Discover our approach to regenerative tourism at Hall Farm, sustainable luxury accommodation in Leicestershire, and how we’re working to protect nature and our countryside.
We didn’t set out to create a “regenerative tourism strategy.”
To be honest, when we first started welcoming guests to Hall Farm, we were far more concerned with hot tubs, beautiful interiors and making sure everyone had a really lovely night’s sleep!
But as our little business has grown from one countryside retreat to four luxury stays, we’ve become increasingly aware that we’re not just creating luxury accommodation in Leicestershire. We’re looking after a piece of countryside too.
Hall Farm sits within around 20 acres of beautiful Leicestershire landscape, and although our guests come here for a relaxing escape, the land itself is home to an extraordinary amount of life. From hares and hedgehogs to owls, red kites, bats and a huge variety of native birds, there’s rather more going on here than meets the eye.
And that’s really where our approach to regenerative tourism has come from.
We’re simply trying to leave it a little better than we found it.
For us, responsible tourism isn’t about being perfect or ticking every sustainability box. It’s about making thoughtful choices wherever we can, and considering the impact of our business on the countryside, wildlife, local community and the resources we use.
Over the last five years we’ve planted more than 2,000 trees and plants, followed Biodiversity Net Gain recommendations as we’ve developed our accommodation and continued to create and protect natural habitats around the estate.
We’ve also installed solar panels, collect rainwater, recycle carefully and use refillable Bramley toiletries rather than lots of little plastic bottles. Our breakfast hampers and baskets make use of local produce wherever possible, with reusable baskets and as little unnecessary packaging as we can manage.
None of these things individually changes the world.
But together, they make a difference.
One of the most special areas of Hall Farm is our rewilded former gravel pit, which has gradually become a wonderful haven for wildlife alongside our sheep and alpacas.
We’ve planted two weeping willows in the wetland area and we’re continuing to look at ways to improve the habitat here.
We’re also adding bird boxes, bat boxes, insect boxes and a hibernaculum, giving even more of the farm’s smaller residents somewhere to live.
And then there are the creatures that simply arrive because the habitat suits them.
Hares, rabbits, foxes, hedgehogs, badgers, bats, partridges, herons, kestrels, hawks, red kites and a huge variety of songbirds all share this landscape with us.
For guests staying here, it’s one of the lovely things about being away from the city. You don’t have to go looking for nature. It’s right outside your window.
We love that people come to Hall Farm for a countryside break in Leicestershire.
There are public footpaths around the farm, beautiful walks, the canal, country pubs and miles of rural landscape to explore. We genuinely enjoy sharing it with our guests and with the walkers who use the footpath.
But enjoying the countryside comes with a little responsibility too.
Closing gates, sticking to public footpaths, not feeding livestock, taking rubbish home and leaving wildlife undisturbed are all small things that help protect the landscape we’re here to enjoy.
We’re also working on ways to make the footpath easier to enjoy during wetter weather, while keeping its natural character.
Because responsible tourism isn’t about keeping people out of nature. It’s about helping people enjoy it respectfully.
We’ve also tried to make more sustainable choices within our luxury self-catering accommodation.
Solar panels help us generate our own electricity, rainwater is collected on the farm, and our air-conditioning systems can also provide an air-source heating option alongside our LPG boilers.
Low Wattage LED lighting is used inside and out, with the lowest degree of outside lighting used to respect our dark skies.
We wash all those fluffy towels and robes in house using the lower temperatures and less detergent. Still gorgeously fresh but wasting less energy and using less chemicals.
We use large refillable Bramley toiletries rather than individual plastic bottles, and our breakfast hampers and baskets focus on locally sourced produce with minimal unnecessary packaging.
Where trees naturally fall or need thinning, we reuse the timber on the farm wherever possible.
We’re not claiming to have the answers to everything. We’re simply looking at what we can do better and making changes where they make sense.
We also believe that sustainable tourism in the Midlands isn’t just about what happens within the boundaries of your accommodation.
It’s about the wider place too.
We love recommending local pubs, independent restaurants, farm shops, producers, walks and attractions to our guests. When visitors spend money locally, it helps support the communities and businesses that make rural destinations special.
And that’s one of the reasons we think a stay at Hall Farm can be about much more than simply somewhere lovely to sleep.
Come for the hot tub.
Stay for the countryside.
And hopefully leave knowing a little more about the place you’ve visited.
In simple terms, it’s about trying to ensure that our tourism business gives something back to the place that makes people want to visit it in the first place.
We’re lucky enough to live here. We’re lucky enough to welcome guests here. And we’re lucky enough to be custodians of this little corner of Leicestershire.
So we’ll keep planting, improving habitats, supporting local businesses, reducing waste, protecting the dark skies and looking for those little things we can do better.
We’re not trying to make Hall Farm perfect. We’re trying to leave it a little better than we found it.
© Hall Farm Dadlington
Company no: 07852048 – Registered in the UK
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