Which is your favourite time to stay on the farm ?
Pry House Farm Bed & Breakfast
At Pry House Farm we welcome guests into our home from mid April to the end of October. We close in winter - you'll see why!
SPRING
and that means new life on the farm
At the head of the dale spring comes late. The winters are long here which is why we have a shorter B&B season than most. Because spring come late, our grass is slow to grow. Sometimes the weather is unkind so we don't start lambing until mid April. Up here in the hills, it would be foolish to start sooner.
Some lambs are born indoors in the buildings close to the house. Seeing a lamb being born never fails to astonish and amaze. Our Swaledale sheep make very good mothers and bond with their new arrivals instantly. They lick their wet coats dry to stimulate circulation which in turn helps the lamb get to its feet and suckle. While this is happening the ewe makes a constant babble of little bleating noises that forms the bleat that her lambs will always recognise. If they get parted they instantly know which sheep to run to.
During April and May there will always be plenty of lambing action to delight and entertain you. See them gambol & play, feed & interact with each other as they learn to be part of a flock. Watch all this from your bedroom window, the front garden or the roadside.
Sheep and lambs turn up in the most unexpected places!
Pet lambs are orphan lambs that have to be hand reared. A helping hand is always welcome.
SUMMER
and that means glorious flower filled hay meadows
Farms in upper Swaledale are renowned for their flower rich hay meadows. They are farmed using traditional methods to allow the flower, herb & grasses to go to seed. At Pry House Farm we are proud of our meadows. They give us the sweetest, softest hay that smells heavenly and provides a high nutrient diet for our sheep throughout winter and lambing time.
Staying on a hill farm high in the Yorkshire Dales is a peaceful and tranquil experience however during hay time the peace can be shattered for a short time. Guests are fascinated with the hay making process and love to see the swathes of grass being 'strowed' (tossed about), baled, sometimes wrapped, led in and stacked.
There are of course other things to do besides watch us work. Picnics by the river, wild swimming, walking in the wide open spaces or a day at a local show .... the list is endless.
AUTUMN
and that means sale time when we sell some of our breeding ewes and tup lambs
Our sheep are meticulously prepared so that they look their very best on the day.
Autumn is also the time to make sure all is safe & strong before winter begins.
Our cows have spent the summer roaming free on the moor but as the weather the gets colder its time to bring them into the buildings in the yard.
Autumn is the perfect walking season. Catch an early morning sunrise and watch the mist as it clings to the river until it reveals a paint box of ochres & reds & oranges.
WINTER
and that means 'the east wind will blow and we will have snow'.
Winter is cold and dark at the head of the dale. It can be pretty but it can be hazardous.
When the snow lays on the groung 'deep and crisp and even', the sheep on the fell need feeding and checking twice a day.
All our sheep will be pregnant with one or two lambs. It is important that they have plenty to eat.
We have a lot of hungry mouths to feed.
Our sheep live on the fell, many miles from the farmstead.
They quickly recognise the sound of the tractor coming and make their way to the foddering ground. They are not stupid!
Welcome to the Yorkshire Dales. We love to have you here.
We love having you to stay on the farm and sharing our way of life with you. But please .... come in spring when the days are lengthening and the sun is warming the land and we are ready once again to welcome new life and new & old B&B guests.
www.upperswaledaleholidays.co.uk
