Sustainability
Pentillie has continued to maximise its sustainability impact since winning GOLD for Ethical, Responsible and Sustainable Tourism, at the Cornwall Tourism Awards 2019/20.
Judge’s Comments:
“Particularly impressed with the effort that needs to go into making an old building sustainable and as efficient as possible given the restraints.
Biomass is deployed and the documented evidence on performance and efficiency is profound. Very focused on the local community, local charitable events and engaging local staff and supplies from local businesses as well as home produced. I’d go as far to say that only by the sustainable ethical and responsible business practices has this property and estate been able to see it’s restoration and development into a superb all round offering.
An exemplary example of responsible ethical and sustainable tourism. I absolutely loved it.”
Looking after the environment is still an ongoing initiative at Pentillie, from running the castle on a bio-mass boiler and offering both Tesla and Universal electric car charging points, the team are committed to ensure even the smallest actions are effective from low energy lights bulbs, to efficient recycling in the office, to maximising heat retention by drawing curtains and closing shutters.
We are proud to be GOLD members of the Green Tourism Business Scheme.
Keeping Green
With the increase in hybrid and electric cars, Pentillie is proud to offer guests charging during their stay. We have Tesla Type 1 and Type 2, as well as PodPoint charging points, available for guest and local visitor use if available.
Woodland Management
Pentillie Castle and Estate are committed to the managing 500 acres of woodland, with a woodland management plan of on-going felling and replanting encouraging new growth and bio-diversity under review bi-annually. Over the years, woodland management has been carried out with as little environmental impact as possible, with a two year period where all thinning was done by John and his 19-hand Shire horse Trelow Jack - this low-impact thinning operation was a fantastic success as the undergrowth sustained significantly less damage than the use of tractors and other machinery.
Unfortunately ash-die back and phytophthora ramorum have had a fairly significant impact on the estate woodland in the most recent years with many areas having to be clear-felled in an effort to not only reduce the spread of disease, but also to allow for re-planting. The positive news is that we have been able to replant with native hardwoods, as well as to monitor the abundance of bird and wildlife taking advantage of the newly formed habitats.
Support & Source Local
The reduction of our carbon footprint is one of our upmost priorities. The Kitchen garden underwent restoration through the summer of 2012 to the winter of 2013. It now provides natural allotments for estate residents and Veterans Outdoors, where vegetables and some cut flowers are cultivated. The castle’s herbaceous borders are also nurtured year on year to supply cut-flowers for guest enjoyment and we make natural confetti with dried petals for our wedding couples. Estate fruit orchards provide apples that we harvest for our Pentillie Apple Juice. Other fruit trees including cherries and plums are used to create jams and preserves, while the estate also provides wild venison and pheasant in the relevant seasons. The estate also allows us to forage for elderflower, wild garlic, samphire, sloes, blackberries and wild mushrooms. All green food waste is composted for use in the gardens.
Local groups use the estate for activities, such as art classes. And the old sawmill has become home to Endeavour Archers, who we host free of charge. The group runs archery classes and provides fantastic support to injured and ex-service men and women. We also host well-being retreats for these groups too.
The estate beef cattle graze the parkland managed under the Higher Level Stewardship Scheme and their produce is sold through local suppliers.
Bees have been kept on the estate for many years, and since 2022, Sammie has looked after her own hives. More hives have recently been introduced to the walled garden and orchard, and we are hopeful for a good honey harvest from the bees who enjoy the abundance of flowers around the estate, particularly the chestnut blossom, the lime avenue and the early primroses.
Pentillie bottled water comes from the estate borehole and is presented in Pentillie branded glass bottles, which are sterilised, reused and refilled with still and sparking water, through our filtration and carbonating system.
Heating and energy efficiency at Pentillie
As mentioned before, the Castle is serviced by a Bio-mass woodchip boiler which has proven itself to be a tremendous investment both in efficiency and reduced carbon emissions. With the bio-mass boiler in mind the estate management as moved forward with the planting of three and half acres of eucalyptus trees to be used as wood fuel. Woodland thinnings also provide firewood for the open fires and wood burners throughout the castle and estate office and cottages.
Guests can indulge in our heated outdoor swimming pool that is powered by solar panels that we had installed on the only south facing roof. Unfortunately as it is only such a small roof it is just the swimming pool that benefits, although any excess heat generated is fed into the water heating system. With direct access to the River Tamar, we also encourage guests to wild swim and support our local SUP and kayak providers too.
The Grade II* listed status of the Castle means double glazing is not an option, however with blinds, heavy lined curtains and loft insulation, heat retention is maximised. Environmentally friendly dual-flush loos with sensor operated systems, help with water economy. Regrettably the age and complexity of the drainage systems around the castle currently prohibit the harvesting of rain water.
Recycling
Is a key initiative at Pentillie, all waste is recycled where possible using local environmentally responsible companies, and composting. Office supplies are either recycled or returned to suppliers for refilling, such as printer cartridges and waste paper repurposed as note pads.
Wildlife Preservation & Encouragement
Wildlife growth and sustaining existing populations are also a primary endeavour of team Pentillie, with the kitchen gardens being a popular cultivation area for wildlife and home to the estate peacocks that have continued to flourish over the years. The lily pond area adjacent is home to many wonderful creatures including many varieties of amphibians and water bugs. We have built Bat houses and encouraged the preservation of this protected species. We literally do have “bats in the belfry”, and guests are often encouraged to watch them emerge at dusk. We encourage the nesting of owls and woodpeckers throughout the estate with likely trees often felled and left to rot naturally, and where they present no danger to passing traffic, limbed trunks are left standing for nature to utilise. House martins, swallows and house sparrows nest year on year, and through the winter months have bird feeders out to attract many of our feathered friends.
2024 has seen the start of an estate-wide bird survey looking at the resident and migratory bird populations taking advantage of the diverse habitats present on the estate. The support of Farming in Protected Landscapes (FiPL) funding has enabled us to erect over 120 bird boxes (blue tit, willow tit, tree creeper, red start, owl and kestrel specific boxes) across the estate, with a monitoring programme well underway. Local schools have been invited to take part, with children delighting in discovering that dunnock eggs are a vibrant blue, and how ‘naked’ a baby blackbird is for the first few weeks. Nest surveying and monitoring, egg and chick counts, mist-netting and ringing will all continue over the summer months, with winter populations also monitored.
Fertilisers and sprays are not used over the estate parklands, and the use is minimal within the castle gardens. We allow the driveway verges to flourish with wild flowers to create natural habitats for birds and bugs alike.
Team Pentillie are passionate about wildlife and its protection, from discovering glow worms, to maintaining the wild flower & grasses on the driveway to rescuing and nurturing hedgehogs. They regularly take walks to boost their wellbeing and mindfulness. Pentillie is as much their home as it is ours and yours to discover.
Still an ongoing project that was undertaken in 2013 along with the Cornwall Wildlife Trust to encourage Ospreys to nest in the Tamar Valley, nesting poles and perches where installed and are still in place.
Education
Working with local schools and being part of Natural England’s Environmental Stewardship Scheme, we continue to encourage educational visits from Devon & Cornwall schools keen to use the estate for forest school excursions. Also historical groups interested in the Castle’s eclectic history from 1698 to present day as well as inviting them to take part in the current bird surveys.
A Greener future
The Coryton family and team Pentillie will continue to look at more ways to reduce our carbon footprint, and sustainability that helps with environmental issues. Moving forward we are looking to ensure our greener attributes span to all aspect of our estate management from eco-friendly cleaning products to disposables used within the house. One earth so let’s look after her.
Want to support our efforts, why not become a ‘Friend of Pentillie’. Find out more and sign up here.
