Working with the RSPB to help restore UK woodland for future generations

Saving nature together

Since 2020, holidaycottages.co.uk has partnered with the RSPB to support the revival of natural habitats across four of its key woodland reserves: RSPB Haweswater in the Lake District, RSPB Franchises Lodge in England, Gwenffrwd Dinas in Wales, and RSPB Glenborrodale in Scotland. 

We have been able to fund the restoration of over 900k square metres of woodland. This was achieved by pledging to restore 1 square metre (m2) of British woodland for every booking made with us and we have renewed our support for 2024.

It’s essential to preserve the places we love

Our stunning landscapes are what makes the UK such an extraordinary place to stay

Every booking will assist in the planting and seeding of trees and wildflowers as well as measures to allow trees and native plants to thrive again. In fact, the projects holidaycottages.co.uk is funding could help to capture up to 3,000 tonnes of carbon, equivalent to the yearly energy emissions from over 500 average UK homes.*

If you want to learn more about British woodland along with some of the UK’s other incredible habitats, read our Save Our Wild Isles blog post. Here, you can learn how to ‘go wild’ and do your part in helping to halt the destruction that faces our beautiful native ecosystems.

Learn all about our extraordinary wild isles and pledge your support to this amazing cause.

Projects we supported in 2023

Glenborrodale, Scotland

Over many years of use, sections of the footpath at Glenborrodale had become heavily eroded causing environmental damage to trees through the exposure of roots and undermining path-side vegetation. The reserve was able to improve the footpath, hand-building sections of stone pitching and improving drainage along the entire length of it. This has not only prevented further erosion and degradation of habitat, but has also restored previously damaged areas, whilst also transforming the experience of walking through the reserve for the community.

Gwenffrwd Dinas, Wales

Year on year, the funding received allows the reserve to steadily improve the condition of the woodlands at Gwenffrwd Dinas. Essential work across the reserve has involved thinning out dense areas of holly to allow light to reach the woodland floor, promoting the growth of woodland flowering plants. Staff have installed, replaced and improved fencing around the reserve and introduced cattle grazing to a number of woodland compartments. The reserve expects that this will result in a boost in biodiversity and that spring 2024 will see a higher number of flowering plants and insects.

Franchises Lodge, England

The New Forest National Park is globally important for nature. It can be seen as an ark for nature in southern England and plays a key role in enriching a large part of the region. In 2023, staff and volunteers have focused on removing highly invasive rhododendron ponticum, which is one of the biggest threats to the site, and thinning silver birch to reduce the tree density, giving more space to the remaining trees and allowing light to reach the woodland floor. This work will bring noticeable improvements to the structure and diversity of the woodland canopy and field layer, benefitting the many species found at Franchises Lodge.

We want to celebrate the importance of the UK’s diverse and spectacular wildlife; book with us in 2024 and together we can help in the revival of these beautiful landscapes and give nature a little something back.

For more information about the RSPB visit www.rspb.org.uk


Discover the beauty of the UK’s diverse and spectacular wildlife

We have a wealth of holiday cottages the length and breadth of the country, situated close to some of the UK’s best-loved nature reserves. Browse our blog and feel inspired to escape.

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*To calculate this figure, we used the methodology and stats from the Woodland Carbon Code to reach the estimated figure of ‘up to 3000 tonnes of carbon’, and statistics from the Energy Saving Trust to show what this is equivalent to in terms of average UK household energy use.

From 1st January 2024 until 31st December 2024, The Travel Chapter Limited will donate a minimum of £100,000 to RSPB Sales Ltd. RSPB Sales Ltd is a company incorporated and registered in England and Wales with CRN 02693778. RSPB Sales Ltd gift aids all of its distributable profits to the RSPB. The RSPB is a charity registered in England and Wales, number 207076, and in Scotland, SC037654. The registered office for both entities is The Lodge, Sandy, Beds, SG19 2DL