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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 ...

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. ...

Visit Northumberland have sent a number of their Partners to lectures, seminars and on location to place in Northumberland to learn all about the history and the places that make northumberland so special. Lou Renwick has taken the Bronze, Silver and Gold Award 2024. Cragend Farm is included in this distinguished list of great places to visit and our tours that take place o ...

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 ...

Rothbury tea towels featuring Cragend Farm are now in Elements in Rothbury.   £10.00 each.  "Rothbury’s Iconic Landscapes with Cragend Farm”  Other sites on the tea towels are Cragside, Brinkburn Priory and Simonside Hills. They are made from good quality cotton and are so useful too.  A great gift for anyone and a reminder of our beautiful Northumberland. ...

ACCESSIBILITY STATEMENT We are inclusive and everyone is welcome to visit. Children and dogs are very welcome.  We are in a rural  historic environment  with a courtyards, gardens, fields, steps, mud, and some rugged terrain, and this makes some access difficult for wheelchair users and those with physical or mental disabilities. Please enquire if you have any questions. We ...

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 ...

We are open for tours from May 2024. Book direct or through Historic Houses. If you book to stay with us as a B&B guest or as a holiday self catering we will be happy to show you around as part of your stay. Our thanks to Steam Heritage for their support.    https://www.steamheritage.co.uk/museums-and-attractions/category/agricultural ...

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