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Peace, tranquillity and a little madness in the Lake District, UK

World, Europe, England, Grange-over-sands

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Travel dates

About the workproject

We need 1 volunteer

We are very lucky to live on a farm in the beautiful Lake District, just on the edge of the National Park in Cumbria; the farm dates back to the late 1600's. Over the years parts of it have been renovated and added to and some parts are looking a little sorry for themselves! My mother, myself, my sister and my 11yr old nephew live and work on the farm running a small accommodation business and a Friesian horse sanctuary. We have big plans for the place in the future, however for now we could do with a little help with day-to-day living.

We are on the outskirts of the lovely village of Cartmel which is home to a small racecourse, several very good restaurants and it is famous for it's Sticky Toffee Pudding. You can walk into the village from the farm in just under 20 minutes and there is a local grocery store and several pubs where you can meet friendly locals and visitors from all over the world. The nearest town is Kendal which is about a 20 minute drive away or you can get a bus from the next village along, Grange-over-Sands.

The scenery here is stunning and we have a fantastic view from the farm as we sit high above the Cartmel Valley. The wonderful green pastures are down to the weather which can be sunny and dry, or wet and windy, yet both contribute to the soothing and therapeutic atmosphere of the countryside.

Due to the cost of living crisis we have unfortunately had to cut down on the number of volunteers we can take to a maximum of 2. Being a relaxed yet hard working family, we like to make our guests, visitors and workers welcome; we very much appreciate those who can take instruction as well as work on their own initiative, as we may not get much time to spend with you. Please note that the only animals on the farm are horses, dogs and 5 pet sheep! although we let our neighbour graze his cattle and sheep on the land.

We are looking for people to help out with one or more of the following:

(a) Gardening/field maintenance such as clearing brambles & ivy, cutting down hedges, minor tree surgery, clearing weeds and dry stone walling if you have the experience. This involves working outside in all weathers so waterproofs are needed!

(b) Building maintenance/carpentry - help with anything from plumbing to roofing!

(c) General decorating inside and outside the farm.

(d) Cleaning accommodation and general tidying and helping out. Attention to detail, razor sharp eyesight and a little cleaning OCD are great!

(e) For those who are very experienced with horses we will ask for help mucking out stables and turnouts. You won't be able to ride however you will get to spend plenty of time with these wonderful, kind and intelligent animals.

About the host

Tamara (57)

Host since

2019

Languages

English

Last seen online

3 months ago

Myself, my sister Tracey, our mother Sylvia and my 11yr old nephew all live and work on the farm. Tracey runs a specialist Friesian Horse Sanctuary and people come from all over the world to see our horses. Sylvia is now retired and at 81 years old enjoys volunteering at the local Age UK charity shop. Myself, Tamara, moved up to the farm in 2017 when our father unexpectedly passed away and my aim is to restore the farm buildings and get the farm to pay for itself for the first time in nearly a hundred years. There's a lot to do so we are always very grateful to volunteers who chose to come and help.

Project dates

Open for offers, contact us


Work to be done

  • gardening
  • construction
  • help in the house
  • maintenance tasks
  • animal care

Expected workhours

  • 6 hours a day
  • 5 days a week

Work exchange deal

  • trailer / caravan

We have a touring caravan on the farm for volunteers. There is a single or double bed, kitchen, shower and toilet facilities. You cook your own meals in the caravan and we all get together once a week to have dinner in Sylvia's cottage.

  • self catering

We provide all basic food & drinks for you to make your own meals in the caravan. Food is bought once a week and you are asked to provide a list of food you would like.

  • no money is involved

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