Update for the Year, August 2025

We have had another busy year welcoming lots of lovely guests. There have been people coming for weddings, anniversaries, birthdays and many more just to getaway and escape to the glorious Lakes, to rest and relax.

in fact we had a couple at one of the cabins this weekend, who had just got married. They were staying for a few days for a short honeymoon. It is always a pleasure to help people celebrate a special occasion. Equally, it is great to see a family (and four-legged friends0) at Home Farm enjoying the garden and the hot tub. Having a job where you can help guests have a great time is a joy.

Estate Business

Guests aside for the moment, we have been busy with other things on the Estate. Some of the quadrangle roofs were in need of repair. In the end we thought that some of the roofs needed replacing. Although they had slates on them in the traditional way, we decided to use something more modern, zinc. This should last longer and need fewer repairs. At least that is certainly the hope. I have been wanting to do these roofs for what seems like a lifetime, so it feels satisfying to finally complete the job. A big thank you, as always, to Shaun and Gary and Martin for a job well done. I already have them lined up for something else!

Wildlife Survey July 2025

Now call me weird but I get excited by building works. Even though I don’t do the work, it gives me a sense of achievement to see something repaired or renewed or replaced. However this year we have engaged the services of Jason and Paula to do something even more exciting: a wildlife survey on the Estate. We say to our guests come to Hutton John, to be nestled in nature. We know there are beautiful viewers, but additionally we see so many birds and animals. We thought it would be fantastic to get some experts to come and have a look at what we have got. After a 3 week survey and half a terabyte of data- photos and videos, we have evidence of deer, red squirrels, foxes, badger, tawny owls, barn owls, dippers, herons and a long, long list of other birds. Look out on our Instagram for some of the wonderful pictures. You’ll be able to tell they aren’t produced with my photography skill!

Pub Walks

We also got Chris to create some more maps for our guests, this time of a couple of short local walks, with a pub to congratulate you at the finish. You can walk from any of our properties. They are reproduced on the website. What could be better, some exercise followed by a reward?
Happy walking.

All the best, Kate, Alan and the team.