Eco hostels : Green accommodation in sustainable bunkhouses and hostels

The Viking Centre in the Lincolnshire Wolds has a wood pellet boiler to provide domestic hot water and background heat for the whole hostel.  Solar panels on the roof provide green electricity when the sun shines and guests are able to supplement the heating using coin operated electric heaters.

The Elenydd Wilderness Hostels provide self catering accommodation in the Cambrian Mountains in West Wales.  Both Tyncornel and Dolgoch put a lot of effort into sustainability.  They minimize their environmental footprint and provide a Green Voucher for half price future stays to people arriving on foot or bike.  Tyncornel installed PV solar panels in 2015. Since then, the panels have generated sufficient electricity to replace more than half the mains electricity used. Since installing a log burner earlier this year Tyncornel relies totally on carbon-neutral wood as a fuel.  Dolgoch is an “off-grid” hostel with a solar-powered hot water system and solar-powered LED lights.  Dolgoch fitted a wood-burning stove and stopped burning coal almost a decade ago.

Hebden Bridge Hostel has LED lighting throughout, the heating & hot water are provided by a ground source heat pump.  All cleaning products are organic where possible and definitely Eco, all food (breakfasts) and drinks provided are 100% organic. Laundry goes to the local launderette and  local artisans and craftsfolk are employed whenever needed.

Bunkorama  Bunkhouse was converted 3 years ago and makes the most of good insulation, power generated by solar panels and gravity fed water supply from a mountain spring.

Palace Farm Eco Hostel in Kent has achieved the gold award from Green Tourism Business Scheme for their self catering accommodation.  Low energy lighting, thermostatic radiators, where possible exceeding the insulation requirements, solar water heating and a “clean burn” log burning stove to burn waste wood from the farm. In the conversion of the granary of the eco hostel, the farm were determined not to use fossil fuels for heating. Completed in 2011 the building is very successfully heated using an air source heat pump with under-floor heating and solar panels for all the hot water.

Puttenham Eco Camping Barn is a wonderful old listed building which has been sympathetically restored to be environmentally friendly. They have rainwater harvesting, solar electricity and solar hot water. The restoration carried out enables you to see traditional and sustainable construction methods.

Broadrake Bunkhouse.  A wood pellet boiler provides hot water and underfloor heating in the bunkbarn, as well as providing hot water in the adjacent farmhouse for heating and domestic use.  There is sheeps’ wool insulation on all external first floor walls. The foul water treatment plant  is fuelled by small wind turbines to circulate the waste, rather than electricity. All domestic waste is either recycled or composted in a wormery.  Guests are encouraged to arrive by public transport with  a free pick up service  from the local station at Ribblehead Viaduct, or Ingleton Community Centre if using buses.   The bunkhouse is an agricultural building  which was converted and thus saved from falling into dis-repair.  Finally the use of the bunkbarn is maximised by using the open-plan upstairs living space as a venue for workshops during the quite days mid-week.

Argyll Backpackers have up-scaled old table tops to make their hostel signs.  They are actually locally recycled table tops edged with cycle tyres, and lettering ordered online. Being attached to the fence they go nowhere!

Deepdale Rooms & Camping.  Always keeping the environment in mind, Deepdale has the Gold Green Tourism Award and Gold David Bellamy Award.  They use  eco friendly cleaning materials across the whole business. They provide recycling facilities for guests and commission  promotional products, like frisbees, made from recycled materials.  The majority of  hot water comes from solar thermal panels and two large arrays of roof mounted solar PV produce most of the electricity for the site.  A lot of time has been spent this winter planting hedges and trees, with more planned for this coming winter, to produce great habitats for wildlife and reduce the impact both visually and chemically of the hostel and campsite.  The farm runs conservation weekends and other green activities to help teach the guests about their impact and how to manage it.

Knoydart Bunkhouse is  not only green, but community-owned and working to a responsible tourism policy.  The bunkhouse uses local hydro green energy and is active in recycling and composting.  Guests can only arrive in a sustainable manor; on public transport by boat or on foot after a long wilderness hike.  The bunkhouse provides lots of info to guests about local green issues.

Saying goodbye is always hard to do at Edens Yard Backpackers, itself a recycled stable yard.  So much of the hostel is enjoying an upcycled role – and that goes for the hosts too!  Edens Yard Backpackers also has a fabulous upgraded solar system in which every precious panel does its best come sun, cloud or shade.  Repurpose and renew at Edens Yard.

Helmsdale Hostel, famous as the last stop on the LEJOG cycle route,  is currently closed for development including sustainable and renewable energy heating and water systems.  Helmsdale  Hostel should be re-opening late May 2018. The ethos of Helmsdale Hostel is to protect and respect the natural environment.

THE LONG BARN in Tefi Valley in South Wales is heated with wood grown on the farm.  The  bio-mass boiler runs the hot water and radiators.  There are also 2 wind-turbines and solar panels which provide electricity and heat for all the accommodation on the farm including the Cow Shed,  the Annex and the large Long Barn itself.