Lou is the owner of Cragend Farm with her husband Shaun, and deals with everything from Holiday Accommodation inquiries to egg collection from the chickens; she is the social media and web design finger-tapper.
Storm Arwen took hold on Friday 26th November and we thought that historically it was important to record it.
It blew from Friday at 4pm until Sunday with added snow and ice and freezing conditions.
We were hosting a supper bookclub and half of the guests were unable to come out at all, and those that did had terrible trouble getting out from here because of the high winds of 95mph, some staying the night here.
Our candlelit house took a bashing but managed to survive, with our Esse990 log burner and Hwam log burner keeping us warm and cosy.
Monopoly and table skittles kept us occupied.
Cragend Farm is tucked into the south side of the crags at Rothbury and lucky we did not have as much damage as many in the Coquet Valley. Our electricity and internet and phone lines were out for over 24 hours but we were back on quicker than most. There was also loss of water as pumps for reservoirs stopped working.
Apart from a few slates off the roof and a shed already devastated by storms in 2019 finally losing its vertical battle we have had little to complain about.
Our goat huts all blew away but we rescued them and the goats are all fine.
A few trees by the river have fallen and there are a few large branches off some trees on our south banks below the road.
Global warming may have some part to play in this storm, apparently the worst for over 15 years. Certainly the winds that came from the Arctic North were very cold and devastating.
Time to start the clean up of candle wax and keep the candles on standby for another time.
Find Out More About Cragend
Cragend Farm has a interesting and diverse history, from technical innovations to historic buildings. Tied in closely to the neighbouring Cragside Estate home of Victorian inventor and industrialist Lord Armstrong.