Weardale is possibly one of England’s best kept secrets – it has beautiful countryside and breathtaking landscapes with access to superb outdoor spaces rich in wildlife and flora. We have endeavoured to minimise the impact of Cromer House Barn on this environment.
We re-use, recycle and repurpose wherever possible, and used reclaimed materials and local tradespeople in renovating the barn. We have fitted energy saving light bulbs/fittings and use biodegradable cleaning products, while the fridge-freezer, dishwasher and washing machine have high-efficiency ratings. We also actively reduce waste going to landfill by recycling our visitors’ bottles, cans, cartons, paper and card, as well as composting any raw fruit and vegetable waste, teabags and so on.
We’ve put up bird, bat and lacewing nesting boxes, together with a single bee post. Some of these were made at green craft events at Harehope Quarry, our local environmental education project. Our garden attracts a variety of bird life, and we have had pied wagtails, swifts, blackbirds, starlings, sparrows and bluetits nesting in the garden. We’ve also had bullfinches, chaffinches, jackdaws, thrushes, robins, wrens and the occasional woodpecker visiting the garden. Our garden is planted with many bee and butterfly friendly flowers and herbs, while at twilight bats can often be seen swooping above the courtyard and we sometimes hear owls hooting from the neighbouring trees. Our most recent addition to the garden has been a small pond.
We encourage our visitors to help us take care of our beautiful Weardale environment and provide information about it – including the unique moorland, hay meadows and bird life – in the Barn, together with guides to help you plan your walks, cycle rides and days out in the surrounding countryside.