Many cabin rentals across the U.K. have been updated with eco-friendly details. Now, the U.K. National Trust is highlighting some of them to make it easy to book a sustainable vacation. From the Isle of Wight to Cornwall, here are some eco-friendly cottages in the U.K. that would make a fabulous sustainable getaway.
Longstone Cottage
Longstone Cottage, on the Isle of Wight, is a beautiful brick Edwardian home with updated solar electricity for the lights. There are off-grid gas wall heaters and appliances throughout. Guests access the home via a National Trust track through a grazing common, putting it off the beaten path for a peaceful holiday surrounded by rolling green hills and wildlife. It even has a view down the Longstone Valley. Longstone Cottage includes three bedrooms with historic fireplaces and wood floors. It sits on the Mottistone Estate, which overlooks cliffs, a village, farmland and a Neolithic monument called The Longstone. Nearby, you can enjoy tea and scones in the gardens of Mottistone Manor. Walking tours and biking on many natural paths are popular on the island.
The Cwms
The Cwms, in Narberth, Pembrokeshire, is a rustic, sustainable cottage equipped with central air via heat pump. This Victorian cottage sits in a woodland valley surrounded by the Colby Woodland Gardens. Guests can enjoy a log-burning stove in the sitting room and traditional furnishings. Nearby is a tearoom and the beach at Amroth. Sixteen miles away is the Stackpole estate, complete with sandy beaches and wooded valleys. Staying at The Cwms contributes to conserving the surrounding landscape.
Woolley Lodge
Planned as a grand entrance to the original estate and used as a gardener’s lodge, Woolley Lodge, in Barnstaple, Devon, now functions as its own Victorian cottage. Woolley Lodge, a two-bedroom home set behind wrought iron gates, features woodland and wildflower garden views of the 600-year-old Arlington. Inside, a log-burning stove complements a modern kitchen and bathroom with in-floor heating. The cottage is dog-friendly and has access to miles of local footpaths for walking.
Skipper’s Cabin
Skipper’s Cabin in Padstow, Cornwall, features eco-friendly heating through several systems that work together to power this traditional one-bedroom stone shepherd’s hut. The Skipper’s Cabin has valley views down toward the coast. Inside, an open floor plan encompasses the living, kitchen and bedroom areas. Livestock grazes around the cabin, and the sandy beach at Porthcothan is a short walk away. The popular seafood restaurants of Padstow are a 20-minute drive, and only three miles away are even more beaches at Mawgan Porth and Watergate Bay.
The U.K. National Trust website promoting eco-friendly vacations also has guides to nearby walking tours and cottages around the region that are within close distance of an EV charging station. These features help provide more options for an eco-friendly rustic getaway without sacrificing sustainability.
Images © National Trust, by Mike Henton and Chris Lacey
