BOWOOD'S SUSTAINABILITY POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

Sustainability

We are dedicated to reducing our environmental impact. Home to the Lansdowne family since 1754, our estate’s current custodian, the 9th Marquis of Lansdowne, is deeply committed to sustainability. In the last 50 years, we have planted over 1.2 million trees, offsetting more than 1,500 tonnes of CO2 annually.

Our pledge

We are dedicated to preserving the estate’s heritage and landscape while actively contributing to the fight against climate change. Bowood comprises the House & Gardens, hotel, spa and golf resort, along with the wider estate enterprises. As a business, our key sustainability objectives include:

  • By 2022, to operate comprehensive recycling facilities across all business areas.
  • By 2023, to significantly phase out single-use plastics in all business areas.
  • By 2024, to source 50% of services and consumable supplies from within 50 miles.
  • By 2025, to generate renewable energy on the estate.
  • By 2030, to reduce direct fossil fuel consumption by 50%.

We are actively working on a range of projects to achieve these goals. Below are some of the initiatives already in place:

At the hotel, spa, and golf resort

  • Heating: A 500kw biomass boiler provides heating and hot water throughout the resort, using woodchip sustainably sourced from within the Bowood estate.
  • Irrigation: The primary water supply for the PGA Golf Course is the estate’s private supply, reducing reliance on treated mains water.
  • Habitats: Since its opening in 1992, the management of the 200-acre PGA golf course has evolved to incorporate approximately 60 acres of wildflower grassland, promoting biodiversity alongside the 30,000 rounds of golf played each year.
  • Food and flowers: The historic walled gardens supply a wide range of seasonal produce to the hotel’s Shelburne Restaurant. Floral displays in the hotel are largely created using flowers cut directly from the walled gardens.
  • Transport: Four rapid electric vehicle charging points on site have saved over 7,000kg of CO2 in the last year alone.
  • Consumables: We have reduced single-use plastics in hotel bedrooms by over 90% and aim to eliminate them entirely by 2023. Paper products have also been reduced by introducing a guest digital app.

At the House & Gardens

  • Visitor information: In 2022, we launched a digital visitor app to reduce reliance on paper maps and leaflets.
  • Membership cards: From 2022, season ticket membership cards are printed on 100% recycled paper, with an ambition to move entirely to digital member processes.
  • Irrigation: The estate’s private water supply serves Bowood's House & Gardens, and grounds, reducing the use of treated mains water.
  • Consumables: Improved facilities have considerably reduced non-recyclable waste year on year, with a goal to eliminate single-use plastics sold to visitors by mid-2023.
  • Heating: We are exploring opportunities to replace the heating system for the 50,000 sq ft house with a modern, renewable energy-based alternative.

At the estate

  • Tree planting: Bowood plants thousands of trees each year, with over 1.2 million planted in the last 50 years. These woodlands offset more than 1,500 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent annually.
  • Woodland management: Most felled trees are either sold as sustainable timber, used to repair properties on the Estate, or converted to woodchip for the resort’s biomass boiler.
  • Habitats: We manage habitats on a landscape scale, including a 300-acre conservation area and wildlife sanctuary, and a wetland bird habitat surrounding Bowood's lake.
  • Stewardship: The estate preserves a unique collection of 700 trees within the arboretum, including rare or critically endangered species.
  • Low inputs: Bowood’s farmland includes 700 acres of permanent pasture, primarily grazed by sheep, which provides sustainable landscape management and reduces the need for fossil-fuel-burning machinery.
  • Community: The estate supports vital community facilities and maintains 13 miles of footpath, bridleway, and permissive paths, offering recreational opportunities for the local community.

For our people

  • Bowood’s culture: We believe in fostering a working environment where everyone can excel through mutual trust, collaboration, and respect. We aim to be proud of our team, just as we want our team to be proud of working at Bowood.
  • Equality, diversity and inclusion: We strive to create an inclusive work environment that values individuality and promotes diversity. We are committed to helping our teams reach their full potential by offering opportunities for learning and development. For more details, you can read our full Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Policy.