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At Shaw Farm we try to be environmentally responsibility so have worked over the years to reduce our impact on the environment both on the farm and in the static caravans.

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

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

Caravan 5 is fitted 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. Be warned, 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 be supporting the construction of an innovative electricty generation scheme in the Torrs at the centre of New Mills. The scheme will utilise an old weir across the river Goyt which was built to power the Torr Cotton Mill that burnt down in 1912. An Archimedian screw will be installed to generate renewable electricity from the river, this is an ancient technology developed to transport water uphill, now adapted for the 21^st century.

The hydro electric scheme will hopefully generate up to 70kw (enough to power over 60 homes) and be operational by July 2008. The unique design of the system means fish and other aquatic life can pass through it unharmed. As it will be only the 2^nd one of its kind built in the country it will hopefully attract media attention and help to promote how communities can work together to tackle climate change.

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

Artists impression of the weir after the turbine has been installed in the ruins of Torr Mill

The Farm

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

Water

We have a gravity fed water supply which the cows use as drinking water and we use to wash down the cattle sheds, this ‘free’ water reduces our use of mains water and because it is gravity fed means no electricity is used pumping it to the sheds.

We use mains water to cool the milk produced by the cows, this is very efficient as it saves a lot of electricity because in the dairy the refrigeration system has less work to do to keep the milk cool and fresh. The water is not wasted as after cooling the milk it flows into a water trough which the cows can drink from (they love 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 all the nutrients in it can be used by the grass.

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 paid for by the European Union 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 are left 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 legume containing bacteria which naturally extracts nitrogen from the atmosphere and releases it into the soil which then promotes grass growth. (In a good year a field with lots of clover in may not need any fertiliser at all)

All the milk we produce is farm assured and sold to Dairy Farmers of Britian. This is a farmer owned company which produces Tesco local choice milk, Somerset Brie and Capricorn goats cheese.

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

 nicky.burgess@shawfarmholidays.co.uk