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Thornthwaite & Rural Development

Thornthwaite Farm has been granted funding to allow us to improve the way we manage our woodland surrounding the farm and cottages in line with our Environmental Policy.

The Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE) is jointly funded by the Government and the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development. It was launched in 2008 and will run until 2013. Over that time the RDPE will be investing £374 million into the North West.

The little slice we managed to secure will enable us to produce firewood which is used for heating and cooking in the main farm house as well as for log fires in the cottages. It will also mean that the we can get more efficient at our woodland management improving habbitats and the area for our visitors enjoyment.

To improve our woodland management we have been able to aquire a Botex 360TL forwarding trailer thanks to the RDPE.

Environmental Policy Statement

We enjoy where we live, we also hope that you can come and enjoy it with us. The National Park was established to protect the wonderful place that is the Lake District and we do our part to help with that mission.

The environment has always been central to our business; we see ourselves as custodians of the landscape and the environment. Though it may seem to be fashionable these days, we were among the first farms to enter into an environmentally sensitive area agreement in 1993, ever since then we have championed environmentally sensitive practices.

We feel it makes sense, and it is our responsibility to reflect this philosophy in our holiday and leisure business.

We at Thornthwaite recognise our responsibility to manage the environmental impacts of our activities, products and services. We have assessed our activities and identified that our significant environmental improvements include:

• Entering into an ESA agreement in 1993, including the protection and management of tier 2 Grassland (traditional hay meadows).
• We are a member of the FABBL farm assured scheme ensuring the lambs we produce have farm assured status.
• the sensitive management and protection of a large area of rare raised peat bog, that classified as an area of special scientific interest (SSSI) and Special Area of Conservation (SAC),
• In December 2003 we planted 14,000 trees over approx 100 acres to establish a new native woodland.
• We use any wood cut out of our woodlands as part of our woodland management strategy as fuel in both our own home, providing all the hot water, and powering the central heating in our holiday cottages and camping barn.
• using a ground source heat pump to supply heat to the central heating system

In order to promote and further good environmental practices, our Policy with regard to the environment is as follows: -

• To identify the significant environmental impacts of our activities.
• To develop suitable objectives, targets and management programmes to minimise our significant environmental impacts during normal and emergency operating conditions.
• To comply with relevant legislation, regulation and other requirements relating to our significant environmental impacts.
• To prevent pollution, minimise our use of fossil fuel energy, water, and our generation of waste, endeavoring to re-use, recover or recycle materials where practicable.
• To communicate, co-operate and respond to the views of interested parties, including guests and other stakeholders, on environmental issues, where this is practicable and likely to result in an overall improved environmental performance.
• To strive for continual improvement in overall environmental performance.

Recognition

In recognition of the strategy we have put forward, the Cumbria Business Environment Network awarded Thronthwaite Farm its Bronze award.