Development Bank of Wales backs eco-friendly holiday lodges in Ceredigion
Development Bank of Wales backs eco-friendly holiday lodges in Ceredigion
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A £180,000 loan from the Development Bank of Wales has helped bring forward a new eco-friendly holiday accommodation development overlooking the River Teifi in Cardigan.
Fronteifi Nature Lodges, founded by husband-and-wife team Tim and Julia Percival, opened this autumn and offers high-quality, environmentally responsible accommodation designed to support the local visitor economy in Ceredigion.
The Percivals moved to Cardigan in early 2022 and set out to transform their 2.5-acre site into a small-scale, nature-led tourism destination inspired by the surrounding Teifi Marshes.
Following the granting of full planning permission in 2023, the couple developed two five-star timber-framed lodges, a garage with a loft apartment, extensive landscaping, guest pathways and new drainage systems.
While the majority of the construction was self-funded, the £180,000 loan from the Development Bank’s Wales Tourism Fund was used to complete the Seren loft apartment and the final stages of hard landscaping and guest facilities.
Local tradespeople and specialist contractors were used throughout the build, while independent businesses from the surrounding area supplied furnishings, artwork, tree planting, ecological consultancy and guest services.
A range of green technologies and carbon-reduction measures have been incorporated, including photovoltaic panels, EV charging points, air source heat pumps, sheep wool insulation, ground screw foundations, eco stoves and sedum roofs.
Recycled materials from original buildings were reused across the site, and more than 35 new trees have been planted to enhance biodiversity and sequester carbon.
The development is designed to achieve a high environmental impact rating and aligns with Ceredigion County Council’s sustainable tourism priorities.
It has also benefited from a £50,000 Cynnal y Cardi grant delivered through the Shared Prosperity Fund.
Julia Percival, Co-Founder of Fronteifi Nature Lodges, said: “The support from the Development Bank has enabled us to complete the final phase of the project and stay true to our environmental and community principles.
“We’re proud to have worked with so many fantastic local businesses and to be creating a place where guests can experience the incredible natural environment of the Teifi Valley.”
David Knight, Investment Executive at the Development Bank of Wales, added: “Fronteifi Nature Lodges is a brilliant example of a local couple investing time, passion and their own resources to create a sustainable tourism destination that directly benefits the local community.
“Their commitment to green building methods, accessibility and working with local suppliers aligns perfectly with what the Wales Tourism Fund aims to support.”
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