Our Green
Tourism Award
Greener Travel Starts Here
Green practices are central to all that we do here at Walnut Barn Estate, so we’re absolutely thrilled to have been formally recognised and certified by sustainability certification body, Green Tourism. For us, green holidays are a pleasure worth protecting, and although there’s so much more we still want to do to enhance our sustainability, we’re fiercely proud of the progress our whole team has made.
What Achieving Our Green Tourism Award Means
We are supported in our sustainability practices and in our improvement journey by the world-leading sustainability accreditation partner, Green Tourism.
Achieving a Green Tourism award means that our sustainability practices have been assessed and verified by a credible partner. It shows that we have an ongoing commitment:
- to sustainability standards and practices
- to work responsibly, ethically, and sustainably
- to contribute to our community
- to reduce our impact on the environment, and
- to be accessible and inclusive to all visitors and staff.
Green Tourism has assessed our business against 15 sustainability criteria grouped under the pillars of People, Places, and Planet. These consider the social, economic, and environmental actions we undertake, providing a holistic assessment of our sustainability performance.
Our Highlights
Green Tourism has also helped us to highlight our areas of sustainability strength. At our last assessment, our sustainability highlights included: Community, Experiences, and Destination.
What Do the Green Tourism Gradings Mean?
Green Tourism provides an overall grading of Gold, Silver, or Bronze depending on the overall score achieved across the comprehensive criteria.
Bronze: Typically, an entry-level business that is in the early stages of its green journey but has shown great commitment to making its business work more sustainably and is currently implementing a range of measures related to the 15 goals across all three pillars of People, Places, and Planet.
Silver: Typically, a business that falls under this category can demonstrate good practice across the three pillars of People, Places, and Planet, but has an action plan of best practice improvements that will enhance the sustainability practices within the business.
Gold: A business that achieves the highest standards of sustainability has a strong and broad environmental ethos and can provide excellent examples of best practice throughout the majority of the three pillars of People, Places, and Planet. It has made significant changes to its working practices and continues to review and maintain them.
Of those businesses in the tourism and hospitality industry that put themselves forward for Green Tourism’s third-party verification, around one-third achieve bronze, one-third silver, and one-third gold.
Our grading at the last assessment 10/03/25 was Silver
Our Sustainable Practices
Wildlife & Rewilding
We have bird boxes, bat boxes, and wildflower meadows across the estate. We leave areas unmown to create safe havens for pollinators and small mammals.
Energy Efficiency
We have installed LED lighting, motion sensors, smart thermostats, solar panels, and heat exchangers for hot tubs and heating.
Water Conservation & Waste Reduction
We use rainwater harvesting for our grounds, plus low-flow showers and taps throughout. We also offer recycling, refillable eco cleaning products, and avoid single-use plastic toiletries.
Local & Seasonal
We offer guests welcome hampers filled with local produce and partner with nearby farms, bakers, and breweries to reduce food miles.
We also hold an annual Christmas tree dig-and-cut and replant spruces yearly.
Green Travel
We provide walking and cycling route maps, promote local public transport, and offer EV charging points for electric vehicles.
Community Connection
We have planted fruit trees along public footpaths for walkers to enjoy and added a defibrillator for public use. We regularly host charity events to raise money for Hutton-Dabaso twinning.
Equality & Inclusion
We are a proud multigenerational team and believe in equal opportunities for all. Through our Hutton-Dabaso twinning, we maintain a meaningful cultural connection with our partner community in Kenya.
Dark Sky Friendly
We use minimal, downward-facing outdoor lighting that protects nocturnal wildlife and creates perfect stargazing conditions.
Our Focus Going Forward
At Walnut Barn Estate, we are committed to creating a welcoming, inclusive environment for all while continuously reducing our carbon footprint. These principles will guide us in every aspect of our operations, from recruiting and training our team to powering, sourcing, and running our events. We pledge to focus on the following:
Equality, Diversity & Inclusion
- Ensuring fair recruitment by advertising roles widely and using inclusive language.
- Providing staff training on inclusivity and accessibility awareness.
- Making the estate more accessible for guests with mobility or sensory needs.
- Continuing to support cross-cultural connections and community inclusion through the Hutton-
- Dabaso Twinning Association, with charity events that we promote to guests and encourage them to attend.
Carbon & Sustainability
- Committing to a clear carbon reduction plan with measurable goals.
- Minimising waste by improving recycling, composting, and cutting single-use items.
- Promoting more local food, drink, and seasonal supplies to lower emissions and support local producers.