Our Ethos

Every decision we make here, we try to consider the impact it has on the environment and community as well as our guests.

We are always looking at ways we can be more environmentally friendly, so if you have any suggestions for improvement, please feel free to get in touch.

Reducing Waste

We use Zero to Landfill commercial waste collection
We compost all our garden waste and ash from firepits
Our septic tank waste is used locally in Cornwall as fertiliser for vegetable crops
We strongly encourage our guests to recycle as much as possible, and provide sorting bins to make this easier to achieve
We use Ecover cleaning products for everything, and refillable containers so that we use no single-use plastics
Our car park and pathways are made using recycled road shavings which we bought as a waste product when Cormac were resurfacing the A38
We reuse and recycle various materials around the site – we use an old cracked kayak as a planting feature, various large stones found on site during our groundworks, and lots of old pieces of metal we’ve dug up (bits of old tractor etc) as features in our gardens

Encouraging and Protecting Wildlife

We planted native hedgerow on the site to encourage wildlife, and leave the edges of the site wild (brambles etc) to encourage bees and wildlife
We planted a specific bee friendly area by The Pilchard cabin with plants known to attract bees and butterflies etc
We’ve rewilded most of the field, with pathways for guests to walk and explore.
We’ve added a hedgehog glamping area (although they tend to live all over in reality!)
We created a wildlife pond in 2023
We provide nature spotting activities and information to guests, and we actively encourage our guests to enjoy and protect wildlife during their stay and when they return home.
In summer we let the clover in the grass grow for the bees, and just mow around the edges of the field and between the cabins while it’s in flower
We mulch the grass when we mow to feed the ground without using fertilisers
We introduce our guests to the chickens, and there is an educational aspect of this. We let kids collect eggs with us, meet and hold chicks, and teach them about caring for the chickens, how chicks develop in the eggs etc, what the eat, how to keep them happy and healthy etc

Water

Our water is supplied from a well, fed by an underground spring – we reinstated the well for our water supply in 2020
We collect and redirect waste water from our outdoor hot and cold plunge tub to water the grounds and planting

Energy

All the lighting in the cabins is LED
Solar lights are used to illuminate pathways at night to reduce energy consumption and light pollution – even better for stargazing!
Really well insulated cabins means heaters are very rarely needed, even in winter
In the farmhouse (where our office is located and where we do washing and baking for hampers etc) we have solar panels and biomass wood pellet boiler for our heating and hot water (and source the biofuel locally).

Supporting Local / Social Responsibility

All our hampers use products sourced from local farms – if you cant get it locally, its not in the hamper basically!
Teas, coffees, hot chocolate sachets etc all sourced from Cornish Tea and Coffee, who are located only a mile away from here
In peak seasons we employ locally to help with cleaning etc, and employ a local gardener one day a week
We try to experience as many local attractions and restaurants as we can so that we can recommend the very best of what the area has to offer to our guests
We actively try to collaborate with other local businesses on a mutually beneficial basis – we partnered with The Fish Market Restaurant to hold an outdoor feast weekend, with the chef from the restaurant coming here to cater for 2 days for our guests over open fires etc, and did a local wine tasting, as well as inviting a local fisherman along to give a talk about the local fishing industry, and a demonstration on filleting fish etc.
In 2022 we donated 25% of every cream tea hamper we sold to the Cornwall Air Ambulance
We engage positively and pro-actively with local facebook and social groups as a business as well as personally, to champion our local businesses and surrounding area
We sponsor the local school fireworks event, school association events, and have donated raffle prizes to the local scout group.
With the housing shortage in Cornwall, our accommodation doesn’t take up homes that could be lived in by locals, and we pitch our product and pricing to attract holidaymakers who bring money to the local community.
Socially, we made a conscious decision not to have wifi and tv in the cabins so that guests can switch off and reconnect with each other and nature (our guests thank us for this – especially those with teenagers who actually manage to have conversation when staying here!)
We originally started with 2 cabins in 2019, and now have 7. When we applied for further planning permission for the additional cabins, our Parish Council did a site visit, and commented that our business is (I quote) ‘the very definition of sustainability’ and is ‘a perfect example of the kind of planning application they should be supporting’. We bring a different type of accomodation to the area to what is here already, giving tourists more choice.
We’ve recently partnered with a wonderful local company, White Gold Cornwall, who provide support to vulnerable young people in Cornwall. We are delighted to be able to welcome a young autistic child every Tuesday to spend time with our chickens.

Environmental Sustainability

The cabins themselves are made with sustainably harvested wood and insulated to allow year round use. They are all hand made to order, and the company only make 500 per year so that they can sustain the forests surrounding their factory. This was a major factor in choosing this supplier.
Our firewood and kindling we supply to guests is ‘woodsure certified’ – an assured quality woodfuel, ready to burn, sustainably sourced
We supply fresh eggs to guests, with zero food miles!!

Accessibility & enclusivity

At Lydcott Glamping, inclusivity and accessibility are truly at the heart of what we do.

We aim to cater for all individual requirements and needs to the very best of our capability, because we believe everyone deserves a relaxing and enjoyable getaway. While our lodges aren’t specifically designed for wheelchair users, we’ve been proud to welcome guests who use wheelchairs and have a small amount of mobility to transfer in and out of them. Our cabin doorways are of standard width, and there is a small step up onto the decking area of each cabin—but we’re more than happy to provide a ramp to assist if needed. Just let us know ahead of your stay so we can prepare accordingly.

We are also a peaceful, quiet site with plenty of outdoor space, and we’re proud to be autism-friendly. One of our sons is autistic, so we truly understand the small details that can either soothe or overwhelm autistic children and adults, as well as their families and carers. Whatever we can do to make your stay easier and more enjoyable, please just ask—if it’s possible, we’ll make it happen.