On these cold, dark winter days, a top priority is to keep ourselves and our homes warm. Central heating is used by many, but one trend that’s on the increase is to opt for a wood burning stove.

With the price of heating soaring, and interest in reducing carbon emissions increasing, more and more people are turning to the delights of the wood burning stove. They’re guaranteed to create a cosy atmosphere in your home, tend to have lower running costs and create a unique focal point in a room.

The price of a wood burning stove varies, but can cost from around £450 to over £1,000. At the low end of the scale, for example, the Hunter Hawk 3 wood burning stove, from Hunter Stoves, starts at £459, whereas a swish modern stove from Jotul, the J250, costs £1,130. Whatever model you choose to go for, and whether traditional or modern, they must be fitted by a HETAS qualified fitter.

A good supply of wood is vital for any wood stove owners and different types of wood have different burning abilities, so you can have fun experimenting to see what works best for you. To find details of wood fuel suppliers in your area, then head to the Log Pile Website.

The benefits of wood as a carbon neutral fuel have even been recognised by the government, who are pledging to make two million more tons of firewood available on the market by 2010. That’s enough to heat almost 250,000 homes.

West Lodge, in Hyde Park

It’s not often that you get the chance to find a rental property in the heart of a city, yet surrounded by nature and wildlife. But that’s the case in the city of London, where a few unusual properties have recently come up for rent – located in some of the best loved Royal Parks.

As part of the Royal Parks’ Better Buildings Programme, seven lodges in various Royal Parks in London have been decorated and updated and are now being let to tenants. The idea is that letting the buildings out will be a better way of generating revenue and a far more effective use of the buildings. Plus, they make very unique homes to lucky renters.

The buildings all have a long history, which is fascinating in itself, and offer tenants the chance to live in the midst of some of the best green spaces in London, which are packed with nature and wildlife. But most are also located very close to the life of the city and benefit from sought-after parking spaces. Tenants also get the added advantage of having a gardening service thrown in too, as the Royal Park gardeners mow the lawns on a regular basis.

Blackheath Gate Lodge, in Greenwich Park

Two of the Royal Park homes that are currently still available are West Lodge, in Hyde Park, a striking neo-classical style pavilion lodge with one bedroom, located minutes from Knightsbridge and the Royal Albert Hall, and Blackheath Gate Lodge in Greenwich Park, a three-bedroom early Victorian house, which backs onto the deer enclosure. For city fans who are lovers of history and nature, you can’t get much better than this.