As an Ambassador of CoaST (that's The Cornwall Sustainable Tourism Project) we make conscious choices in our way of business and life style to minimise any negative impact on the environment and wherever possible create a positive effect. 
The Hen House has a Gold Award from The Green Tourism Business Scheme given back in Spring 2006, one of 11 places in Cornwall in the first year of the scheme.The scheme looks at management of waste,energy and water.Preservation of the natural environment,local purchasing ,green transport,marketing and communication
 | To conserve energy we use low energy light bulbs,line dry all washing, have insulated the barn roofs,fitted thermostats to all radiators and towel rails and use combination boilers for instant hot water. We use two wood burning stoves to supplement oil usage and have a small diesel car giving 60 m.p.g which will take bio-diesel. We have timers fitted to outside lights and are supplied on a green energy tariff |
Our rooms are furnished with pure white cotton bed linen,cotton curtains and wool rich carpets even down to the wool underlay
To conserve water we harvest rainwater for garden / allotment watering and to top up the pond. We have hippo bags in all the loos and water restrictors to aerate the water on showers .
We let guests decide when they would like their towels laundered rather than wash them on a daily basis(few folks do so at home).Our "A" rated dishwasher is used on eco-setting only once a day and we still use a domestic washing machine as the water and electricity usage is proportionatley less than with a commercial one We offer a £10 per night discount for B & B guests who stayfor more than 3 nights - a reward to guests who share our concerns on water conservation and quantity of detergents (eco-friendly though they are) going into the environment
To protect the environment all our cleaning products are phosphate free and even our freezer bags and waste bin liners are bio-degradable plastic.
We source our breakfast supplies locally.The fruit juice, milk and yoghurt is Roskilly's just a mile away,the bread and jams are home made and the eggs are very local(from our own chickens) The sausages and bacon are from a local Helston butcher, the potatoes are Cornish grown and herbs are from the garden. Our crockery is from a local potter who has a studio at Roskilly's
We re-cycle all paper,glass,cans,card and plastics and compost kitchen waste and garden rubbish for use on the allotment .We are a portion free household choosing to serve butter and preserves in pots than add to the mountain of waste packaging.In our guest rooms you will find soap and shower gel in dispensers to avoid waste packaging and tea and coffee supplies in small cannisters.
We have a wonderful wild flower meadow free from all chemicals and pesticides which encourages many species of insect and bird life.There are thousands of Ox-Eye Daisies & Fox gloves,purple Sawwort,Cowslips,magenta pink Whistling Jacks,Vipers Bugloss,Cut Leaved Cranesbill and Herb Robert.Here you will find 10 varieties of Cornish apple trees used for the village cider making
We will always encourage visitors to stay local and give masses of information on local places to visits and local pubs and restaurants both in our welcome talk and room information packs. Ordnance survey maps and public transport guides are available to borrow.The National coach service drops in Helston and there is a connecting bus service (with cycle rack)that connects to the train service to Redruth ,and we can offer a pick up service from Helston
We are listed on SUSTRANS,the sustainable transport web-site and offer a pick up and drop off service at a minimal charge for coastal path walkers,which means no packs to carry and less waste water into the environment from one night stays.
What our guests think:
"The information on places to visit was invaluable" Irene & John(24/9/04)
"Not so much a B & B as a whole new life experience" Douglas and Anne (12/8/05)
"Your understanding of your area had enriched our stay" John & Dorothy(22/6/05)
"Very impressed by your environment friendly way of living" Sean & Rachel(2/10/05)
"An ideal environment in which to re-charge our batteries" Beryl& Miles (10/7/05)
"A whole new wonderful life experience" Patrick & Annette (6/9/05)
"The local tips were fantastic and the accommodation of my lack of transport beyond my wildest dreams" Jenny(9/6/06)
Access Statement for The Hen House
We aim to cater for the needs of all visitors in our home so the following is a statement of our access provision. Car Parking:There is a large car park with ample room for 4 cars which is a compacted gravel surface leading to double entrance gates 165cm wide.The firm concrete path through 165cm wide double gates is topped with a layer of shingle and is 76cm wide.Assistance with luggage is offered The Bantams Roost Self Catering Barn:The 80cm wide path from this car park is ridged decking.Double french doors open into the lounge area with a width of 110cm and there is a 13cm high step.The floor is pine floor boarding.There are 9 steps to the galleried bedroom (26cm high x 60cm wide) with head room of 155cm at the lowest point.The king size bed is 53cm high.A two seater sofa bed at ground level can be converted to a 26cm high bed with one simple pull action.The bathroom/dressing room is on the ground floor and had a door width of 74cm.Access to the shower is by 2 steps (12cm wide x 90cm wide).The square fronted wash hand basin is 87cm high.TV and Video with remote control and tele-text.Furniture movable on request. B & B Room Mopani:The path from the central garden path is of in-set level stepping stones.The stable door is 81cm wide and there is a shallow ramp into the bedroom.The king size bed is 60cm high and the single bed 43cm high.To the left hand side of the bed there is a 120cm wide route which leads to the bathroom door 76cm wide.The bath has a shower attachment and one step into it measuring 10cm high x 25cm deep.The round fronted pedestal wash hand basin is 85cm high.Television with remote control and tele-text.Fitted wool rich short pile carpet on the floor B & B Room Puno:The path from the garden path is of in-set level stepping stones.There are 3 steps from the garden into the bedroom(two are 15cm high x 105cm wide,one is 20cm high x 105cm wide)leading to the door of 93cm width.Free floor space in the bedroom of 390cm x 175 cm.The king size bed is 55cm high.The route to the right hand side of the bed is 170cm wide.The en-suite bathroom has a door width of 71cm.The bath has a step up into it 16cm x 116cm wide with a bath heigth of 57cm.The toilet has a left side transfer with floor space of 150cm.The round fronted pedestal wash hand basin is 84cm high.Television with remote control and tele-text.Fitted wool rich short pile carpets Tai-Chi Area and Therapies:There is a dedicated patio at ground floor level for tai-chi classes for those unable to manage the slop and steps into the meadow.Our Serpentine Sanctuary where therapies are available is at ground level accessed by a path of in-set stepping stones with a door width of 70cm. Breakfast Chalet: The first route to the dining chalet is by 6 steps ( 22 cm high x 108cm wide).The second route is by 6 shallower steps(13cm x 65cm wide) a gentle sloping path with a further 5 shallow steps down(17cm high x 65cm wide).Breakfast can be served on the ground floor central pation by special arrangement Grounds and Garden:The large enclosed garden has seating in the central courtyard,the honeysuckle arbour and tai-chi patio all reached by level lawns at the same height as the pathways.There is further seating by the pond reached by a gently sloping path.The meadow is up from the pond area by 3 shallow steps (8cm high x 106cm wide).There is also access to the top of the meadow,summerhouse and mown relaxation area by a new gate into the lane