We would like to wish all our family, friends and guests a very Happy Christmas and Prosperous New Year. We look forward to 2023 and welcoming old friends and new guests to Cragend Farm. ...
Cragend History Tours
Our 2022 Visitors comments on our historic tours .. all you need to do is now is choose a date in 2023 to come and see us too. Amazing place! We were fascinated. Enlightening tour. Wonderful to see engineering like this preserved. Really wonderful. Most informative. Fabulous and inspiring! Amazing insight into such an intriguing place. Incredible window to the past. Tremend ...
Invitation to View
We have recently had Rothbury History Society here to spend a morning looking at our Ancient farm and Victorian hydraulics of Lord Armstrong fo Cragside. We actively encourage people who visit to discuss and relate stories to do with Lord Armstrong and the area. Explore - Hands On Experience - Adventure - Learn - Discovery We have a few more dates left in the 2022 calen ...
Half Term Availability
Half Term Availability Book a holiday for you and your family at East Cottage over the October Half Term. Snuggle up by the Log burner for cosy evenings after busy days visiting Northumberland rich history and couontryside. Dog friendly. Contact us using our form or email us for details. ...
God Save The King
God Save The King. We share in the grief of the nation as we mourn the death of Queen Elizabeth II. We give thanks for all she accomplished in her long life of service and devotion. May she rest in peace. We are intending to operate in the period of mourning that will now last until the state funeral of Her Majesty, on Monday 19 September. We aim to continue with the normal ...
August Holidays
Cragend Farm in August with sunshine and a panoramic view of the Coquet Valley. Restoration work continues on our Ancient Farm. Booking now being taken to 2023 in our Holiday cottage and B&B rooms. Contact us using the contact form or message us. ...
Sunshine Holidays
Cragside is a National Trust property that has beautiful gardens and walks, as well as a magnificent house to visit. Cragend Farm is the Model Farm of Lord Armstrong of Cragside and is situated next door. Privately owned Cragend Farm can be visited for tours by appointment. We also have accommodation offering you the opportunity to stay in an original Armstrong farmworkers c ...
Bonnie
This is Bonnie, a beautiful 2 year old sheepdog from Wirlsworth in Derbyshire who came to stay with her owners Nick and Heidi in June. She had previously been in an accident where her jaw was broken by a cow that kicked her, but she is now fully recovered and back to being her wonderful self again. During their visit they went to Keilder Forest, Warksworth Castle and Amble ...
Platinum Jubilee
Our thanks go to The Rothbury Highland Pipe band for sending Donna Scott out on a very rainy Thursday evening to come and play the pipes for our beacon lighting in honour of the Queens Platinum Jubilee. Despite the rain it was a momentous occasion, with Prosecco and canapes for those in attendance, and despite the rain we all had a great time, including the cows who joined in ...
Newfoundland Visit
This is Libby a rescue Newfoundland who came to visit us with her owners last week. She was a gentle giant and was so good all through her stay. A new breed to add to our Rogues Gallery of wonderful dogs who are brought by their owners on holiday ere. ...
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