Just a short note to say that our dear friend and neighbour Margaret Straughan passed away on 31st December New Years Eve 2020 after a brave battle with cancer. She has been a major part of our lives since we bought Cragend Farm in 2010 and was a vital part of piecing together the history of the farm. She was a kind and jolly neighbour, sharing recipes and thoughts for the da ...
Cattle update
Cattle Update: Our rare breed cattle are a tough breed and winter outside. They are hardy but nonetheless they still like a treat from time to time. Living outside is a healthier option for them, despite the rain and cold, and we check them regularly to make sure they are fine. See our short video here or on youtube about them noshing from the buckets. They respond well t ...
Christmas concerns
Christmas may almost be here with the thought of a restful time and a few days off for many. However, Farming is a 365 days a year profession and we have to feed all our animals as well as care for their needs. £10 buys a bag of feed or bedding. You can use our 'Crowdfunder Cragend Farm' via google or apply for a sponsorship form. Avian flu has been headlined rece ...
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