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As we reach the end of an amazing season of tours our thanks passes to Historic Houses for their continuing support, and we can report that we have had more people visit this year than ever before and that with The Heritage Open Day, Classic Car Club, CPRE, and Association of Industrial Archaeology, we managed to have more group tours visit as well. This is a time to reflect ...

Matt Baker:  Travels with Mum and Dad We are so excited to announce that we are going to be on the television:  Broadcast date Monday 16th September for the episode of:   Matt Baker: Travels with Mum and Dad    that we were involved in at Cragend Farm. (The One Show, Countryfile and Blue Peter)   Episode 3 – Cragside   Channel: More 4. (Freeview Channel: 18 / Sky Cha ...

Transformation: Lord Armstrong's Cragend Farm by Lou Renwick   We are pleased to announce that our book about the farm and its link to Cragside is now available to purchase. Go to website Feedaread.com , an Arts Council funded site,  or Amazon. Thank you for your support. ...

We have been shortlisted for an award! We need you help as it is a public vote. Please vote for us using this link on Heritage Open Days. Thank you. Choose North East Section: https://www.heritageopendays.org.uk/.../anniversary... #HeritageOpenDays ...

Late Availability Come and stay at the Model Farm of Lord Armstrong of Cragside. A historic site, with self-catering cottage (sleeps 4) that was once the farm workers modern Victorian housing, or Cragend Grange B&B, the ancient barn from the time of King Edward III remodelled into a Hydraulic Demonstation Centre for his machines. We have some late availabilty in June 202 ...

We hosted SPAB touring visitors this last weekend as part of Mills week and showed people around our heritage site where threshing, milling, awning and crushing. took place using water powered hydraulic machinery. SPAB means Society for the Protection of  Ancient Buildings and Cragend Farm is 'ancient' with Victorian amendments. ...

Look who came to visit us today! The lovely Matt Baker, his Mum Janice and his Dad Mike came to visit the farm for their new series of Travels with Mum & Dad which goes our on More 4 Channel 4 in September 16th at 9pm. Our thanks to our his crew, especially Hannah and Rebecca at Big Circus  Productions for all their help with arranging it all. They came to see our rar ...

We have won the Historic Houses Custodian Prize, and are runners up in the Collections Award! Very exciting. Cragend Farm Custodian Award 2023. If you are interested in seeing our application on why our Collection and heritage site won this award then please read on: Award winning Cragend Farm ‘museum’ collection is an eclectic mix of agricultural equipment, historical a ...

Shortlisted for an Award We are thrilled to have been shortlisted as one of six Historic Houses nationwide for The Collections Award for re-imaging our Collection of historical aretefacts, telling the story of our historic site and giving visitors a sensory experience of life in Border Country Northumberland from it's earliest beginnings to it's Victorian re-invention. Th ...

We are in modern day terms, Cragend Farm. On Cragend Hill. However, if you go back in history we were Craig End or Craigend or Cragend , and Black Bank was the large set of Crags behind the settlement as well as being Cragend Hill. ...

We thoroughly enjoyed our visit to your fantastic farm on the Historic Houses tour on Tuesday. We both agree that it was the most interesting HHA visit we have ever done - and we have done many over the years! We had no idea of the extent of the Armstrong connection or what you have there, having visited Cragside on so many occasions in the past 50 years or so. And indeed looked down on the farm from the walks at Cragend quite recently. We particularly enjoyed ascending and descending the ladders to look at the hydraulic equipment and get an idea of how it all functioned, the beautiful and unusual buildings which had housed the cattle, and were intrigued by the contents of your "underground " loo! Peacocks and chicks, hens and a beautiful pet lamb added to the feel of the farm.

Shaun & Lou Renwick are keen to harness the farm's natural resources, using wood to heat their water, to cook with on a wood burning range, and to heat the houses on the Farm. Even if your house is not equipped to totally run on wood there are things you can do to make sure you are using the best quality wood for your fires.

Why use Seasoned Wood?

Seasoned wood is a definition for 'wood drying'. About 5% of the energy of the log is wasted through evaporation and heating the water vapour of damp logs.

Moisture effects the burning process with unburnt hydrocarbons going up the chimney, which can in time create 'sooting' in the chimney, with the possibility of a chimney fire, all of which requires specialist sweeping.

Drying the wood before burning reduces moisture content in the wood before it is used for burning,

Air drying is the most traditional method, and it takes time. usually over and above 2 years! The fire will use less energy to burn the log if the water content is below 20%. Therefore is can give OUT more energy in the form of heat!

Cragend Farm endeavours to provide their customers with the best seasoned wood possible.

if you would like further information on the process of burning wood please contact us and we will be happy to help.

Why seasoned wood?

Thank you so much Lou and Shaun for a great holiday break on your farm at Cragend last week. East Cottage was a super place to stay. Very comfortable accommodation with everything we needed for self-catering and situated next to the beautiful Cragside National Trust gardens. It was super for our dog with fields to walk across as well as a secure fenced place for her to run off lead! Such interesting history too about the farm and how you have restored the buildings, the Victorian silo and so much else of the past farming life at Cragend. We look forward to returning! J&M Nottingham.

Award Winning Accommodation