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At Shaw Farm static caravan park we try to be environmentally responsible and have worked over the years to reduce our impact on the environment both on the dairy farm and in our static caravan accommodation.

The Static Caravan Accommodation

We provide recycling boxes in all the caravans to make recycling as easy as possible for you. We collect:

• Glass
• Cardboard
• Paper
• Aluminium and metal
• Plastic Bottles

We fit low energy light bulbs in the caravans and also ask you to turn lights, taps and heating off when not in use.

Caravans 5 and 6 are equipped with double glazing and full insulation to prevent heat loss and reduce gas use. The full central heating system is more efficient than the electric heaters in the older vans.

New Mills has excellent train links and we encourage guests to use this service especially if visiting Manchester (it is quicker and cheaper). We are located up-hill from New Mills, about a 30-45 minute walk from the station which means we cannot expect people to stay without bringing their car. However there is a taxi service in New Mills (see bottom of Map/Directions page for phone numbers).

We are happy to pick you up from the train station and get groceries in for you if you have friends in the area and wish to leave your cars at home or are visiting from abroad. Please contact us to confirm.

If you are visiting without a car we will provide bed linen and towels free of charge.

The area is excellent for walking and cycling with lots of footpaths over our land and many bridleways in the area. You can easily spend several days exploring the area without needing to get in your car. Be warned though, the area is hilly so cycling around here will definitely keep you fit! We provide a box outside each van for boots and muddy clothes and there are facilities to wash off bikes and store them inside.

Peak Tours offer a cycle hire and delivery service to anywhere in the Peak District for £13 per bike plus £5 delivery charge. Please visit peak-tours.com for more details.

New Mills Hydro Electric Scheme

We are proud to support the construction and maintenance of a ground breaking renewable electricty generation scheme in the Torrs Riversdie Park at the centre of New Mills. The community owned scheme cleverly uses an old stone weir across the river Goyt which was built over 100 years ago and was originally designed to power a Cotton Mill. After the mill burnt down in 1912 it has remained unused until now. The new Archimedian screw was completed in the autumn of 2008 and is now generating renewable electricity from the river. The turbine which has now offically been named 'Archie' is based on an ancient technology originally designed to transport water uphill. Now the design has been reversed and Archie makes electricity from the power of the water flowing down the Goyt river.

The hydro electric scheme generates up to 70kw which is enough to power over 60 homes. The unique design of the system means fish and other aquatic life can pass through it unharmed. As it is only the 2^nd one of its kind built in the country it has attracted lots of media attention and demonstrates how communities can work together to tackle climate change. The next phase is now to look for other sites in the country where similar systems could be built.

For more details please visit the Torrs Hydro Website and the Torrs Hydro Blog for the latest information and pictures.

Torrs Hydro nearing completion in 2008

The Farm

On our farm we operate a number of measures to reduce energy use and protect the environment.

Water

We use rainfall to power a gravity fed water supply which the cows drink and we use to wash down the cattle sheds. This completely free supply greatly reduces our use of mains water and because it is gravity fed means no power is used by the system.

We also use cold water to cool the milk produced by the cows. This is very efficient and saves a lot of electricity because in the dairy the refrigeration systems needs less power to keep the milk cool and fresh. After cooling the milk the water goes into a water trough which the cows can drink from and so is not wasted. The cows love drinking this warm water especially during the winter!

All waste water from cleaning the dairy and washing the sheds is collected and spread on the fields so the nutrients in it can be recycled by the grass and go back into the system.

Electricity

Using water to cool the milk is the largest electricity saving device we use on the farm but we also use low energy light bulbs in the cattle sheds and only turn them on when needed.

Wildlife

Over the years we have planted many trees on the farm and fenced off woodlands and streams to restrict cattle access and protect water quality allowing wildlife to flourish and the woodlands to develop undisturbed. This has resulted in many more songbirds and we are also seeing an increase in the number of Lapwings on the farm. We provide birdtables in the garden of each caravan which are used regularly.

The whole farm is entered into the Entry Level Scheme (ELS). This is an environmental scheme which ensures the land is farmed in an environmentally responsible way. Under this scheme we receive a small sum of money to constantly maintain all our drystone walls (repairing them if the cows have an over-enthusiastic scratching session!) and have field margins which we manage to encourage for wildlife.

We are not an organic farm, however we do use organic farming principles in order to reduce the amounts of artifical fertilisers we need to apply by:

• Taking regualar soil samples to see what nutrients the grass is short of.
• Spreading cow manure on the fields in the spring as it is packed full of nutrients.
• Increasing the amount of white clover growing on the farm. This is a plant which contains a special type of bacteria in its roots which takes nutrients from the air and release it into the soil. These nutrients then increase grass growth around the plant. In a good year a field with lots of clover in does not need any artifical fertiliser. An added bonus is that cows love the taste of clover as its very high in protein.

All the milk we produce is farm assured and sold to milk co-op First Milk

Mrs. Nicky Burgess, Shaw Farm, Shaw Marsh, New Mills, High Peak, SK22 4QE
 +44 (0)161 427 1841

 nicky.burgess@shawfarmholidays.co.uk