Green Matters

Scroll down to find out more about Green Things to do and our suggested Green Days Out.

Our Green Agenda

Tregathenan sits between two of the most stunningly beautiful areas of Cornwall – the Land’s End peninsular and the Lizard peninsula, which includes an area designated SSSI (site of Special Scientific Interest).

The Cornish countryside is diverse with its mix of coast and rural; its industrial and cultural heritage and its unique flora and fauna.

Since moving to Cornwall in 2002, we have loved every aspect of our adopted home and more than anything enjoy sharing it with the many visitors who come to Tregathenan each year. But we are more and more aware of the potential impact that tourism can have on our precious environment and this is why we have joined the Green Tourism Business Scheme as a measure of our commitment to running a sustainable tourism business.

We don’t pretend to know everything about running a ‘Green Business’. We don’t pretend to get everything right. Sometimes we have to think long and hard to find the best way to do things which balance the needs of our guests with the needs of the environment. Some of the changes we have made to the way we do things seem such a small drop in the ocean. And we know we still have a long journey ahead of us. But we are trying. And we ask you to try too.

Here are some of the things we are doing:

We replace appliances with ones rated 'A' for efficiency.
We monitor our use of resources and energy – oil, electricity, gas and water – to try to make savings.
We recycle all our plastic containers, cardboard, tins, bottles, paper and old fabrics.
We use spring water and collected rain water for the animals and for watering the garden
We compost our kitchen and garden waste
We buy as much of our food and products from local suppliers as we can, to support their businesses and cut down on food and product miles.
We use low energy light bulbs
We are members of the Ramblers Association, we lead walks in the local community and encourage walking as an alternative to car travel
We are members of RSPB and encourage our guests to enjoy the flora and fauna Cornwall has to offer.

And here are some of the things you can do to help:

Use recycling facilities, for papers, bottles, can and cardboard. Try to Reduce, Reuse and Recycle wherever possible.
Buy your food, gifts and souvenirs from local producers, artists and craftsmen. To help to keep the local economy alive.
When you are out and about, be sure to take all rubbish away with you as litter is a danger to wildlife and habitats, and spoils the beautiful scenery
Try walking/cycling or using public transport for some of your days out while you're here – if you want to visit somewhere close by, we might be able to help! We can provide information on ferry, bus and train times.
Turn off all the lights when you leave your room.

The population of Cornwall is around half a million – yet every year this number swells to around five and a half million! These are small things – but if five and a half million of us do them every year... just think...!

Green Things to do

Walking

From your front door:

There are some great walks to be taken straight from your door when you stay at Tregathenan. We have written walk notes for our guests to use, including circular strolls of 1-2 miles as well as longer walks taking in some of our local attractions such as Trevarno Gardens and Poldark Mine.

In the area:

Both Ian and Liz are experienced walk leaders and have in-depth knowledge of many footpaths in the Lizard and Penwith areas. We can help you plan a day’s walking, or a programme of walks for a week. During your stay, you may have the opportunity to join one of the monthly local Parish Walks we organise.

South West Coast Path:

Pick up and Drop off service – contact us for details of our pick-up and drop-off service for those walking the South West Coast Path for points between St Ives and Falmouth. See also the website for the South West Coast Path Association SWCPA www.southwestcoastpath.org.uk

Cycling and Cycle Hire

Bicycles can be hired from Porthleven Cycle Hire (01326 562976). 2011 prices are: £15/day(24hr); £75/week (children’s rates available). For orders over £60, delivery and collection to Tregathenan is free.

Local Cycle Routes include:

Great Flat Lode, near Redruth - a circular trail mostly off-road around Carn Brea hill taking you through farmland, heathland and industrial areas. The trail also follows part of the line of the Basset Mine Tramway, built to carry tin ore for processing at Wheal Basset Stamps and West Basset Stamps. Approx (12 km; 7.5 miles) long.

Mineral Tramway - from Devoran on the south coast to Portreath on the north coast.

These and other trails can be viewed on the Visit Cornwall website here.

Travel and Transport

Rail: Nearest Railway stations are REDRUTH (10 miles) PENZANCE (13.5 miles)
Air: Newquay international Airport: 34 miles
Bus: Nearest bus stop COVERACK BRIDGES 1.35 miles. Bus route Truronian T34 Redruth – Helston – Lizard. (Connections in Helston). For timetables see www.cornwallpublictransport.info.

Green Days Out

Here are some suggestions for days out that are car-free, or which minimise the use of the car. For a bit of fun, we have graded each suggestion depending on how 'green' each activity is, where 10 green points is the best! Why not see how many points you can collect during your stay?

Trevarno (10 green points)

Visit Trevarno Estate and Gardens - You can walk there from Tregathenan - there is a 3 mile circular walk included in this Information Pack. Alternatively, you can just walk straight onto the Estate (approx half a mile). Trevarno has a conservatory café, so you can get coffee, lunch and tea there

St Ives via Lelant (6 green points)

Leave your car at the Park and Ride car park at Lelant, and let the train take you in to the heart of St Ives. It's a delightful train ride, along the side of Lelant Saltings, Porth Kidney Sands and St Ives Bay. The train goes about every half hour and the journey takes about 15 mins. A family ticket costs about £8.00 return. No hassle or expense with parking your car in St Ives or contributing to the traffic bottlenecks in the town.

Poldark Mine (9 green points)

Walk to Coverack Bridges, then to Boscadjack, then take the bridleway to Trenear. Cross the main road and you will arrive at Poldark Mine (approx 2 miles). Free entry, mining museum, attractions and café above ground. There is also an underground mine tour (charge) where you can post your postcards in the deepest letterbox in Britain

Penwith Open Top Bus (6 - 7 green points)

Pick up the open top bus at Penzance with a rover ticket allowing you to hop on and off the bus all day, exploring many areas of the Penwith peninsular from Newlyn and Land's End to Zennor and St Ives. Alternatively, you can walk a section of the South West Coast Path, and when you're finished you can let the bus take you back to your starting place. You can get a bus from Tesco, Helston to Penzance to reduce further your time in the car and increase your green points.

Cycle Hire (10 green points)

Hire bicycles from Porthleven Cycle Hire (01326 562976). Have them delivered to Tregathenan House then set off to explore the surroundings. No car keys needed!

Green links

Coast - One Planet Tourism | Green Tourism business scheme
Our Green Tourism registration info