At Mornacott being sustainable and making a positive environmental impact are at the heart of everything we do. We’re proud that our cottages and farmhouse are located within a conservation site. They are a testament to our dedication to preserving and enhancing the natural world. Every decision we make is carefully aligned with this commitment.
Our day-to-day operations are no exception! Throughout all the cottages and the farmhouse here at Mornacott, we have adopted certain practices aimed at delivering a positive environmental or social impact:
Energy efficiency:
We harness the power of a biomass boiler to heat our properties and the onsite swimming pool. This system is powered by non-native timber harvested from our estate, felled to create space for the planting of native deciduous broadleaf woodland. This approach not only ensures efficient energy use and reduces our carbon footprint, but also supports our commitment to enhancing local biodiversity and restoring natural habitats. By replacing non-native species with native trees, we contribute to the long-term health and resilience of our ecosystem.
Our electricity usage is supplemented by the solar panels installed on the roof of our cattle shed. While the solar energy generated doesn’t always fully meet our needs, it contributes significantly, and on some days, we even have surplus energy to send back to the grid.
We also have EV chargers for each of the cottages and plan to extend this amenity to the farmhouse.
Sustainable supplies:
We source our cleaning products from Miniml, an eco-friendly company that uses a closed loop system of refills and recyclable packaging. Their ingredients have been carefully chosen to have minimal environmental impact. With dogs soon to be welcomed at the Farmhouse, and later in the year, some of the cottages, we’re expanding our use of the Miniml products to include dog shampoo. Additionally, we are sourcing dog poo bags made using 100% post-consumer recycled material, 100% organic handmade hemp dog leads, and sustainably sourced bamboo dog bowls.
We’ve recently switched our toilet paper and kitchen roll to the humorously named Who Gives a Crap brand, an impressive B Corp company which uses only 100% recyclable paper or 100% bamboo for their products, reducing deforestation. Their packaging is plastic-free, and they donate 50% of their profits to charities dedicated to increasing global access to clean water and flushable toilets.
Instead of plastic bin liners, we use compostable alternatives from B Corp company Seep, which are made from plants and degrade faster than plastic, resulting in harmless, toxin-free organic waste which has minimal impact on the environment.
We have also replaced our plastic washing-up sponges with ones made from coconut fibres and natural cellulose, making them fully compostable.
Local produce:
The eggs we provide come from our own battery-rescued hens, while the milk is refilled from our local farm store using Trewithen milk. This milk is sourced directly from Trewithen’s contracted farmers, all located within a 25-mile radius of their dairy. To reduce waste, we wash and reuse the containers for both eggs and milk.
We are particularly proud of our Devon Red Ruby beef, sourced straight from our own fields at Mornacott and offered within our bbq packs.
Cakes and brownies are handmade and sourced from a local bakery in Tiverton which uses locally made butter and fresh, local, free-range eggs. Until we expand our own gardens, flowers are bought from our local market in South Molton, where we only select those which are west-country grown.
Our doggy treats are handmade, again sourced from the local market and supplied to guests in re-used, personalised jars.
Future improvements:
We are not perfect! There are plenty of planned improvements we have yet to make, and still others that we’ll learn of through trial and error. We are continuously learning and evolving our practices, welcoming feedback and suggestions.
Some plans are already in the pipeline, including the creation of a kitchen and flower garden to be able to offer more of our own produce. In time, when we have a repertoire of on-site produce, our team will be able to offer our guests freshly baked, artisan goods.
We will, however, always prioritise sustainability by avoiding unnecessary new purchases, opting instead to use existing items as long as they remain functional. For instance, items such as towels and bedding are gradually replaced over time to maintain luxury standards while remaining functional.
Final thoughts:
Our commitment to positive environmental and social impact drives all our operational decision-making, and we are continually striving to minimise our ecological footprint and support local biodiversity.
We aim to lead by example in promoting an environmentally responsible way of life, but can only achieve this through constantly reviewing our existing processes and learning from others.
Ultimately, we hope to honour the beautiful environment we call home and help contribute to the wider conservation efforts of the Mornacott estate.
We look forward to welcoming you here!
