Going greener and saving cash is no mystery for staff at Greenway – the former home of Queen of Crime Agatha Christie.

The National Trust, which runs the popular tourist attraction beside the River Dart, opposite Dittisham, has launched a two-year trial to make the Barn Cafe at the complex more environmentally friendly.

Everything at the cafe will be recyclable, recycled or compostable - from paper cups to disposable cutlery.

The aim is to make the entire café environmentally friendly, including reducing the amount of cleaning chemicals going into the environment, composting food and disposing of waste sustainably through Devon Contract Waste’s zero to landfill programme.

The changes, which will help the cafe work more efficiently and use less resource, will save the National Trust in the region of £15,000 on energy and water.

The changes have been made as part of a major refurbishment of the cafe, explained catering manager Sam Wyton.

He said: ‘The cafe was not big enough to cater for the number of visitors we welcome at Greenway, and was looking tired, lacking counter space, and overall was in need of refurbishment.

‘So we decided to look at everything holistically and see if there was a way to change the layout and the setup to improve the visitor experience, save money and be more environmentally friendly.’