Farm with charm KATHERINE BAINBRIDGE
Finds rural without rustic
THERE really is nothing quite like watching the sun set from the comfort of your private hot tub.
Tottergill Farm, in north Cumbria, may be in the middle of nowhere, but rustic it is most certainly not.
Spending the weekend in one of its cottages is akin to being in a particularly stylish boutique hotel, but with the added bonus of glorious isolation.
We stayed in Orchard Cottage, which sleeps six very comfortably, and has been recently refurbished.
On a chilly weekend it was the picture of cosiness, with underfloor heating and a wood burning stove, kitchen far better equipped than the one I have at home, and luxurious decor.
And just outside the back door, overlooking the glorious Cumbrian countryside, that spacious hot tub where you can too easily while away the hours drinking wine and watching it get dark.
There were also plenty of the sort of little touches that make all the difference, such as cosy bathrobes and slippers to make the forays to and from the hot tub more bearable, and we were welcomed with delicious coffee, fudge (which I didn’t get to try as my husband ate all of it while I wasn’t looking. But he says it was excellent) and chocolate cake.
Tottergill was a working farm, and is still home to horses, pigs and chickens, which roam free and occasionally have to be shooed out of the way when getting the car in and out. Which is trickier than it sounds – chickens are not great at taking instructions as it turns out – but certainly adds to the charm.
The farm is located up a winding and rutted track and is set in its own private 46-acre estate, so it feels agreeably remote, but in fact it is within an easy drive of both Carlisle and Penrith.
It is also a gateway to any number of beautiful walks, and the kind of people who own properly stout shoes can walk the fells behind the farm straight from the front door.
However, we didn’t feel the need to stray too far from the comforts of the cottage so instead went to Brampton, the local market town around a 10-minute drive away. It’s an attractive place, albeit stuffed with around three times the number of cars it can comfortably take (though as we were adding to the problem we could hardly complain) and lots of independent businesses.
It is also home to Cranstons Food Hall, which is well worth the trip alone.
With a butcher’s counter, deli and shop selling all manner of delicious local produce, it’s one of those places where you inevitably come away with everything you went for and plenty you didn’t.
We picked up some local beef and ale (recommended by the butcher) to make a stew with back at the cottage, and it proved to be an exercise in how much difference the quality of the meat makes.
One walk that we did brave was the mile to Tottergill’s local pub (so intrepid) the Duke of Cumberland in Castle Carrock for lunch.
Having undergone a refurbishment after coming under new management in March, it is a modern and cosy space with a log fire and ever-hopeful pub dog.
The menu is choc-abloc with firm pub-food favourites such as fish and chips, pie, and gammon, as well as specials that change every day. I had the homemade chicken kiev (I was very excited, I love a chicken kiev) and my other half had chicken and leek pie, which came with a generous portion of well (not over) cooked vegetables.
The kiev was exactly as one should be – crunchy, buttery and garlicky – and the chips were outstanding.
Important, as who doesn’t love a good chip?
At just £40 for the food, a gin and tonic, two pints of the local ale and including a tip, it is also extremely good value.
The only downside is that the mile back to the cottage is pretty much all uphill, but at least you might work off a couple of the chips.
Aside from the pub trip we spent the weekend eating in; the spacious kitchen in the cottage is a wannabe chef’s paradise, and besides it was cold and dark outside.
And if you’re not much into cooking, the handy visitor information booklet lists a number of takeaways that deliver directly to the farm. Bet they love that rutted track...
There are 11 cottages in total – the largest, Mill Barn, sleeps eight if you’ve got a big family or want to get away with friends, while the others sleep either six, four or two – perfect for a romantic break.
It is also dog friendly, and guests have the use of a private swimming pool in Brampton.
If you want to really get away from it all, relax and recharge the batteries, you’d be hard-pushed to find somewhere better.