10 green reasons to visit Kelling Heath

Kelling Heath Holiday Park is set amongst 250 acres of woodland and rare open heathland in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in north Norfolk. The abundant wildlife and miles of trails for visitors to explore make the park an ideal choice for those looking for a holiday with the natural environment and sustainability at its heart. Our green credentials were underlined recently when for the 13th year in a row we were awarded a Gold David Bellamy Conservation Award for the work we’ve done to protect and enhance this unique environment. We have also won the Sustainable Award in the 2011 Tourism in Norfolk Awards.

1. Visitors do their bit Our Visitors Charter gives guests simple ways to reduce the impact of holidaying at Kelling, including tips on recycling, using public transport and respecting nature and the community.

2. Rarer than rainforest The UK has lost 80% of its open heathland since 1800, which means it is now rarer than rainforest! At Kelling you and your family can explore 10 hectares of heathland within the park and more beyond our boundary. You are able to enjoy a wide range of activities including nature walks and trails, bat walks, moth and mammal trapping and more, right on your doorstep.

3. Outdoor events for little acorns Our Acorn Events encourage children to get hands on, whether it’s having fun shelter building or getting messy with bird cake making and painting. Natural arts and crafts, junk modelling and storytelling walks, as well as our popular pond dipping sessions, teach little ones about the importance of looking after our local ecosystems.

4. Green champions The Kelling Heath Green Team champions energy and water saving across the park. The water in two of our three shower blocks is heated by solar energy, with one using our clever ground-to-air heating system. Rainwater is collected for flushing the toilets while all taps and showers have reduced flow rate fittings to conserve water. One rainwater harvesting tank supplies water to the sales office and central planting area and is estimated to save approximately 5,000 litres per year.

5. Jump on the bus and save CO2 Bus operator Norfolk Green and Kelling Heath have teamed up to provide a bus service between the park and Sheringham during peak season. This allows guests to explore the beautiful north Norfolk coast and countryside, leaving their vehicles behind and giving them the ability to arrive at the park using public transport from local train stations.

6. Starry nights We try to use as little lighting on the park as we can to preserve the beautiful night skies; this is why we ask you to bring a torch! Where lighting is needed it is low energy and we have also used a large amount of LED lighting in recent projects in the reception and bar areas. We are proud to host star parties for both the spring equinox and autumn equinox.

7. Green fuel Our bio-diesel processor creates green fuel from waste cooking oil from the kitchens and is used to power our agricultural vehicles and maintenance van, resulting in 8,000 KG of CO2 saved every year. All other vehicles on park are low emissions.

8. The living roof The reception features a living Sedum Roof – offering natural insulation, while replacing the green space taken up by the building. It also provides an important refuge for wildlife.

9. Reduce, reuse, recycle A total of 85% of waste produced on park is recycled, with designated recycling points for guests to use. Kitchen and office waste is also composted.

10. Naturally Norfolk The Village Store has a popular ‘Naturally Norfolk’ section to showcase locally-sourced products and reduce food miles. A labelling system is in place to highlight products that have an environmental benefit.