Organic Bed and Breakfast Guide
Hotels, Farmhouses, Guesthouses and Other Organic UK Accommodation
If you're looking for an organic bed and breakfast or other accommodation in the UK, then the second edition of Linda Moss's very thorough guide, Organic Places to Stay in the UK, is now available from Green Books.
The guide is a spin-off from the author's successful website, and it's encouraging to see that this 2nd edition comes less than 18 months after the 1st edition, showing that there is an interest from travelers wanting to stay in places where the breakfast in their bed and breakfast will be healthy, and not the usual huge plate where quantity matters over quality.
Organic doesn't mean vegetarian, and it doesn't mean boring, as the review of the 1st edition by chef Stephen Jackson, a member of the Guild of Food Writers, said: "The best resource I know for the organically-minded gourmet traveller."
This edition has several pages of good maps, and it's interesting to see how many of the places listed in the book are concentrated in the SouthWest of England and in Wales – both notable for their good, healthy food and good, healthy hospitality. There are also some surprising inclusions, including an organic place to stay on Regent's Park Road in London (£75 for a double room in London?), and recommendations in unglamorous places like Swindon and Doncaster. Well, why not? You can be organic anywhere.
There are plenty of places, too, that you want to go and stay in just from reading about them, regardless of where they are. Places like:
Ecocabin, Bucknell, Shropshire
Shropshire is one of England's under-appreciated counties, and this timber cabin is in a secluded valley in the beautiful South Shropshire Hills. You can arrange for a selection of organic food to be waiting for you when you arrive, and there are plenty of farmers' markets and organic food producers locally.
Farm Cottage, Alnwick, Northumberland
Farm Cottage is on an organic farm in one of England's most beautiful and rural counties, Northumberland. The cottage is on a quiet lane leading to the farm, and peace is guaranteed. It sleeps up to 5 people, and it's ideal for walkers. You're only 5 miles from Alnwick Castle, and close to both the Northumberland National Park and the sandy beaches of the Northumberland coast.
Gypsy Caravan, Constantine, Falmouth, Cornwall
Who wouldn't want to stay in a gypsy caravan, especially a handsome restored one, based on a 150-acre farm (of which 25 acres are woodland)? There are badgers, foxes and buzzards around, as Goongillings Farm practices environmentally-friendly farming. It's also on the coast, with a quay for swimming at the end of the farmland. And only £30 a night.
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Practical Information
The 2nd edition of Organic Places to Stay in the UK by Linda Moss is published by Green Books at £10.95 in the UK and $22 in the USA.
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For more information visit the Green books website or the author's Organic Places to Stay website.
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See my review of the first edition of Organic Places to Stay in the UK here.
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