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Have you a web site that would interest visitors to our site? If so then we would be pleased to set up a reciprocal link with you. Click on this email link: Greenlinks@railholiday.co.uk.
Green & Environmentally Interesting Sites
A broken Landscape - beautiful photographs with a social conscience by Gideon Mendel. Especially poignant are the Broken Landscape series of photos of aids victims in Africa.
British Trust for Conservation Volunteers - Natural Break working holidays centered in conservation from the UK's biggest practical conservation organisation
Carplus - rethinking car use for sustainable transport
Centre for Alternative Technology - green technology public showcase offering wide a wide variety of displays on non-polluting ways of living
EcoCities.net: Eco-Friendly Living Made Easy
Environmental site for all aspects of environmental living
Ecoscape - for environmentally responsible holiday planning
Environmental Transport Association - Britain's eco-friendly equivalent of the AA or RAC
The Green Directory UK - Natural, organic, ethical, fair trade and environmentally friendly products and services directory
Green England - Green and ethical products services and days out throughout England.
For the Children Handcar Races - Union Pacific Railroad employees host an annual handcar race to raise money for local children hospital's. 100 percent of all donations go to the hospitals. Races are open to public partisipation. Safety and health fair with a silent auction of railroad collectables.
Global Action Plan - practical environmental charity that helps people make positive changes at home, work, school, and in the wider community
Go green Cellande directory - directory of business web sites offering environmentally friendlier products and services
Good is Planet Earth - aiming to raise environmental issues at the roots of society.
Groundwork - leading environmental regeneration charity
The International WWOOF (World-Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms) Association - enables volunteers to work on organic farms and learn the methods required first hand
Kids For Kids - charity aiming to improve the lives of children in one of the harshest environments in the world - Darfur, Sudan, by providing goats, tress, midwives and more.
Living Streets - association campaigning to make walking safer and make roads less intimidating for pedestrians
Sustrans - civil engineering charity building traffic-free paths for cyclists and walkers
Transport 2000 - campaigns for sustainable transport, promoting less car use and more use of buses and trains, cycling and walking
WhyCycle - All sorts of advice about cycling, choosing a bike and bike maintenance
Coastal & Environmental Sustainability Sites
CoaST - Cornwall Sustainable Tourism Project - working to ensure tourism delivers social, economic and environmental benefit to Cornwall.
CoastWeb - The unique and intelligent coastal and marine portal.
Cornwall County Council - Cornwall County Council - Maritime Issues.
DEFRA - Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs - Shoreline Management Plans.
Duchy of Cornwall - Natural Environment.
NCE Coastlines - Discussing coastal erosion and assessing Shoreline Management Plans.
Wave Hub - A groundbreaking renewable energy project in the South West of England.
Bissoe Tramways Cycle Trails - Bike hire in the heart of the Cornish mining landscape.
Chycor - A list of the main cycle routes in Cornwall. The site includes maps and information on each route.
Cornish Cycle Tours - Self-guided cycle tours in Cornwall.
Cornishlight - Information on cycle routes on Cornwall.
Cornwall Cycling - Information on cycle routes on Cornwall.
Explore Cornwall - Information on the Cornish Way, which consists of 5 cycle trails.
Into Cornwall - Information on cycle routes on Cornwall.
Lets Go Biking - Information on cycle routes and cycling holidays in Cornwall.
Mobius Bike Trails - Information on guided bike trails in Cornwall.
Sustrans Cornwall - The UK's leading sustainable transport charity. Includes information and maps for the major cycle routes in Cornwall.
Cardimham Woods - Cycle up to four different routes around the valley of the Cardinham Water river. Bikes are NOT available to hire.
The Camel Trail - A very popular cycle way taking in Bodmin, Wadebridge and Padstow. Bikes ARE available for hire.
The Cornish Way - Consisting of 5 cycle trails in Cornwall.
Bissoe Tramways Cycle Hire - Bike Hire and servicing.
Bridge Bike Hire - Bike Hire for the Camel Trail situated in Wadebridge, open daily 9am-5pm.
Cornwall Cycle Hire - Bike Hire in North Cornwall.
Padstow Cycle Hire - Bike hire located at the start of the Camel Trail in Padstow.
Pentewan Valley Cycle Hire - Ideal if cycling around Mevagissey and St. Austell. Route to the Eden Project available.
At Railholiday we pride ourselves on our efforts to be as green as possible. We thought you might like to know how we endeavour to sustain our environment, and the ways in which you as our guests are helping us to do so.
Energy
We use Good Energy green electricity scheme for powering the carriages. The Railholiday office and hot water is heated throughout the winter by wood cut from our own woodland in stoves made by Dave in his local workshop. Whenever possible all light bulbs are low energy bulbs.
Water
In St Germans we have installed a pump into our own well, which we use for grey water (toilets and garden taps) Unfortunately this does sometimes run dry, and when it does we have a mains water back up. We have water saving devices in the toilets, and our showers are simple showers, rather than water hungry power showers. In Hayle the bathroom taps are the original push and pour style, that only work when held down. We try to use environmentally friendly cleaning products and non bio washing powder whenever possible, and in St Germans have invested in an ISE washing machine, for lower water and energy use.
Recycling
Full recycling facilities are offered in all carriages. We personally sort the recycling into card, paper, steel, aluminium and glass. We have a compost bin or wormery in each carriage garden for guests, and another larger one for our own use and Railholiday garden waste. At St Germans we decant liquid and from the large hopper to feed the garden, and use the compost as mulch and use our own woodchips to help keep the weeds down.
Shopping
We always put in a package of complimentary Cornish products - Cornish biscuits, local apple juice (from apple orchards within a few miles), Cornish fruit wine, Cornish milk and Cornish organic soap. In St Germans we also put in cut flowers from our garden (or when it really is out of season, shop bought local flowers) and Cornish beer (Sharp's brewery - chosen for their environmental record). We support our local suppliers by ordering our products from the local village stall in St Germans and also buy locally when in Hayle. We are now purchasing fairtrade tea and coffee for our welcome packs. We promote the local food suppliers Food4myholiday and Karensa Aval apple juice, and, as treasurer, Dave is an active member of the St Germans Community shop group.
Transportation
We give £25 cashback to anyone arriving by public transport (and would offer the same to anyone on foot or bike). We have compiled a detailed book of day trips by train, which is in the carriage, and also on-line. We put information on the trains and bus services in the carriages, and also of the village taxi, and are always happy to help guests plan itineraries by public transport. We actively promote attractions that are public transport accessible. Lizzy is a committee member of the St Germans Rail Users group and is involved in passenger rail surveys and pressure to continually improve the Cornish rail service. We also coordinate the upkeep and landscaping of the downside station garden. For our own part we travel regularly between St Germans and Hayle by train when we spend time in the SK2 for maintenance and gardening.
Local Environment
We are so lucky to be in the priveledged position of having our carriages in such beautiful locations. St Germans is in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and a Site of Special Scientific Interest, on account of the varied bird life by the eastuary. Guests at St Germans are treated to ten acres of stunning woodland owned by Railholiday - perfect for dog walking, den building, or just enjoying the cleaner woodland air. We also have access to a further twenty acres of Cornish apple orchards, cob nuts, walnut trees and river frontage a few miles away at Lizzy's parents smallholding. Frankie Lister, Lizzy's mother and a conservation advisor, can be called upon to give a tour of the wild flowers and fauna.
Hayle is well known for its birdwatching and three miles of golden sand. In the autumn thousands of birds are seen here, because this most south westerly estuary in the UK never freezes. During spring and autumn, it is an ideal place to see migrant wading birds, gulls and terns. In summer, if you are lucky, you may catch sight of an osprey. The reserve is good for walking, with pushchair-friendly paths. The RSPB Hayle Estuary Page has lots of detail on what to watch. Hayle in Bloom
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