Millmans Holiday Cottages Devon
Bird Table

Our aim is to reduce the impact of ourselves and our visitors on the environment, to research and share knowledge and to inspire others to address their own impact on the environment.

We are not 'eco warriors' but we do respect this planet and don't wish to do it and the life on it now and in the future any harm by our actions. People have lived and enjoyed Millmans for over 500 years, we would like future generations to live here and to continue to enjoy it. This is how we do it.

Flora and Fauna
We have here a wide variety of birds from humble sparrow to the rarer lesser spotted woodpecker which we actively encourage into the garden by providing food and water. We will for next year put up nesting boxes for birds and boxes for bats, which can been seen swooping around the garden in the early evening. We are encouraging butterflies and insects by introducing plants they are attracted to and creating habit they like and hoping in return they will pollinate our fruit and veg!  

Days out and shopping
We support Green Tourism and promote attractions with green tourism awards, Torbay Countryside Trust and other conservation organisations with good ethics towards wildlife the environment.

 We shop and encourage our guests to shop locally supporting local businesses and crafts people at Cockington Court, Occombe Farm, Farmers Markets, our village shops and two village Inns. We buy fair-trade where possible, recycled paper goods, cleaning products that don't harm the environment and bring home our goods in reusable bags.

The cottages have an information book which provides our guests with a wealth of information on attractions, events, countryside, coast, shopping, place to eat and local transport routes etc. We also make available for our guests books and maps of the many published walks featuring Marldon, its lanes and countryside.

Basket Vegetables
Occombe cheeses
Devon Air Ambulance

Charities
We support local charities and organisations:- Marldon Apple Pie Fair, which raises for our village hall, Torbay Countryside Trust, Torbay's Samaritans, Paignton Zoo and Devon Air Ambulance as well as national charities, Lifeboats and National Trust.

Energy
We have and are reducing the energy we use by double glazing, loft insulation, lined curtains, using low energy bulbs, reducing washing temperatures, line drying bed linen and towels, solar heating the pool, solar lighting in the garden, buying  A (B if we have no choice) rated appliances and not leaving things on "stand by". We now have a policy to cut unnecessary washing by asking our guests to indicate to us the linen they have used. We also try to email out cottage information and receipts.

Water
We have installed equipment to bring our own pure, softened spring water up from our spring for use in the garden, pool, our house, Honeysuckle and Lilac cottages. We have installed into three cottages dual flush toilets and use water conservation devices in the other toilets, and all our cottages have shower faculties. We use water butts to collect rain water and environmentally friendly chemical in the swimming pool, making the water kinder to your skin, hair and eyes.

Pool & Garden

Waste
We try to reduce waste by buying in bulk and using our own shopping bags, we recycle, paper, cardboard, clear plastics, can, tins and glass. Garden waste and kitchen scraps are composted or fed to the worms in the wormery with tasty crumbs and nibbles saved for our birds. When we refurbish we give goods to charity shops, charities and Marldon Apple Pie Fair.

Transport
Marldon, although it is small village has several bus routes to surrounding towns and attractions with links to the Steam Railway and boat trips on the Dart. If you would like to leave the car behind we would be happy to pick you up from the Bus or Railway Station.