Our Dedication to make the Environment a better place for all!

Both The Wharf House and the Herefordshire and Gloucestershire Canal Trust are dedicated to working hard towards not harming the natural environment. All our activities are carried out with the aim of protecting and nurturing the surrounding natural environment rather than exploiting it. After all, why would we want to destroy what often encourages visitors to come to us – a beautiful landscape with a wide variety of flora and fauna to explore for miles around? If, however, damage to the environment is unavoidable, compensation is made elsewhere. So far, this has been in the form of planting of more than 1000 trees and 100 metres of hedge, as well as the creation of an aquatic habitat. There have been various other actions too.

We, at The Wharf House, are keen to further our knowledge of the natural environment, and of how to reduce our impact on it. We follow the basic principles of Reduce, Re-use and Recycle. We recycle packaging and paper; laundry loads are minimised and heating settings are kept low whenever possible without loss of reasonable comfort. These are just some of the simple but fundamental methods of improving our interaction with the immediate natural surroundings and the wider environment, making them better places for all to enjoy.

Staff and volunteers are being trained in these principles for use both at work and at home and a system of Targeting, Monitoring and Measurement has been implemented to assess the good work of our staff. This happens in the kitchen, where food wastage is minimised as much as possible and in the bedrooms where customers are encouraged to kindly help us achieve our environmental aims by careful use of the facilities.

For the sake of the environment The Wharf House has adopted a number of objectives. One is to constantly seek to use energy more efficiently. This started with the building being constructed with particular attention to good insulation and restriction of air leakage. Additional measures to improve thermal performance are scheduled for the coming year.

Visitors are invited to look out for recycled materials used in the fitting out of the Visitors’ Centre, including bricks in an attractive dividing wall, all the interior doors, architraves and window sills, and a splendid polished wood block floor throughout the restaurant, museum  and shop area. When arriving to view these, visitors may also appreciate the firm, dry car park with its surface of recycled road planings and kerbs of salvaged concrete railway sleepers.

We believe high standards in environmental care are good for everybody, and just part of our commitment to providing excellent service to customers.

Environmental Policy