Just a stone’s throw from the Hall, the Kitchen Garden provides an abundance of fruit, vegetables, salads and herbs which take centre stage on the café and wedding menus and help us to reduce our carbon footprint.
Using organic techniques, biological control methods and crop rotation our gardeners are able to naturally maximise productivity and minimise pests so we have no need for chemical fertilisers, weed killers or pesticides.
We are signed up to Natural England’s Higher Level Stewardship Scheme on our Farm. This binds us to a wide range of projects and policies designed to increase the biodiversity of the Estate whilst at the same time improving the sustainability of our ventures. Our beautiful Lincoln Red cattle form part of our commitment to this scheme and we have the added benefit that they provide exceptional grass-fed beef for our menus.
We are determined to be as environmentally friendly as possible, considering our impact on tomorrow as well as today.
The Hall, shops, cafes, Coach House wedding venue and holiday cottages are heated by a biomass boiler fuelled with wood chip. The wood chip is produced from sustainable woodland from the Estate.
We harness solar power with a series of panels on a number of properties around the Estate.
Rainwater is collected for use in the gardens and our low-flush loos.
Natural ventilation and low energy appliances are used wherever we can.
We are committed to sourcing food and products with a low carbon footprint.
Packaging and waste are minimised wherever possible and we are reducing the use of single-use plastic.
We encourage recycling and reuse and try to source products that are made out of recycled materials.
We encourage cycling and walking and have worked hard to create traffic free access from Doddington to Lincoln and surrounding villages for cyclists.
The recently constructed, Georgie Twigg Track, enables cyclists and pedestrians to make a safe, attractive and traffic-free journey from Doddington to the centre of Lincoln via the Sustrans Cycle Path 64. The track starts at Kennel Lane, just over the road from the Hall.
Partly funded by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development: Europe investing in rural areas.
Over the last 40 years the father of the current owner of Doddington Hall, Antony Jarvis, made a collection of C19 and C20 Farm Wagons and a painted gypsy caravan.
The English farm wagon is an iconic symbol of rural life. Nowhere else in the world did farm vehicles develop to such a height of regional specialisation and design. They demonstrate exceptional craftsmanship, design and decorative skills. Wagons were also of considerable social significance. As the largest vehicles in most villages, they were used for Sunday School outings and village celebrations as well as providing transport for the crops. These once common-place examples of local cultural heritage are now rare. Only a small number now remain. Important collections have been dispersed in recent years and there is a recognised need for a good selection, preferably with a strong sense of place, to be preserved and made accessible so that future generations can enjoy and learn from them.
The Doddington Wagon Collection is a unique and important collection regionally and nationally. It has been built on the site of a long-derelict Sawmill with support from the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development.
In our drive to reduce our energy consumption and lower our carbon emissions we have invested in Solar PV, replacement freezers and new chiller doors. These will make a huge difference to the environment and are an important part of our sustainability journey.
To help us invest in these energy saving measures we had support from Smart Energy Greater Lincolnshire. Through this we received a grant of £14,098 to enable us to make these fantastic changes.
The £8.5 million Smart Energy programme has been part funded by the European Regional Development fund. This is enabling small to medium businesses across the Greater Lincolnshire area invest in energy saving technology.
Over the last 12 years we have developed a wide range of shops and restaurants which we hope you will enjoy in the knowledge that all the proceeds go towards the upkeep and conservation of the Hall and Gardens. At the same time, we have worked hard to be sustainable with a range of initiatives across the Estate.
There is always something new to see and do and we look forward to welcoming you to Doddington soon.
