| About Us
Before you go off dreaming on our
interesting and useful links, why not bookmark this site first.
You will then be able to use our site as a bouncing point between these
websites when exploring Grasmere and The Lake
District.
History of Broadrayne Farm
The name 'Broadrayne' through various spellings
traces back to the old Norse language and translates as 'Broad' [wide]
and 'rein' [long strip]. Indeed the farm sits above what would
have been the flood plain of the valley and below the high fells behind
the farm. Our oldest maps and the field walls tell us that the
farm indeed extended further to the north in a long strip.
Whether people lived here or just used the land we cannot tell, but for
the name to survive, something must have happened here for a very long
time.
The farm house stands on a large boulder base; there was probably an
earlier building than the present house which dates to circa 1620 (it
was a tradition to rebuild on the same site as the previous one). The
stone walls around the farm and the shape of the fields also reflect a
similar date. Our deeds and a very early map tell us that these
fields were enclosed before the 1720s.
The Barn and outbuildings
The outlying barn to the North has always been known as the Bracken
barn; the bracken was used for animal bedding and some was
probably burnt to make potash which was in turn made into soap to scour
the grease from the wool before it was spun and sold. The building
attached to the north of the farmhouse (now the Woolloft), was
the original cow byre with storage above for animal feed and the
fleeces awaiting processing. |
The little building just adjacent to this was
latterly used for the feed store but originally had an outside wooden
staircase for the hens that lived above and the farm pig below.
The little two storey barn at the side of the largest barn was built in
the early years of the 19th century with storage for hay, barley
and oats on the top floor and a stable and shippon below for
cows. The oats and barley would have been grown in the meadows
further down the valley; no wheat could have been grown in the valley
as it is too wet.
Broadrayne Farm has over the years bred some of the best sheep in the Lake District.
The grey-faced sheep you can see round the farm
are Lakeland Herdwicks - descendents of sheep that have been on
this farm for generations. These are Broadrayne Sheep and are marked
with the Broadrayne own flock mark but are owned and managed now by our
next door neighbour. The geese, ducks and chickens you see
round the farm are all free to roam at will, many are unusual or
specialist breeds - please ask before feeding them.
The picture above shows a remarkable scene
of farm hands salving the sheep outside this building circa 1880
(salving involved waterproofing the sheep's fleece with a mixture of
hot tar and rancid butter. This also helped to keep down the
number of sheep parasites).
Environmental & Conservation Policy
Conservation and Being Green
The Lake District National Park is a very special place, and we care
profoundly that our visitors both appreciate and understand that its
special nature is maintained in a sound sustainable way.
Read more about our environmental policy.
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