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Carbon Literacy is defined as “an awareness of the greenhouse gas costs and impacts of everyday activities, and the ability and motivation to reduce emissions on an individual, community and organisational basis”.  There is a  Carbon Literacy Project, an independent not-for-profit organisation, setting the standard, and has accredited tens of thousands of learners from thousan ...

We would like to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Cragside has an amazing light trail this year with the UKs tallest tree, Bamburgh has an amazing festive display within the castle and as always Alnwick Castle gardens has a Christmas event through December. We have been busy with a Green Tourism and a Carbon Literacy accreditation as well as all th ...

We are so lucky to have very dark skies here at Cragend Farm in Northumberland. Here all year around but if you stay in the winter months you get the best show of all the great stars, The Milky Way and comets, plus sometimes the Aurora Borealis. Local Dark Skies Photographers have tested our light pollution and recorded a very healthy 3-4  around the farm which is very good f ...

Very exciting to see an otter down on The River Coquet the other day. The full video can be seen on our social media: YouTube, Instagram and facebook ...

We are thrilled to have been awarded a Green Tourism Award for all the work we do here to be sustainable and ECO. You can read our Sustainability Report online on our Blog. ...

We have teamed up with The Wildlife Trust and joined their Wilder Northumberland project. Cragend Farm is a rare. breed farm with cattle, goats and sheep, and we also very passionate about the wildlife and the nature around us and are regenerating the land to manage carbon and help reduce the ozone layer.  The Wilder Northumberland Network is an exciting, new network for ...

It is our vision to have a plan, and that even if the plan needs altering we can be prepared for our future generations of farmers and nature lovers.   Please take you time to read this policy document about our calculations for the future, and how we will be trying to make a difference: Environmental Sustainability and Net Zero policy for Cragend Farm 2024   Community tr ...

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 ...

Great Northumberland Forest at Cragend Farm The Great Northumberland Forest was officially launched in November 2019 at a tee planting event in Kirkharle.  Since then many other areas have been accessed for planting including Cragend Farm where 47 trees with sturdy long life tree guards have been placed around the farm to create a sweeping landscape of deciduous trees for th ...

Environmental Sustainability and Net Zero policy for Cragend Farm 2024   Community tree planting and tour projects are the main part of our plan to offset carbon usage to the value of approximately £1000 per annum which equates to our carbon footprint we emit currently in cost terms according to reliable calculator sources. We also plan to harness the water for troughs using ...

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