A TEESDALE farmer has installed a "green" heating system which uses woodchips to warm a group of holiday cottages.

John Boyes, who runs a beef and arable farm at Strathmore House, Cleatlam, near Staindrop, converted disused farm buildings into four self-catering holiday cottages and, as part of the conversion, installed a new wood chip boiler which uses waste chippings to heat the cottages and farmhouse.

He received a Defra rural enterprise scheme grant to help cover the costs of installing the new boiler, which provides heating for all five properties for less than £20 a week. The boiler was installed in April last year and the cottages opened in May.

"We have a herd of about 400 beef cattle and some suckler cows and thought the holiday cottages would be an ideal way of diversifying," said Mr Boyes, who runs the farm with his wife, Marian, and their three children.

"Teesdale is a beautiful area and attracts a lot of visitors who, we hope, will be interested in extending their stay.

"The wood chip boiler proved to be the most cost effective way of heating the cottages, along with our farmhouse. It also uses recycled wood chippings that would otherwise go into landfill or be incinerated."

The Boyes get the chippings as waste products from local businesses.

Kenneth Haynes, rural development adviser at Defra's rural development service North-East, said they were always keen to promote the use of green fuels.

"We are delighted to have been able to assist Mr Boyes in his diversification bid," he said. "We would welcome more applications for similar projects from farmers, schools, village halls and others who may wish to consider this type of heating as a possible alternative to more conventional methods."

Mr Boyes' web site can be viewed at www.strathmorebarns.co.

In our picture, John Boyes displays the eco-friendly fuel outside his holiday cottages at Strathmore House - D&S/ Nigel Whitfield