OWNERS of a Lake District hotel have gone to great lengths to run an environmentally-friendly business.

Nigel and Jackie Gorton, who own Moss Grove Organic Hotel, in the centre of Grasmere, are committed to the green cause and have made a major investment in the business.

The result is a truly organic hotel that has attracted interest far and wide since it opened in June this year.

Mr and Mrs Gorton spent eight months virtually rebuilding the hotel from scratch and, as passionate supporters of the environment, they found their beliefs rubbed off on the project.

Decorators were persuaded to use natural clay paints inside the hotel; carpets are wool-rich Axminster from Goodacres of Kendal; pillows are made of natural duckdown; bed sheets and covers are 100 per cent cotton; and beds and furniture are made out of reclaimed or sustainable timber.

En-suite bathrooms in the 11 guestrooms are stocked with organic toiletries; hotel staff use only biodegradable cleaning products; and low energy light bulbs can be found throughout the building, which dates back to 1850.

The hotel, which was featured on The Westmorland Gazette's business page in September, operates a card system for guests' rooms to allow power to be activated and deactivated when people enter or leave.

Water is filtered to remove chlorine and pesticides, and the hotel invested in a high efficiency combined heat and power boiler for heating and hot water.

l More than 100 Cumbrian businesses received gold, silver or bronze awards at a presentation ceremony organised by CBEN.

To find out how CBEN can help your business, tel Laura Teasdale on 01768-891555.