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Welcome to the Cragend Farm blog, where we try to keep you up to date with what is going on on the farm, the B&B, self-catering cottage and anything else we get up to.
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There are accommodation, historical and nature entries cataloguing what has happened in the past.
You can dip into a specific area of interest for example, farming, or Accommodation simply click on the title and open up the blog entry.

 

 

Relax Restore Revive The wisteria is nearly out, the flag irises are unfurling and the sunshine is warming everything up. Time for a relaxing break here with us to restore your inner self. Booking direct is easy with card payment using our book now button so come and see us for a short break and enjoy Northumberland and all it has to offer. ...

ICOMOS-UK Heritage Photography Competition 2026: Images of Industrial Heritage We are looking for photographers to take amazing photo of our industrial heritage and send them in to this competition:  Click the title for the link . The second in our series of photography competitions that celebrate built and living heritage around the world, from different perspectives. ‘Im ...

Explore the layered heritage of Cragend Farm, from its origins as a Celtic camp to a restored Victorian farmstead. This event introduces both agricultural and industrial archaeology, highlighting Lord Armstrong’s hydraulic machinery, excavated on site, which once drove threshing, milling, and daily farm operations. Through guided exploration, discover how centuries of farming ...

EVENT:  TOUR TALK at Cragend Farm Monday 8th J une 2026  An exciting opportunity to join acclaimed author Henrietta Heald, for a fascinating talk bringing history vividly to life.  Her acclaimed biography exploring North East Inventor Lord William Armstrong tells how this brilliant visionary and engineer behind Northumberland eco-home, Cragside, became the world’s first hydro ...

Regenerative Tourism at Cragend Farm  Article by Rosalind Mullen for AA Media Visit Britain as part of our Tourism Accreditation as a rosette holder. Our thanks to publishing what we are aiming for with sustainability. When Lou and her husband Shaun Renwick bought the 150-acre farm with Grade II* listed buildings in 2011, they embarked on a restoration project that both pres ...

All our T&C information  for BOOKINGS  and other business is in the About Us Section.    All text, film and photography is copyright to Cragend Farm, Cragend Grange, Cragend Silo, and any AI images are used as a tool to demonstrate the heritage of the site, using likenesses of characters from history that have been AI generated to tell stories about the heritage at Crage ...

Relax, unwind and revive with us! Book for a bed and breakfast farmhouse stay at Cragend Grange and enjoy walks, fresh air and beautiful scenery. Next door to National Trust Cragside  and Historic Houses places Alnwick Castle and Bamburgh Castle, to visit and the best beaches in the world.  We look forward to seeing you very soon. ...

Everyday Histories  2026 We are a farm in Northumberland where Everyday Histories resonate for us and for  Heritage Open Days on two levels: Here at Cragend Farm we are a real farm in Northumberland where the idea of “everyday histories in farming life” can still be seen today. We connect modern visitors with the daily work, tools, buildings, and traditions of rural life acr ...

AI Interpretation helps us bring our tours to life: Our tours start in May and booking is open on the Historic Houses website Invitation to View.  This is an imagined scene based on The Cragend Farm Hydraulic Silo Grade II* that still sits at the heart of Cragend Farm. Built in 1883-1884 it was Lord Armstrong of Cragside's pride and joy as a demonstration centre for showcasin ...

Forest bathing is a wellness motivator for many people, especially those seeking stress relief, better mental health, and a more mindful lifestyle.  Ask us for information about using our space for this amazing experience. Why?  Mental health focus: We are increasingly prioritising stress reduction and emotional well-being, and forest bathing (shinrin-yoku) is often recommen ...

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