The Sanctuary Cornwall

The Sanctuary Cornwall: What is it?

The Sanctuary Cornwall is an award-winning off-grid eco-lodge where guests can experience the comfort of zero-carbon living. Nestled in 12 acres of mixed woodland, pasture, orchards, and permaculture gardens, it sits high above the charming town of Fowey in Cornwall’s protected National Landscape.

The Sanctuary exists to demonstrate low-impact sustainability within tourism, inspiring guests to embrace sustainable choices in their daily lives. The Sanctuary’s accommodation offers modern comforts in an eco-friendly setting. The spaces feature underfloor heating (powered by a log boiler), rain showers, LED lighting, charging facilities, and energy-efficient appliances, ensuring guests enjoy comfort while making sustainable choices. 

Founders Karen and David encourage visitors to explore the orchards, vegetable and fruit gardens, enjoy the hammocks and tranquil views, and foster connection with other guests immersing themselves in relaxation and recharging.

The property is dog-friendly (for a small additional charge), with bowls, trays, and treats available. Guests should be mindful that the 12-acre land is unfenced and includes a pond, so dogs must be kept on a lead near the water, in the gardens, and forest areas. A post-walk shower with hot and cold water is available for muddy paws, and there are plenty of towels provided. 

It caters for adults only, with children aged 13 or older allowed if parents appreciate the importance of maintaining peace and quiet for all guests.

The Sanctuary offers four comfortable ensuite bedrooms, each with a private outdoor seating area overlooking the estuary, ideal for group or personal retreats. There is also a spacious, open-plan meeting room equipped with a kitchen and wheelchair-accessible bathroom. Various footpaths connect the property to Fowey, Lostwithiel, and the Saints Way, allowing guests to explore the local area on foot.

Room Highlights:

• Oak Room: The largest of the four rooms, featuring a flexible zip-and-link king-size bed or twin beds, a daybed, and panoramic views of the estuary.
• Birch Room: A bright, sunny room with river views, a sliding glass door leading to a terrace, and a kingsize bed that can convert into twins.
• Maple Room: With views over the village and river, a king-size bed (convertible to twin), and a private terrace seating area.
• Ash Room: A cosy room with green-blue tones, featuring a king-size bed, terrace seating, and beautiful river views.

The Look Out is an additional stand-alone handmade pod built for those seeking a more comfortable off-grid camping experience, designed by Timeless Spaces.

Plus, Barn Owl offers a spacious function room designed for small events and functions.

The Sanctuary Cornwall best-sellers:

The Look Out

from £95/ night

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Barn Owl

from £130/ night

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Birch Room

from £130/ night

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The Sanctuary Cornwall: How Sustainable is it?

The Sanctuary Cornwall has created an off-grid eco-lodge that seamlessly combines sustainable living with comfort, providing guests with a unique chance to experience low-impact tourism while immersed in the stunning natural beauty of Cornwall.

Every aspect of the lodge was carefully chosen to minimise energy consumption. The food served is locally sourced, homegrown, or homemade. Fully off-grid, their water and building are heated by solar panels, solar thermal systems, or wood from their own sustainably managed supply.

The structure itself is designed to capture carbon, with a wooden frame and insulation made from Devon wool. The roof is covered with earth for added insulation, and much of the interior wood is sourced locally from Cornwall. Their own borehole supplies the building with filtered water and they collect rainwater for watering the vegetable garden.

For the interior, they’ve chosen recycled or charity shop finds for kitchenware and decor, and their bathrooms feature soap from the Clovelly Handmade Soap Company, which uses traceable and organic ingredients in most of its products. The bed linens are organic and fair trade, and all cleaning products are either from the Ecover brand or homemade using vinegar, lemon juice, and bicarbonate of soda.

In their commitment to sustainable gardening, they follow a ‘no-dig’ and permaculture approach for fruit and vegetable production. Cardboard is used to suppress weeds, sourced not only from their own purchases but also from local agricultural merchants and villagers with large deliveries. Raised vegetable beds are built using the ‘Hugel Kultur’ method, where logs, branches, turf, and compost are used to create heat, nutrient, and water storage while reusing excess pruning and weeds.

David’s latest project involves producing homemade charcoal from leftover pruning, which is used for cooking in the fire bowl and pizza oven, and they also have plenty of seasoned firewood for warmth, both indoors and outdoors.

Additionally, they’ve switched to Triodos Bank, one of the most ethical banking options available, and also use Nationwide as a second choice for ethical banking.

However, David’s proudest initiative is his ‘Mother Orchard’—a newly established orchard featuring predominantly single fruit varieties that showcase the diversity of West Country fruit. This orchard is envisioned as a genetic bank for future tree grafting. They sourced most of the trees from Adam’s Apples near Honiton, who helped them choose varieties based on soil, aspect, and local conditions.

As a result of their efforts, the property has seen a noticeable increase in birds, insects, and wildflowers.

The Sanctuary Cornwall is also committed to supporting important causes, including the Museum of Homelessness in Finsbury, London. After hosting the creators, they were so impressed by their work and have made donations to support their efforts. The museum does vital work raising awareness about homelessness, a cause close to the hearts of those in hospitality, as many are vulnerable to these issues.

Karen says: “We like to learn and we like to ‘soft teach’ our guests about everything we do by explaining our choices and encouraging them to take home any ideas that might resonate with them.”

The Sanctuary Cornwall: where can I book?

Book online at: thesanctuarycornwall.co.uk