Responsible Tourism

Natural Retreats

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Natural Retreats

 

Natural Retreats - Yorkshire Dales

 

Set amongst 54 acres of pristine countryside in Swaledale, just a mile from the historic market town of Richmond. With a mixture of privately owned woodland and meadows to explore, along with breathtaking views of the Swale Valley the location of the residences is outstanding. They are perfectly positioned to discover some of Britain's most beautiful countryside in and around the Yorkshire Dales National Park. The residences are neatly blended in to the hillside causing minimal visual impact and are ideal for couples, groups of friends, families and even corporate groups who want to escape to the country and enjoy some quality time together.

 

Things to do

Natural Retreats - Yorkshire Dales is located just a mile from the centre of Richmond, a town rich in history and culture which guests can easily explore on foot, accessed by the popular walking & biking ‘Coast to Coast' route. This famous path runs along the southern boundary of the land and by following this in the opposite direction, one will very quickly find oneself in the National Park itself. Blessed with such an expanse of wild moorland and stunning dales, there are an enormous range of activities that one can take advantage of throughout the area. Mountain bikes can be hired and delivered to the retreat and there are many riding stables in the area, hacking out on to the moor. Furthermore, fantastic fishing can be found on the Swale as close as Richmond itself and the area offers endless miles of exhilarating walking across the Dales. If the weather should prove a hindrance or if one is simply after a more relaxing break there are numerous other sedentary alternatives. There are many important cultural and historical places of interest in the environs. Amongst these, breathtakingly sited on a rocky promontory above the River Swale, the great castle of Richmond is among the oldest Norman stone fortresses in Britain. Close by is The Georgian Theatre Royal, Britain's most complete Georgian play house with an impressive range of productions.

Other attractive towns such as Hawes, Leyburn and Reeth are close by together with ancient castles, impressive waterfalls, picturesque gardens and a wealth of other interesting places to visit.

 

The National Park

Being on the doorstep of the National Park allows guests of Natural Retreats instant access to this wonderful living landscape. The Yorkshire Dales National Park is much more than just a series of stunning views. Brimming with rich history, tradition and nature, as well as awesome geological features, it is an outdoor classroom, just waiting to be discovered. The wealth of natural heritage in the area is outstanding and includes important habitats such as limestone pavement, heather moorland and hay meadows framed by their iconic dry stone walls. Home to a wide range of species of both Flora and Fauna, the Yorkshire Dales are famous for their wildflowers and provide habitat for over 100 species of bird and 30 wild mammal species.

The Residences

Each of the award winning residences has an extensive glass wall frontage, designed to bring the natural light, surrounding woodland and meadows directly into the home, blending the landscape with the interior. Stylish furnishings offer enviable levels of luxury and comfort and each residence boasts solid wooden floors throughout combined with a state of the art kitchen and a wood burning fire place. Natural Retreats have even gone to the length of commissioning a range of furniture designed and created exclusively for the residences, all of which is made by a local Yorkshire manufacturer, matching the criteria we set out, to ensure contemporary and luxurious style blending effortlessly with practicality. Each residence has three bedrooms and can accommodate a maximum of six adults - the size and makeup of the bedrooms varies across 2 styles of residence. Half of the properties boast a large master bedroom with en suite shower and wet room as well as 2 slightly smaller double bedrooms. These 2 rooms share a large family bathroom together with bath and shower. Our other 9 residences also offer 3 double bedrooms, each of which, however, has an en suite shower room and wc. Across all of our residences we have a bedroom in each which can be made up as a twin for children with adjoining zip and link mattresses, perfect for younger guests yet offering a full size double unless requested. The comfort and well being of all our guests is always at the forefront of our minds hence the installation of flat screen TVs, DVD and CD players. Needless to say we have not forgotten the everyday necessities of microwaves, washing machines and dishwashers!

Other features and facilities include:

· Gas hob and electric oven, microwave, fridge, kettle, toaster, dishwasher

· Fully equipped kitchen

· Washer/dryer, iron and ironing board and hairdryers

· 32" flat screen TV, DVD, radio/CD player

· Egyptian cotton bed linen

· Natural toiletries

· Centrally heated throughout

· Decked area with outdoor furniture

· Wildlife ponds (children must be supervised)

· Woodland trail

· Private and shared parking facilities

· Cots, highchairs and sterilizers are available on request

 

Sustainability - Our Commitment

It is Natural Retreats' intention to create awareness that a sustainable holiday development can be built and operated with minimal effect on the natural landscape as well as providing valuable financial support to the local economy. Guests can enjoy a sustainable rural holiday experience but still support the local community as well as enjoying the luxuries of state of the art and contemporary interiors. A percentage of the annual operating profits are set aside to support local sustainable and eco-friendly schemes including the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust. The majority of Natural Retreats' operational staff have been recruited from the local area which include the housekeeping and maintenance teams. By not having facilities for activities and restaurants on site Natural Retreats actively encourage guests to go into Richmond and the surrounding area to support local businesses which includes grocers, cafes and restaurants. Each residence has a guest information manual which lists recommended local attractions including the Castle, Georgian Theatre, local museums, farm shops, tea shops and many more.

Green Technology

Sustainable design is fundamental to Natural Retreats' development and we rigorously assess the design alternatives, building in ‘green technology' features wherever possible, ensuring that they offer practical solutions, providing real benefit and are also cost effective.

· Timber framed residences - made from sustainable woodlands

· Minimal foundations - maintaining a living habitat beneath each residence

· Evergreen sedum (living plant based) roof

· Recycled insulation - made from recycled glass fibre and other recycled

· materials

· Natural spring water - from our own spring used for drinking and showers

· Biomass heating - in each residence using local wood

· Super efficient dual rate boilers - providing supplementary heating and hot

· water

· E Solar Glazing - maximizing solar heating and minimizing heat loss

· Rainwater harvesting

· 100% renewable energy sources

· Low energy lighting

· Klargester high performance natural sewage treatment system

· Recyclable waste disposal bins and composting wormeries

Natural Retreats - Yorkshire Dales has attained Zero Carbon Status During the development of the site wooden fencing, barbed wire, bracken and alien plant species were removed to allow the natural environment to return to its original state. There is a commitment to eco-principles rather than traditional building methods so that the residences have minimal effect on the natural environment. Furthermore, the site is an approved planting site for Tree Appeal and is reintroducing many indigenous tree varieties to the land in new planting areas.

 

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