Making Honey at Clough Bottom
We now have two bee hives on site (owned by local honey producer, Dave Rayner who runs Ribblesdale Honey, based at Bashall Barn, Clitheroe). Not only do we hope that they produce lots of honey for Dave and the local community (last year’s wet weather seriously affected production), we hope too that they will bee buzzy pollinating fruit and crops and encourage bio-diversity which other local growers will benefit from.
Harry said “we were delighted when Dave asked if we could have some of his hives on our farm – it compliments our organic philosophy and our green credentials perfectly.”
Hatching a first – the Clough Bottom Chickling
We are delighted to announce the safe arrival of our ‘Chickling’ (name to be agreed), hatched on 3rd June 2010. After adopting a stray goose egg, our wonderful chicken waited patiently for her offspring to arrive, only to discover it had webbed feet. Both mother and baby are doing well.
There’s SNOWHERE like Clough Bottom
Like most parts of the UK the ‘big chill’ has well and truly landed here at Clough Bottom. The snow here has been so ‘deep, crisp and even’ that Harry has been called upon a couple of times to provide a taxi service, getting visitors (and staff) down on to site in his trusty (and all weather) Land Rover’s! The scene here is magical, picture postcard perfect. See more wintery shots by clicking on our photo tour.
Clough Bottom hosts its first ever ‘Green Wedding’
Well it was an exciting time for us over the New Year as we hosted our first ever ‘Green Wedding’. The happy couple were looking for a very special venue to hold their Reception, that shared the same environmental values and beliefs that they did, and – we are delighted to say – they felt Clough Bottom was just the place! On arrival they were greeted with warmed mulled wine, and after having some wonderful photos taken around the farm in all their finery (and wellies!) they and their guests sat down to a 2 course wedding breakfast in the Middle Barn. The evening celebrations saw the wedding party enjoy a spit roast and dancing to a live band until late.
Keep an eye out on the website for photos of Karl and Marie’s special day. For more information on our venue hire call or e-mail, or better still pop down!
We wish Karl and Marie every happiness for the future and would like to thank them for allowing us to share in their special day.
Bottoms Up! Read The Northern Echo’s Review of Clough Bottom
Read all about Travel Writer Peta King’s stay in The Trough of Bowland and her stay in The Coach House.
http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/leisure/4675454.Bottoms_up/
Practice Yoga in the tranquil surroundings of Clough Bottom
We are now holding Hatha Yoga sessions, run by Janet Barnes – www.flexiladiesyoga.co.uk in our Middle Barn, here at Clough Bottom on Thursday evenings 7.00-8.15pm. For more information, or to book your place call now on 01254 826285.
See one of nature’s finest displays here at Clough Bottom
The nights are drawing in and cool, misty mornings can only mean one thing… Autumn has arrived.
Not only is this the ideal time to be moving and planting trees, it’s also the one time of the year when you can experience one of nature’s most spectacular displays…
Vibrant, vivid red and yellow berries and incredible gold and red foliage – it’s all here at Clough Bottom Trees and Shrubs.
Our plantations are a riot of stunning autumn colour and now is a great time to experience them. So why not pop down and see species including the Liquidambar styraciflua which is at its most handsome with striking deep crimson/purple leaves or our stunning varieties of Japanese Maples including the Osakazuki – full of grace and beauty and – during Autumn – truly magnificent with their intense bright red leaves.
As well as our striking Maples, we have a massive range of trees and shrubs that offer plenty of interest throughout winter with their colour and texture. The White Birch, for example, has distinctive, smooth silvery white bark, the aptly-named Snake Bark Maple has vertically striped green-and-white bark, and the Alder has delightful male and female catkins appearing before the new leaves in March. We have Prunus varieties that in later spring produce delightful blossom against contrasting foliage and Crataegus varieties that produce stunning blossom and bright red fruit like the ‘Crimson Cloud’. As well as trees and shrubs, we also stock a large range of hedging boxes including laurel, golden leylandii and hornbeam.
Whether you are looking for specimens to attract wildlife, stunning autumn or spring colour, bucket loads of vibrant berries, masses of blossom, or elegant year-round foliage – we can help. We don’t sell small, imported trees, only large, well-fed specimens and with over 100 varieties and 5,000 specimens there’s plenty to choose from!
We hope to see you soon!
Clough Bottom to appear on the BBC!
We’re really excited to announce that CBBC will be filming here later this month for children’s programme Ed and Oucho’s Excellent Inventions. The research team had been looking for a suitable location to design and build an invention based on an idea from local school girl Molly, aged 12. After looking around our 360 acre organic farm, they stumbled upon our cow shed - and Eureka! Ed and Oucho will be here building and filming her clever invention soon… Just hope the hairy cactus and his friend don’t scare the cows!
Winner of Self Catering Award 2009/10 in the Lancashire & Blackpool Tourist Board Tourism Awards
Clough Bottom Farm Cottages Winner of the Lancashire & Blackpool Tourist Board Self Catering Award 2009/10
On Wednesday 10th June 2009, we were invited to the Lancashire and Blackpool Tourist Board (LBTB) Tourism Awards 2009/10 awards lunch. Clough Bottom Farm Cottages was nominated for two awards this year – the Self Catering Award and the Sustainable Tourism Award, which was a great honour and wonderful recognition for what we aim to do here – provide a truly memorable holiday experience in characterful, converted cottages on our 360 acre organic working farm in the Ribble Valley. We have a strong commitment to the environment and take a more responsible approach to tourism by reducing our waste and encouraging recycling. We also encourage our guests to ’stay local, eat local, see local, buy local’ thereby reducing car journeys and supporting local businesses. This together with our range of Food from the Farm ready meals (made with our own organic and home-grown produce as well as seasonal locally-sourced produce) means that our guests get a real taste of rural Lancashire.
Despite some incredibly stiff competition in both categories this year, we are very proud to announce that we won the Self Catering Award. Radio 2’s Stuart Maconie was the Awards Presenter, and as our holiday cottages feature in his latest book ‘Stuart’s Short Stories for Short Breaks’ it was even more thrilling to have won this category.
Now it’s off to Blackpool to compete in the Self Catering category for the North West regional award. Wish us luck!