1) Hunting Hall Farm cottages
Hunting Hall Farm won the 2011 Northumberland Coast AONB Partnership Award for Excellence in the Sustainable Tourism category.
Hunting Hall is a working farm. On the farm are two self-catering cottages: Newt Cottage and the Fuffins.
Owners Tom and Karen Burn have tried to make their tourism business at Hunting Hall as sustainable as it can be. However, they are still looking for ways to improve.
The AONB Award judges found that "A green ethos runs through the whole business, but for the visiting guests, it isn't 'in-your face' it's more a way of life. Hunting Hall demonstrates perfectly that being green and providing high-quality accommodation can go hand-in-hand."
To run their tourism business sustainably, Tom and Karen:
- use bedding in the cottages which is organic cotton with hand-made quilts
- make sure that materials used to furnish and decorate the cottages are natural and eco-friendly
- have installed environmentally-friendly heating, with an air source pump and ground source heat coils, as well as solar panels for hot water
- keep energy loss down with double-glazing and insulating materials that include sheep's wool
- buy electricity from a supplier who uses wind-turbines
- put bins for recyclable waste in the kitchens and a compost-bin for guests' organic food waste in the garden
- keep a stock of local and fair trade produce to sell as well as homemade bread
Sustainable tourism businesses can only be sustainable if they succeed as businesses, as well as being environmentally friendly. The Award judges took note of Hunting Hall Farm's high repeat booking rate when they chose it to be their Sustainable Tourism winner, 2011.
2) The Northumberland Coast by Bus
Bus-based itineraries that the Partnership has developed include:
- 'A walk to Dunstanburgh Castle' - an iconic ruin on a rocky promontory, with foreshore rock pools and the sweeping sands of Embleton Bay on either side.
- 'Howick Circular Walk' - a 9.5km walk that includes the visitor attraction of Howick Hall - a large country house with gardens
- 'Rocky Reefs and Sandy Havens' - a walk along the coastal path from Alnmouth to Craster , including picnic opportunities at the beaches along the way
- 'Grace Darling Experience'. Grace Darling was 22 years old when she risked her life in an open boat in 1838 to help the survivors of a shipwreck. The courage that Grace showed on that day became legendary. This itinerary includes a visit to Longstone Lighthouse where Grace's family lived, to the Lifeboat Museum in Bamburgh and to St Aidan's Church in there where Grace is buried.
Think about the customer groups below:
- three 17 year-old friends
- an a recently retired couple
| Three 17 year-old friends | An early-retired couple | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank Order | Reason | Rank Order | Reason |
| 1 | 1 | ||
| 2 | 2 | ||
| 3 | 3 | ||
All the Northumberland Coast AONB 'Get here by bus" itineraries can be downloaded from its website
(www.northumberland.gov.uk/Default.aspx?page=6869)
| Three 17 year-old friends: | ||
|---|---|---|
| Rank Order | Reason | Reason |
| 1 | ||
| 2 | ||
| 3 | ||
| A recently retired couple: | ||
|---|---|---|
| Rank Order | Reason | Reason |
| 1 | ||
| 2 | ||
| 3 | ||
The Northumberland Coast AONB Partnership wants to ensure that the area remains an attractive environment for future generations of tourists, and local people, to enjoy.
One way the Partnership does this is by encouraging more people to use public transport and leave their cars at home.
The AONB Partnership has developed itineraries to help tourists to enjoy the area by bus. One of these is called Birds by Bus. It centres on the birdlife of Low Newton-by-the-Sea, which offers bird watching opportunities throughout the year, including breeding seabirds in summer, autumn migrants and wintering waders.
The itinerary includes a map showing bus stops, the coastal path route and bird watching locations. There are walking directions, bus timetables, guidance on what to see, where and when and information about food and drink outlets such as the village pub in Low Newton, as well as the types of bus ticket that are available and links to useful websites.
Bus routes from Northumberland towns including nearby Alnwick, as well as from farther away Berwick upon Tweed and Newcastle upon Tyne, are included.
EVIDENCE LOG 4 - Advantages of visiting the Northumberland Coast by busThink about the advantages for tourists and for the environment of visiting the Northumberland Coast by bus. Identify two of each and enter them on the Evidence Log.