Welcome Information Pack for The Brew House

Brew House Maulds Meaburn
CA103HN. What3Words ///dugouts.latches.incisions. Park on the front of the cottage
A quick guide to the cottage
The entrance to The Brew House is via the courtyard. The overhanging Westmorland porch is ideal for leaving your wellingtons or walking boots.
Kitchen/Living Room
• The cottage has a small hand-built kitchen with plenty of worktop space. The solid oak top is crafted from one entire slice of a tree trunk. The oak was sourced from our farm at Crake Trees.
• The kitchen has an electric oven, domino hob, sink and dishwasher. There is a toaster in the end drawer.
• As the cottage is open plan, please don’t cook strong smelling foods
• Wi fi code is on the router in the stairs window
• The dining area is in the conservatory with views over the village
• The cottage is at the centre of the village surrounded by grassland and animals. Any insects, wildlife etc must not be tampered with.

Heating
An electric storage radiator and two wall radiations in the conservatory. The wood stove is easy to light and is cosy to sit beside. Lighting the fire:
• The stove should be laid with scrunched up newspaper, followed by a firelighter with kindling on top.
• Light the fire from the bottom and lay logs on the top as it starts to burn in a pyramid shape.
• Fill up with 2/3 logs, shut the door, open the vent and leave alone to burn nicely
The Wood Fired Hot Tub
Available for your personal use. Logs and a Fire Starter Kit are in the wood store outside. Full instructions are on the cottage Information sheets.

Rubbish and kitchen waste:
• Please sort your waste as we take recycling very seriously. The bins are outside the cottage and are labelled according to general waste and recycling.
• Compostable waste, like fruit and veg peelings, coffee grounds and tea bags, should be put into the plastic compost bin.
Dogs on Holiday
• our dog must always be kept on a short lead when outside the cottage.
• Your dog is welcome in the living room but not the bedrooms.
• Clean up and dispose of waste into the house dustbin.
• Please keep your dog on a lead when exploring the footpaths, as we have many rare ground nesting birds.
• Do not leave your dog alone in the cottage at any time.
A Few Rules
• Check in is from 4pm and check out is before 10am.
• No smoking in the cottage. Smoking is only allowed outside. Please do not smoke in the porch or near the doorway.
• Keep the courtyard gate shut and latched.
• Electric cars – charging from our power supply is not allowed. There are charging point at Westmorland services and Booths at Penrith.
• No extra guests allowed to visit or stay over.
• If guests have any issues, these must be dealt with before check out.

Eating Out
The Butchers Arms, Crosby Ravensworth: Our community owned pub is a 15-minute walk through the fields to the village. Tel 01931 715500.
The White Horse, Kings Meaburn : (5 mins) Our favourite local. Small and welcoming. Tremendous food with local provenance and seasonality. www.whitehorsekm.co.uk Dogs welcome Tel 01931 601085
The Black Bull at Sedbergh: (20mins) For a gorgeous drive out along the Fair Mile, a real treat. Tel 015396 20264.
The Mardale Inn Bampton: ( 20 mins) : Stylish community owned pub in the gorgeous Lowther valley. Busy with locals and coast to coast walkers. Traditional pub food using meat from the valley. Dogs welcome Tel 01931719202
George & Dragon Clifton: (20 mins) Part of the Lowther family cluster of pubs and hotels. Top notch food served from an open kitchen. Dogs welcome Tel 01768 865381

La Casita, Penrith: ( 20 mins) Our wonderful local Tapas restaurant where the family make everything, its loud and always busy but probably our favourite place for healthy fresh and interesting plates. Tel 01768 868202.
The Hub at Appleby: Just opened a couple of years ago, this social enterprise café is a shining light for the town. So welcoming and inclusive, with everything healthy and homemade. Tel 07435 970633
Mill Yard Café, Morland: This café has been a popular meeting place for locals that lunch and walkers for many years. Sit on a sofa by the fire or catch the sun in the courtyard, then explore Morland House gardens next door. Saturday night is Tapas night. Tel 01931 714155.
Lowther Castle: (15 mins) The café is part of the hundreds of acres of fairytale castles, wonderous gardens, re wilded wilderness and miles of foot and cycle trails. A great place to meet and enjoy breakfast, lunch or afternoon tea. Dogs welcome
Neaum: Modern coffee shop at centre of Penrith with cakes , chunky sandwiches and hipster coffees

Takeaways
Chinese : Open every night of course, our local Chinese is family run. Call them on 017683 53816. Indian : Ashiana is also in Appleby and is open every night. Call them on 017683 53550. Fish & Chips: Ring and order from Shap Chippy 4.30 to 8pm. Call them on 01931 716060.

Mike and Ruth are available for questions and assistance between 9 and 10am. In an emergency, you can phone or text Ruth on 07974354244 and Mike on 07968744305.
A potted history of Maulds Meaburn
Maulds Meaburn is a Westmorland village with plenty of interesting history. ‘Meaburn’ is derived from the Anglo-Saxon meaning ‘meadow stream’. The ‘Maulds’ refers to a story of murder and treachery.
Lord of the Manor, Hugh de Morville, was one of the knights who murdered Thomas à Becket in Canterbury in 1170. As punishment, part of the manor was confiscated by the Crown, Kings Meaburn, and the remainder was granted to Hugh’s sister, Mauld (Mauds Meaburn.)
Remnants of the medieval village are visible in fields around the village, with ‘tofts’ (houses) facing the main street and ‘crofts’ (gardens) to the rear.
The Village Green This is only of only three greens in England still grazed by sheep. In 1585, Christopher Lowther, Lord of the Manor, tried to build a courthouse on the green. The builders were abused and pelted with stones by the wives of local tenants and the courthouse was levelled to the ground.
Lyvennet Beck The beck has a weir, salmon ladder, footbridges, and steppingstones linking the riverside paths. In the 2015 Storm Desmond, the beck burst its banks, damaging the southern footbridge – which was replaced in 2017. The beck contains a healthy population of native white clawed crayfish.
Maulds Meaburn Hall The hall and manor date from Norman times. The Lowthers built the current building in the 17th Century with a deer pack, terraced walks, pleasure gardens and fine avenues of trees. James Lowther, nicknamed ‘Jammy Lowther’, was born at the hall in 1736. As an MP, he was infamous for his abuse of power, infidelities, and disregard for others; hence his other nickname, ‘Wicked Jimmy’.
Maulds Meaburn School The school was built in 1834 on the site of the former cross of the village green. Built as a “national school for the education of the poor in the principles of the Church of England”, it closed in 1963 and the village children joined with Reagill at Crosby Ravensworth.
Flass House This Palladian-style mansion set in 15 acres of parkland was built between 1848-1861 by the Dent family, who made their fortune in tea and opium trading in China. The wealth of the Dents altered the fabric of the village. They changed the course of the beck, provided new housing for their workers, planted trees, and built new bridges. It has a very scandalous history – ask a local for the gossip!
Meaburn Mill The mill has been on this site since the 13th Century. The Lowther Crest is dated 1690. Water powering the mill was taken along the mill race from the weir near Elizabeth Cottages. All local farmers’ grain was milled here until the early 20th Century. The millar usually had a small farm as well as the mill and kept a percentage of milled grains as payment for milling.
Social Life There were two pubs in the village, the Mason’s Arms with the Brew House next door, and the Bay Horse. These both closed in the 1940s.
Maulds Meaburn Village Institute – built from a second-hand shooting lodge that was granted to the village by the Lonsdale family, it came from the lonesome Swindale valley and was moved to the centre of the village in 1921. The wood and corrugated iron structure lasted until it was rebuilt with the help of a lottery grant in 2011.
The village has no Church of England church. Our rather grand parish church is in Crosby Ravensworth. The Wesleyan chapel was active until the 1970’s, its now a dwelling.

Things to Do
Explore by Car
As you drive around Cumbria, you will find that around each corner, the views alter by the minute. Each village and town will be a surprise, as they are all so different. Exploring the Yorkshire Dales, the Lake District, the Eden Valley and further afield into Scotland will give you a taste of many different landscapes and architecture. Here are some of the best road trips in Cumbria:
• Down through the Dales to Kirkby Lonsdale
• A “not for the nervous” adventure over Honister Pass
• Wildlife and seascapes of Morecambe Bay
• A very local round trip of the Eden Valley
Explore by Bike
This part of Cumbria is a Mecca for cyclists. Throughout the Eden and Lyvennet Valleys, you will see cyclists everywhere. The quieter roads and challenging contours are irresistible to.
Cycle hire from Arragons of Penrith or Lowther Castle. Electric bikes are a relevation for exploring our challenging ups and downs!
• Lycra-clad, head down fanatics
• Enthusiastic family groups practising their road skills
• Dawdlers and oldies checking out the hedgerow wildlife
• Teenagers on a mission
• Ladies like me, who only bike when its sunny!.
Explore by Foot
We all know how refreshed we feel after a good walk. It can be a saunter, a brisk hike, a long walk with your dog, or even a jog.
There are maps to borrow in the basket by the TV. There are many footpaths to follow from Crake Trees. The villages of Maulds Meaburn and Crosby Ravensworth have circular walk suggestions starting from the bus shelters. Or take a look at the Visit Eden website for well tested walks
Lowther Castle & Gardens: Wander round the hundreds of acres of romantic gardens and pleasure grounds that have been abandoned for 60 years but are now gradually coming back to life. Lowther is one of our family’s favourite places to meet up. Dogs welcome Explore the Victorian pleasure grounds and Dan Pearson gardens. Walk through the estate to the Lowther terrace with views over the re-wilding of the Lowther Valley. Have a quiet saunter through the vast rose gardens and ruins of the castle. Maybe spend an hour or two at the enchanted Wilderness Kingdom adventure centre. Learn all about the history of the Yellow Earl and Wicked Jimmy in the living museum. Head back to the ultra-modern café, for a spot of refreshment. 20 minutes by car
Ullswater,: Our most charming lake. There’s so much to do and see. Walk up to Aira Force, a typical and very dramatic lakeland waterfall. Hire a canoe or catch a steamer to get up close to the wildlife and see the surrounding fells from a different perspective. The fleet of vintage steamers carry visitors sedately around and about the lake, with drop off points that allo w time for exploring. Climb Helvellyn, which is very challenging and not for the faint hearted.Or just drive to one of the gorgeous lakeside hotels for a spot of lunch with a view. 40 minutes by car.

Acorn Barn Herb Gardens & River Walks: Acorn Bank is owned by The National Trust. It is the most important herb and medicinal plant garden in the north. The lovely mellow sandstone house is now open and there are experimental orchards and woodland to explore. Escape through the doors of the walled garden out into the wild and enjoy river walks to the mill. Look out for tiny fairy houses carved into ancient Oak trees At weekends, the farmyard and working mill will be open. 10 minutes by car.
Brougham Castle : Climb the spiral stairways, explore dark passages and dungeons, with views over the river. This castle is one of a string of properties throughout northern Britain owned by Lady Anne Clifford. She was a lady of immense strength and intellect. It took over 20 years to fight for her rightful inheritance. Her diaries are a great insight into C17th life and politics. 20 minutes by car.
Dalemain Country House ; Dalemain House is a very special place to visit. It is privately owned and a very informal and interesting estate. It is home of the world-famous marmalade festival. The gardens are listed as one of the top 10 in the world, all managed by the energetic Mrs Hazell-McCosh. No playgrounds or adventure trails but many pathways to follow, and unspoilt 19th Century interiors to explore. 40 minutes by car.
Long Meg & Her Daughters
Long Meg and her daughters is the second largest stone circle in Britain. The pre Christian site is on private ground but has easy access from the road. Long Meg is the tallest of 69 stones in the circle. The circle is endowed with magic, so that it’s impossible to count the same number of stones twice. 40 minutes by car.
Shap Abbey
A rather beautiful and lonesome abbey situated on Shap Fell on the way to Haweswater. Coast to coast walkers pass by as they struggle on to their nights rest at Shap! A relic of prosperous times past when wool was the prime and most lucrative commodity. Built and inhabited by Canons until the disillusion of the Monasteries in 1540. Take a picnic and imagine contemplative monastic life of the C12th. 15 minutes by car.

Local Food Shopping
Shap with the best Co-op in the world. Open from 7 to 10, with happy smiling staff and everything you could need really.
Tebay west Westmorland services Believe it or not, a real farmshop on the motorway. Easy to access via the back road from Orton to Shap.
Booths at Penrith The Waitrose of the north. But we love it for relaxed and safe shopping.
J & J Graham, Penrith Established in 1793, this deli/bakers/wineshop has really blossomed during lockdown. Their super-duper hampers can be delivered to the farmhouse.
Low Howgill Butchers Low Howgill is the name of the farm that grows the Shorthorn cattle and sheep that supply the shop..
Stephensons Grocery Appleby Everything is laid out on the shop front each morning at 6am. A real treat of fruit, vegetables and delicatessen

Shopping for fun
The EVAN Gallery Penrith
We have such a vast choice when it comes to arts and crafts. Eden Valley Artistic Network is a cooperative that runs from their extensive galley in Penrith.
Rheged just outside Penrith on the A66 A massive , part underground structure that is the stylish home of all things Cumbrian , Artisan and British. From cult label clothing, natural make up and beauty, outdoor clothing, footwear and books, small local deli, lake district gelato, all day homemade food, tempting homeware and the biggest screen cinema in the north. Owned by the Dunning family of Westmorland services.
N. Arnison & Sons of Penrith
Many people make a regular pilgrimage to this ladies and gentleman's emporium. From ultra-hip men’s shoes to gorgeous ladies’ underwear, special perfumes, and shirts for the modern man.
The Courtyard Gallery
This tiny gallery and coffee shop is chock-a-block with high end art, jewellery, and local books.
Church Gallery Kirkby Stephen
I love an excuse to visit Kirkby Stephen. The whole town with its tiny alleys, specialist shops and the most beautiful church that is both Church of England and Roman Catholic.