Green Award for Sustainability We have been accredited with a Green Award for Sustainability at East Cottage for doing our part to help the environment and recycle, remain carbon neutral/negative and energy light. We make every effort to make the cottage as comfortable as possible without waste or excess and hope you enjoy your part in saving our planet by staying with us ...
Remembrance
Remembrance Day 11th November 2018 100 Year Anniversary of the end of the First World War. George Thompson went to war in 1940 having been the eldest son at Cragend Farm, who did not need to go because he was a farm worker. However, he felt it was his duty to go, and he sadly died, killed in action. His younger brother James (Jimmy) then took over the farm. There is a mem ...
East Cottage
We have had some cine film translated into a movie file and have it here on our YouTube channel for people to enjoy. The Bowes family rented East Cottage from The Thompsons at Cragend Farm from 1914-1954 and were keen film makers. We have been given permission to show this movie which highlights the farm, the cottage and the river. It is available on twitter, Facebook and ...
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 seasoned wood?
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.
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