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.
Booking a Tour with us in 2026
You can book direct or through Invitation to View with Historic Houses.
Cost £15p.p. includes light refreshments and the chance to picnic in the grounds afterwards.
Tour details:
This ancient farm was re-modelled and transformed to use hydraulic engineering by Northumbrian industrialist Lord William Armstrong of Cragside in the 1880s. It has a unique history thanks to this great innovator's vision for engineering and science including a Grade II* Agricultural Site.
Enjoy a historical tour of the farm, its buildings, the agricultural hydraulic machinery and engineering skills of 'The Magician of the North'. Visit the Cragend Farm Hydraulic Silo ( Historic England No 1153196 ) , H. Pooley weighbridge with its Victorian machinery, the Cragend Grange hydraulic 'Turbine Room', the courtyard and dairies, and see the farmhouse where there is on-going work stripping back the years to the original stonework.
The tour will focus on the following:
- History of Cragend Farm pre-1850
- Why Cragend Farm is historically linked to National Trust property Cragside
- Demonstration of stone work to show how the original 16th-century buildings have been used by Armstrong to recreate the newer buildings.
- View and discussion of cobbled walkways past cow stables, shearing barn, tack room etc.
- Plans for the future with the restoration of the farm at the forefront.
- Silo visit. Those able to climb steep stairs can view lower and higher levels. (There is a virtual tour on Cragend Youtube).
- Weighbridge with Victorian machinery.
- Courtyard and dairies
- Cragend Grange hydraulic ’Turbine Room’.
- Further conversation, viewing of museum and other information, powerpoints etc with further refreshments if required
STURDY FOOTWEAR REQUIRED.
LOCATION
Cragend Farm, NE65 7XN
If it is a pleasant day you are welcome to bring a picnic lunch to have at our courtyard, and there are local places to eat in Rothbury and Longframlington.
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.
Wonderful Dog Friendly B&B and self catering cottage, Amazing unique historic site, (featured on TV: Matt Baker’s Travels with Mum & Dad North East)
Original Cragside Architecture and Machinery. Celtic Camp and Ducal Border Reiver settlement, remodelled by Victorian Lord Armstrong of Cragside as his show case for hydraulic machinery.
ACCESSIBILITY STATEMENT in ABOUT US.