Commondale, Whitby
North Yorkshire  YO21 2HN

Telephone: 011 44 (0)1287 660742

Fowl Green Farm is a traditional hill sheep farm of approximately 86 acres, close to the village of Commondale. It sits on a south facing slope above Commondale beck, at the end of a two mile bridle path which takes us to the slightly larger village of Castleton.

The farm has recently restored our C18th rough stone and pantile buildings using traditional materials and methods. Four of these old buildings, the barn, the cowbyre and the pigsties, ( Two pigsty cottages are semi-detached in one building) have been converted into holiday accommodation which is wheelchair accessible.

The farm is situated within short walking distance from the railway station which has recently been upgraded to improve access to the trains.

The cottages are at the end of a two mile bridle track which is available for use by walkers, cyclists, horse riders. Until recently this bridle path has been inaccessible to wheelchair users but this has now been resurfaced. Off the bridle path are a number of smaller paths and picnic sites which take our visitors into different areas of the farm. These include woodland and stream side areas.

The Cottages

The holiday cottages form a semi-circle around the farm yard which is directly accessible by foot or vehicle from the road. All the cottages have level access.

Each cottage has wooden garden furniture set out in the yard and access to barbecues.

The Barn

The barn used to be part barn, part milking parlour and part granary, now it is the largest cottage and has three double bedrooms, one downstairs and two upstairs. Central heating is under floor, which means no radiators downstairs and no cold spots plus plenty of hot water.

Each bedroom is:- comfortably furnished with double or twin beds. Much of the furniture is old and we have spent a lot of time and elbow grease restoring and refurbishing. 

The bathroom:- which is downstairs, is easily accessible with plenty of space. It consists of toilet ( with grab rails), washbasin, with lever taps set into a vanity unit and a bath with thermostatically controlled mixer taps and shower unit and a drop down side for easy transfer from a wheel chair. We hope that it is fully accessible to everyone in the family

The living area:- is modelled on the large farmhouse kitchen and has everything in one room, sitting, dining and cooking areas. All food preparation areas are accessible from a wheelchair and have space underneath them.

The kitchen is:- well equipped and includes fridge, free standing cooker, microwave/grill.

The Pigsties

These were four small pigsties which were also used for weaning calves. They have rough stone walls and large stone troughs which form the base of the front wall. The feed could be poured in from the outside and the pigs or calves could eat from the trough inside without the door needing to be opened. This was extremely useful since small hungry animals invariably used to barge into whoever was feeding them and knock over the buckets of food.

We have left the troughs  and closed the gap to the outside to stop the draughts. However, it is possible to come and stay at Fowl Green Farm and eat and sleep in the pigsties. The four small pigsties are now two small studio apartments each with a mezzanine. These can sleep from one to four people.

The pigsties are completely accessible on the ground floor.

There is a kitchen:- with a hob set into work surfaces of variable height, combination microwave/grill or microwave/convection oven, fridge and shelf space. There are both dining and bedroom areas and a double bed

The bathroom:- is downstairs with roll in shower with fold down shower seat, grab rails, toilet and vanity basin with lever taps.

Upstairs:- are twin bed in the larger pigsty and a single bed or futon in the smaller.

Heating is underfloor and there is plenty of hot water.

The Communal Lounge:-  The cart shed is a communal lounge heated by an open log fire.  As well as a great place for a get together, there is a TV, DVD player, video player, and hi-fi.  In addition there is a selection of books, DVDs and videos. (wheelchair accessible). It has proved to be especially popular with groups booking all the cottages together for special celebrations such as family Christmases, birthdays or weddings.

Activities

There are 86 acres of farmland with fields and woods and a stream running through. Enjoy watching animals and birds close at hand. We have created footpaths and picnic sites which are accessible to wheelchair users, so all the family can take part together.

Come looking for historical artefacts, or bring your flower books to identify some of the unusual species

Places to visit

The farm offers lots of opportunities to be active, but it can also be a starting point for lots of other places to go which are of interest. This section gives information on local services, pubs, restaurants, cafes, churches, local arts and crafts and music.

The farm has many features to interest the visitor but it also provides a base for lots of things to see and do with transport links by road and rail within easy reach. In summer, take the moors bus - travel all day or get on and off in all the small villages stopping off at special sites of interest.

Alternatively, the small Victorian seaside town of Saltburn is only 7 miles away by road and well worth a visit. Shopkeepers often dress up in Victorian costumes during the summer.

Danby Lodge is the North York Moors National Park Centre and is about 5 miles away. This is a great place to find out more about the countryside and it’s all accessible and it’s free. There is a cafe there too, so sit out, enjoy the views and pretend the beautiful old house is yours

Information

Facilities provided on arrival:- include covered car parking, telephone and laundry, and communal lounge/games room. There are also details of picnic sites along wheelchair accessible footpaths.

Car parking:- is at the top of the yard, under cover and it is possible to leave the car within a few feet of the cottages.

There is a laundry:- which is free to use - just bring your washing and powder, and a pay phone. There is no signal for mobile phones here, so this is a good place to escape from annoying phone calls.

For further information please visit our website:-    www.fowlgreenfarm.com

Email:-    info@fowlgreenfarm.com

You can write or visit us at:-

Sue & Sandy Muir
Fowl Green Farm
Commondale
Whitby
North Yorkshire  YO21 2HN  ENGLAND