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As we reach the end of an amazing season of tours our thanks passes to Historic Houses for their continuing support, and we can report that we have had more people visit this year than ever before and that with The Heritage Open Day, Classic Car Club, CPRE, and Association of Industrial Archaeology, we managed to have more group tours visit as well. This is a time to reflect ...

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 was an absolute pleasure to meet Matt Baker and his parents Janice and Mike when they visited our farm as part of their travels to see the Cragside Estate. They came and helped with the goats, and cattle. They also did a bit of metal detecting and had a look at our hydraulic machinery. Our thanks to Big Circus for making it all happen. If you would like to see this far ...

We held a Heritage Open Day on Friday 13th September. It was a beautiful day and we had a fantastic group of visitors totake the tour. Our thanks to HODs for putting us on their Anniversary Gallery and to Jim Scott for the amazing photography. Here are some of the reviews:  'Cragend Farm was a real eye opener for us. An opportunity to view such a unique and rare preservat ...

Matt Baker:  Travels with Mum and Dad We are so excited to announce that we are going to be on the television:  Broadcast date Monday 16th September for the episode of:   Matt Baker: Travels with Mum and Dad    that we were involved in at Cragend Farm. (The One Show, Countryfile and Blue Peter)   Episode 3 – Cragside   Channel: More 4. (Freeview Channel: 18 / Sky Cha ...

Dark Skies Photography have been busy this week looking at The Milky Way and the Aurora Borealis at Cragend Farm. We are thrilled that these great photographs have been taken showing an amazing array of stars and The Milky Way. The Bortle Dark Sky Scale was between 4-3 this week which is fantastic! Our thanks to Steve and Mike for their amazing photographs. ...

Christmas Cards are available to pre-order by contacting us on the contact page. They come in sets of 10 with envelopes. No orders accepted after December 1st 2024. ...

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. ...

Staying at Cragend Grange, Cragend Farm Review: Shaun and Lou are excellent hosts, making us feel quite at home. The accommodation and breakfast was first class. We enjoyed our tour of the silo and a look at all the historic artefacts that have been found whilst undergoing their renovation work. Tips for other travellers Set in open countryside with beautiful views all aroun ...

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