AN 'outstanding' holiday venue in Winkleigh that uses renewable energy was among the big winners at the South West Tourism Excellence Awards 2014-15.

Wheatland Farm won the gold for sustainable tourism at the awards. It followed on from its recent gold award at the Visit Devon Tourism Awards 2014.

The business is run by couple Ian Ripper and Maggie Watson, who came to Wheatland Farm towards the end of 2006.

Maggie Watson said: 'It was a genuine surprise and is a wonderful follow on from our gold in the Visit Devon awards last November.

'The regional awards cover the whole of Devon, Cornwall, Dorset and Somerset, so there's stiff competition.

'We won the same award back in 2012 but sustainable tourism is developing fast and we feel a real sense of achievement that we're still at the top.

'I think our success comes down to putting sustainability into every decision. This year our entry focused on our new "ultra-low impact" Balebarn Ecolodge.

'It wasn't just about the fabric of the building, it was about its stylish and thought provoking upcycled fittings too.'

Ian Ripper said: 'We've put a lot of thought into making sure the eco features are on show, but it has also been a very local build.

'You can see the field where the straw bales were harvested from the lodge's windows. The lime plaster was sourced ten miles away and the wooden floor and external cladding only travelled eight miles — from a woodland restoration project.'

The judges particularly liked the sense of fun and involvement available to guests, whether they take a guided walk around Wheatland Farm's nature reserve with Maggie, talk loft insulation with Ian or just explore the local area.

Maggie said: 'Today to my delight I came across a guest using one of our free to borrow bikes around the farm yard. She's in her thirties but said she had just learnt to ride, there and then, and that now she knew she could do it she might get herself a bike.

'That made me smile almost as much as winning the award.'

The electricity for the properties at Wheatland Farm is generated using an eleven kilowatt wind turbine. If the wind isn't blowing, the lodges and cottage are powered with electricity from Good Energy, a 100% renewable electricity company. The lodges are of Scandinavian design, meaning that they also remain well insulated. Water is heated using solar energy and the cottage has a wood-burning stove, with all logs taken from Wheatland's own managed woodland.

To reduce emissions, guests can borrow bicycles free of charge and can be picked up at a local train station upon arrival if needed.

Recycling is also key at Wheatland, with food waste put into biodigesters, and most other waste, including paper, glass, cans and plastics recycled.

The farm's 21 acres of land are carefully managed for the area's wildlife, with nest boxes for bats, barn owls and dormice in place alongside a number of other initiatives.