Natural Retreats describes itself as the UK's first luxury sustainable holiday location and this is the first site developed by the company. It currently consists of 10 eco-friendly, luxurious self-catering holiday homes in Aislabeck near Richmond, North Yorkshire. They are set in 54 acres of private woodland and ancient meadows on the outskirts of the Yorkshire Dales National Park and offer stunning views overlooking the Swale Valley.
Each lodge has extensive glass wall frontages, designed to bring in the natural light, magnificent surrounding woodland and meadow views directly into the open plan living room and can accommodate up to 6 people in 3 bedrooms – 1 double en-suite, 1 twin and 1 single with a stowaway bed for the occasional extra guest. Other features include exposed beams, open plan living areas and kitchens and facilities including a flat screen LG TV, DVD and CD player, washer/dryer, wood burning stove for those cold wintry evenings and decked outdoor areas with furniture, for summer-time picnics.
There are stylish furnishings and all the lodges have solid wood floors throughout and state of the art island kitchens and bathrooms.
GREEN CREDENTIALS
The company says the retreats have been built in accordance with its green principles andt with sustainably sourced timber. Their eco-friendly features include sedum roofs, insulation made from recycled paper, 100% renewable energy, spring water and a natural reed bed system for sewage disposal.
Each lodge is sensitively positioned to blend discreetly with the natural landscape. Guests are encouraged to “go local” because there are no on-site restaurants and bars - so they are obliged to buy freshly baked bread and enjoy a pint in the village pub!
The company aims to expand the concept to other National Parks.