UK’s cleanest recorded air quality found at Welsh holiday resort

Air quality monitoring at Bluestone National Park Resort in Pembrokeshire has revealed that the air at the historic Black Pool Mill on its estate is cleaner than any monitored by the UK government.

From September 2024 to June 2025, data collected and analysed by Professor Paul Lewis who is chief scientific officer at Health and Wellbeing 360 and Wales’ Clean Air Champion at the Clean Air Programme, compared concentration levels of PM2.5 across UK sites.

The findings, based on real-time measurements taken at Bluestone, benchmarked against DEFRA data, highlight Black Pool Mill as a standout location for clean, healthy air, reinforcing the resort’s commitment to sustainability and wellbeing.

17 of the background air quality monitoring sites in the UK show a mean average of 12 micrograms per cubic meter or less, with Black Pool Mill showing even lower levels at just 3 micrograms per cubic meter.

Commitment

June 2025 marks nine months since Bluestone National Park Resort in Wales began monitoring the quality of its air, as part of the holiday resort’s commitment to sustainability and wellbeing, and data shows air at the historic Black Pool Mill on its estate is cleaner than any monitored by the UK government.

Data collection and analysis at Bluestone – the only family holiday resort situated within a coastal national park – has involved measuring and calculating the mean average of PM2.5, with continuous data sent for analysis on an hourly basis.

PM2.5 is particulate matter with a diameter of 2.5 micrometres or less, that can be man made from the likes of aerosols and vehicle fumes or may naturally occur from the likes of dust and pollen.

Professor Paul Lewis, Chief Scientific Officer at Health and Wellbeing 360 and Clean Air Programme Regional Champion for Wales who leads on the collection and analysis of air quality data at Bluestone, said: “When it comes to levels of PM2.5, the maximum annual mean level permitted in Wales is 25 micrograms per cubic meter, whereas in England is set a bit lower at 20 micrograms per cubic meter. Black Pool Mill is clearly way below this with a mean average of just three micrograms per cubic meter.

“South Pembrokeshire is an area of clean air quality mainly due to its location on the west coast of the UK and westerly winds in the main.

“The wind blows in from the sea and isn’t picking up pollutants from human activities like other areas in the UK.  Black Pool Mill showcases exceptionally clean air thanks to being away from industry, away from urban pollution, surrounded by ancient woodland, in a valley on an estuary on the banks of River Cleddau and is on Bluestone’s estate which is a car free resort.”

Wellbeing

Environmental scientist, Marten Lewis, director of sustainability at Bluestone, said: “We’ve been monitoring the air quality at Bluestone National Park Resort since 2024 as part of our continuous efforts to reduce our impact on the environment, with the wellbeing of guests and staff front and centre, and are delighted but not surprised to learn that our Black Pool Mill has cleaner air than the cleanest air being monitored by the UK government.

“We have just won a King’s Award for Enterprise in sustainable development, and this new data is a wonderful addition to what makes us stand out not only as a regenerative tourism destination, but as a blueprint for best practice.

“Not resting on our laurels with this outstanding result for clean, healthy air, we’re working with Professor Paul Lewis looking to further improve air quality across the resort, including trialling a cleaning product with lower particulates.

“We’re hoping to monitor the indoor environmental quality within our lodges, pub and play areas too.”

Find out more about how people and the planet are at the heart of Bluestone National Park Resort and book a stay at bluestonewales.com