Gardners Cottage Ilmington has been fully renovated with environmental impact in mind. Until recently the cottage had only been heated by open fires and a solid fuel/oil fired Rayburn in the kitchen. There was no central heating and no insulation, rendering the property unbearably cold in the winter for most people. The Gardner family, however, endured it for over 60 years.
The property has now been restored with careful thought to minimising its carbon footprint and insulating it so that it retains the heat that is generated. To this end, the downstairs floor has been excavated to over a metre in depth and reinstated with insulation. The stone outside walls have been heavily insulated inside and the roof has been removed to apply insulation both on top and underside of the rafters, before re-roofing.
Heating and hot water is provided by an Air Source Heat Pump to underfloor pipework downstairs and radiators upstairs (although these are rarely needed).
Whilst originally the property had open fires to most rooms, including bedrooms (as did many), we now understand better the detrimental effect the burning of fossil fuels has had on the environment. We have therefore only retained one fireplace with a wood burning stove and are careful to ensure we only buy well-seasoned logs.
We have installed a 7kw car charging point, which is available to guests for a small charge.
The Energy Rating (EPC) is now C, which is the best rating achievable without Solar. (we await technological developments on better technology)