Island Improvements: Restoring Our Cottage Roofs and Harnessing the Sun

This winter has been a particularly important one for us.  The cottages that many of our guests know and love were originally built in the 1930s and 1940s as staff accommodation, and while they have served us faithfully for decades, time eventually catches up with every building. Over the past few years it became increasingly clear that the roofs had reached the end of their useful life, and that major work would soon be unavoidable.

Replacing roofs on an island is never a small task. Everything – materials, equipment, and people – has to arrive by boat, and careful planning is needed to work around tides and weather. However, once the scaffolding was finally up this winter, we realised we had a valuable opportunity. Rather than simply replacing what was there before, we decided to take a bigger step and invest in the long-term sustainability of the island and the business we run here.

The environment of Poole Harbour is incredibly special to us. The island sits within one of the most beautiful natural landscapes on the south coast, surrounded by wildlife, changing tides, and big open skies. Protecting that environment – and ensuring that our business can continue to operate responsibly within it – has always been something we care deeply about.

With that in mind, we took the opportunity to install solar panels as part of this first phase of roof replacement. For the three self-catering cottages alone, we are installing a 25kW solar system made up of 57 panels. Once fully operational, the system is expected to reduce our carbon emissions by around five tonnes of CO₂ each year.

For a small island operation like ours, that feels like a significant and meaningful step. Not only will the system help reduce our environmental impact, but it will also help us manage the rising cost of energy – something that affects everyone these days, especially in more remote locations where infrastructure is limited.

Sustainability on an island isn’t just a buzzword; it’s a practical necessity. Every resource, from electricity to building materials, requires extra effort to bring here. Generating clean energy on site simply makes sense.

This winter’s work marks Phase One of the project. The final stage of roof replacements will take place from next October, when the cottages close for the season again. By carrying out the work in stages, we can continue welcoming guests each year while steadily improving the buildings and infrastructure behind the scenes. The cottages may have started life nearly a century ago as simple staff accommodation, but with thoughtful updates and a focus on sustainability, they are continuing to evolve for the future.

We’re incredibly pleased to have been able to carry out this work this year, and it feels like a positive step forward – for the island, for our guests, and for the environment that makes this place so unique.