommodation in England