This stunning Grade I stately home proudly sits amidst 2,500 acres of rolling parkland in the heart of the Leicestershire Wolds.
Renewable energy
Much in the tradition of the Victorian stately home, modern technology still plays a part in the running of the house and estate today.
Heating & hot water
The heating for both Prestwold Hall and The Hall Barns is principally supplied by biomass boilers. In addition, all surplus power from the Hall’s dedicated solar panels provides heat via heat exchangers to the hot water systems.
The installed renewable systems are retrofitted to the existing oil and gas systems, which can still be used in an emergency. Almost 90% of the heat for our wedding venues is now derived from renewable sources. All biomass is sourced from the estate and comprises either crop residues, such as wheat, straw or naturally fallen timber from the woodlands.
Electricity & lighting
Electricity for the wedding venues is provided by a 50kw array of solar panels in the kitchen garden. In common with most houses, the majority of lights are LED, reducing the power consumption by up to 90%.
The Entrance façade of Prestwold Hall has had a makeover on the LED lighting front, resulting in the decommissioning of old halogen and sodium flood lights. The next step could be battery storage for night-time use.
Renewables on the wider estate
There is a small wind turbine providing power to the HGV driving centre on Wymeswold Airfield. This is dwarfed by 36MW of solar panels on 150 acres. When constructed in 2013, this was the largest facility of its kind in the United Kingdom.
The solar panels are expected to produce emission-free energy for at least the next 25 years, for around 9,000 homes.
Nature
Prestwold has always found importance in balancing the human and natural worlds to enhance biodiversity alongside productive agriculture and food production. In the last 25 years in excess of 20,000 trees and 17km of new hedges have been planted.
Farming and agriculture
Prestwold farms has adopted a sustainable approach to agriculture and food production. Adopting integrated crop management systems and tailoring inputs to only meet requirements of the growing crop has not only enhanced yields, but also reduced costs. Whilst the challenges of meeting net zero carbon emissions by 2050 remain immense, agriculture, land management and particularly grass land management present a large opportunity as part of the solution.
Locally-sourced
The Prestwold Estate is dedicated to supporting local businesses, especially when sourcing food and drink. The main crops grown at Prestwold are wheat, oil seed rape, barley and peas. A homegrown herb garden is tended by our chefs, providing a range of ingredients for our menus. Not only is produce cultivated on the estate, but food waste is also composted.
Our vegetable, meat and fish suppliers are all based in the East Midlands using local farmers and, where ingredients can’t be sourced locally, supporting independent importers. Behind our bar you will find a wide range of locally sourced beers, ales and soft drinks.