Having built The Longhouse to a highly environmental design in line with The Longhouse at Mill on the Brue's ethos in 2005. We won a Gold award for environmental architecure in the Green Apple Awards and South West tourism gold award for being for sustainability.

We want to make The Longhouse an environmental showcase for the south west of England.

Our exclusive caterers Taste source all their food as locally as possible. It doesn't seem to make any sense using lots of fuel and time to transport produce half way across the country when we have such a fantastic reputation for high quality food in Somerset.

Environmental details are below: -

1) Minimum foot print: the building design has on purpose minimised the amount of concrete used to cover its base for foundations. Instead a mixture of reinforced pillar foundations and where necessary, the conventional concrete flooring means less impact on the overall area of the site.

2) Heating

a) The majority of the heat comes from geo-thermic heating (coils sunk 2m into the ground filled with diluted anti freeze) working exactly the same as a fridge. The heat will then be transferred to under floor heating.

b) In the winter months a highly efficient wood burner stove provides extra heat fuelled by wood from Mill on the Brue.

c) Double glazed Pilkington K glass has been used.

3) Water use: the build incorporates a 27,500 litre rain water storage tank. The water is pumped up to the building to flush all the loos. All the loos have a half and full flush facility.

4) The south facing side is predominately glass maximising the passive solar energy effect.

5) Materials used : -

a. Re-cycled rubber tyre slates used for the entire roof.

b. Sheeps wool insulation.

c. Warmcell recycled newspaper insulation.

d. Locally sourced sustainable wood for the majority of the wood used.

e. Doubled glazed doors and windows.

f. Chemical free paint.

6. Local Bruton architect.

7. Bruton building company employing local sub contractors.

8. Fair trade products sourced as much as possible.

9. Planted over 4000 trees with 110 types of tree over the last 26 years.

10. We support local businesses buying from them first as much as possible.