Sustainability

Our Commitment

We believe access to green spaces is a right, not a privilege. Nature is for everyone, and we're passionate about opening the gates, quite literally, for more people to experience the peace, wonder and freedom that being outdoors brings.

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With that access comes responsibility. We want to care for the landscapes we walk through, respect the communities who call them home and share the stories and knowledge that help others appreciate and protect them.

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For us, sustainability isn't just about reducing our environmental impact. It's also about making the outdoors more accessible, supporting local livelihoods and ensuring tourism makes a positive contribution to Northumberland.

We're a small, independent business, but the decisions we make, the people we work with and the experiences we create can all make a difference.

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Climate & Travel

We know that travelling to Northumberland has an environmental impact, particularly for visitors coming from overseas. While we can't eliminate that impact, we can help guests make more considered choices once they're here.

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We encourage public transport wherever practical and provide information about local bus and train services. We've adjusted our guided walk start times to work with the AD122 Hadrian's Wall Country Bus, making it easier for guests to reach us without a car.

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Where practical, we offer pick-ups from local transport connections and share vehicle journeys to reduce unnecessary trips.

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For our bespoke walking holidays, we plan routes, accommodation and transfers together, helping guests make the most of their time in Northumberland while considering the amount of travel involved.

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Most of our experiences take place on foot, allowing visitors to slow down and appreciate the landscape.

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Reducing Waste & Reusing Resources

We believe small, practical changes are worth making. We encourage guests to bring refillable water bottles and reusable cups, avoid unnecessary single-use packaging and take their litter home. We provide reusable walking poles, allowing guests to try them without having to purchase their own equipment.

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Much of our booking information, pre-trip communication and walking guidance is shared digitally, reducing unnecessary printing. Where printed materials are useful, we aim to keep them practical and minimise waste.

 

We also look for opportunities to source supplies locally and make more considered purchasing decisions.

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Protecting the Landscape & Biodiversity

Hadrian's Wall is more than a walking destination. It's a World Heritage Site, a living landscape and home to important habitats, wildlife and working farms.

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We follow the principles of Every Footstep Counts, the Hadrian's Wall country code, Take the Lead, Don't Follow Desire Lines and Check, Clean, Dry. We want to encourage guests to help protect the places they're exploring.

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That means:

• Staying on appropriate, established paths and avoiding damage to fragile archaeological remains

• Never climbing or walking on Hadrian's Wall itself, except where permitted

• Taking litter home and leaving gates as we find them

• Respecting wildlife, livestock and working farmland

• Keeping dogs under close control

• Considering alternative routes when ground conditions are particularly vulnerable to erosion

 

Along the way, we share stories about the landscape, its wildlife, history and conservation challenges. We believe that the more people understand a place, the more likely they are to care about its future.

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Supporting Our Local Economy

Our impact extends beyond the walks themselves.

 

We work with independent accommodation providers, pubs, restaurants, attractions, transport operators and other local businesses to create experiences that give visitors a deeper connection with Northumberland.

 

Through our bespoke and self-guided walking holidays, we encourage guests to stay longer, explore further and discover places they might otherwise miss.

 

We want the money visitors spend to benefit the people and communities who live and work here, rather than simply passing through the region.

 

We also value collaborations with other local businesses, sharing knowledge, creating opportunities and supporting one another.

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People, Inclusion & Community

Sustainability is also about people. We want more people to feel that Hadrian's Wall is somewhere they belong, particularly those who might never have imagined themselves exploring it on foot.

 

Our walks are designed to be personal and flexible, with different distances, paces and experiences to suit a range of interests and abilities.

 

By helping guests feel welcome, confident and included, we hope to open up opportunities to experience the outdoors, build connections and develop a sense of achievement.

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Our commitment to our community also extends beyond tourism. We support the Heddon-on-the-Wall Festival, which raises money for local initiatives and charitable endeavours and Tynedale Hospice, which provides support to people, offering home-based care and support for adults with palliative needs or undergoing treatment for life-limiting conditions, and people of all ages needing pre- or post-bereavement support.

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We believe a successful tourism business should contribute to the wellbeing of its visitors, its local community and the places it depends upon.

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Our Green Tourism Recognition

In April 2025, Curius Compass achieved Green Tourism Bronze accreditation, an important milestone in our efforts to operate more responsibly. For a small business, it was an opportunity to look closely at our practices, recognise what we're already doing well and identify areas where we can improve.

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We're proud of that recognition, but we know it isn't the end of the journey.

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As Curius Compass grows, we want to keep improving how we manage our environmental impact, support local businesses, make our experiences more inclusive and contribute to the future of responsible tourism in Northumberland.

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Our Promise

 

We don't claim to have all the answers, and we know that even the smallest tourism business has an impact.

 

What matters to us is being thoughtful about the choices we make, taking responsibility where we can and continually looking for ways to do better.

 

We want our guests to leave with wonderful memories, new connections and a deeper understanding of Hadrian's Wall and Northumberland. And we want the places and communities that make those experiences possible to benefit too.

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Can we do better? We'd love to hear from you. Your ideas, experiences and feedback help us improve.

 

Email: curiuscompass@gmail.com
Telephone: 07922 009979

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Updated October 2026