our beautiful retreat

Here at Rivendale Lodge Retreat, we are very passionate about the environment we occupy and the community around us. We are continually looking for new ways to improve our environmental footprint.

So far we have implemented the following at our resort:

• Limited our pesticide use across the resort
• We use LED bulbs throughout our resort
• Low electric items on the resort have been chosen where possible
• We use light sensors across the resort where possible
• We also have timers on certain lights to decrease usage
• We have low level lighting across the resort to limit our light pollution
• Our housekeeping department refill cleaning bottles, there is no single-use plastic
• We have a fabulous book swop in coffee area of our complex for our guests to use for free
• We use solar panels on the main complex building
• We recycling our waste –  we have zero to landfill waste collection.
• Our landscaping team provide environmental planting
• Creating living walls using plant waste from across the resort.
• We take care of the wildlife where we can, including bird boxes, Bat barn and boxes, hedgehog housing, newt habitats and many more
• We have biodegradable dog bags available across the resort
• We also replant dead trees and reuse chippings across the resort.
• We have water butts at our main complex building
• Across the resort we have wonderful native wildflower meadows
• As well as a whole range of rewilding areas
• We have a brand new off-lead, enclosed, dog area (safe area away from ground nesting birds and animals with young)
• We have reduced the use of single use plastic and materials in our lodges
• We are cutting down on paper wastage and have changed welcome information to QR codes instead of print outs
• Across the resort and in the restaurant we use biodegradable containers / recyclable containers for our takeaway service
• The majority of our the vehicles used by our staff at the resort are electric
• We have a few free to use electric chargers on the resort
• We encourage and let our guests know how to use the country code properly
• All windows in the lodges and main complex building are double glazed to keep heating costs down
• Staff turn off electrical items at the plug when they not in use, we also encourage our holiday guests to do the same
• Introduced meters across the park to monitor water and energy usage so we can check for potential leaks to cut down on usage
• We stock a huge range of locally produces products (Gin, Cheese etc) for our holiday guests to buy
• Our restaurant uses a range local suppliers
• We have recently introduced wildlife cameras for our guests to enjoy the wildlife without disturbing them
• We have created a wildlife hunt for children, which is an interactive family activity

Within our community we work with a local animal shelter and raise awareness through their animal rehoming success stories, as well as raising donations through hosting our weekly quiz events with our holiday guests. In the reception area we have the shelter’s literature containing animal success stories and current animals ready to be rehomed.

We proudly sponsor and have become a Wildlife Champion for Chester Zoo. We have also sponsored the Derby Book Festival for many years, supporting the many organisations this helps.

we’re pet friendly!

At Rivendale we truly are pet friendly and we cannot wait to meet your pets!

Our main building is pet friendly just speak to the team and let them know you’re bringing a pet so we can seat you in our pet friendly side of the restaurant.

We can’t to see you and your pet, you’ll find a gift from us on arrival in your lodge. Try out our brand new Dog Menu, we launched the menu this year, and it’s a been a hit with all the pooches so far! And don’t forget our range of dog-friendly drinks at the bar, we stock Bark Beer and Paw-Star Martinis. And if your dogs want to round off the night with a desert, we have a great range of sweet treats including our dog-friendly ice cream!

All our tasty treats have been fully quality tested (a few times…) by our Hooman Resources Officer Ronnie and our Chief Bark Strategist Reggie, they would be happy to help your pup taste it too!

Your best furriend will love the 5* holiday just like you!

we’re always learning

Our team are always learning and inventing innovative ways to improve our relationship with the wildlife and landscape around us.

The team enjoyed a few days training with the Chester Zoo Ecology Team, learning all about the animals and plants we have at resort. The team where very interested in ways in which to grow its populations of certain animals and we also leaning about lifecycles and the best way in which we can support them.

This has led to us doing the following:

• Introducing new habitats
• Growing established habitats
• Installing hedgehog housing
• Installing wildlife cameras
• Introducing toad and newt patrols in damp weather
• Adding water butts around the main complex builidng to collect rainwater to refill ponds in hot dry weather