Our Precious Coast
Have you ever taken a dusk walk from The Lifeboat and headed down through the old harbour, quietly following the creeks and marshes towards the remote expanse of sand at Holme Dunes?
Did you hear owls on the way, even see them in silent feathered flight? Or marsh harriers swooping low over the reedbeds? Did you hear deer calling? Did you spot an alert hare before it spotted you and took cover?
Our Thornham pub is on a beautiful, unspoilt part of the North Norfolk coast that’s a precious habitat for wildlife, migrating birds, and countless native species. It’s a magnet for humans too, whether walkers, birdwatchers, dark sky-seekers, or simply lovers of a good pie and a pint! Inside The Lifeboat’s centuries-old stone walls it’s easy to imagine you can hear the whispers of plotting smugglers, and long tales told by glimmering firelight – it’s a place that feels rich with stories and heritage.
The challenges back in the day were different: more about where to hide the contraband than how to reduce a carbon footprint. But as current custodians of this much-loved pub, we are committed to treading lightly on our patch of North Norfolk. We want to think stories will be told in centuries to come, and that people will continue to enjoy this magnificent coast.
So we’re taking action, collaborating with sustainability advisors, 3Keel, to help us pursue the right path. They’re expert in measuring the environmental impact of business operations from hotels to supermarkets, and university colleges to charities, and advising on best practice. They’ll be working with us to audit the products we buy, the waste we create, and the emissions we produce across every aspect of running our pub and its bedrooms – and helping us do better.
We’ll keep you posted as go through the process. We’re excited to get going, and I think those owls and hares and harriers will approve too.