A rather odd looking rock...
You wouldn't be the first to enquire how Quern Barn came to be named. In fact, it's pretty much the first thing our guests ask us when they arrive. And the answer is simple. When we began converting the barn back in 2009, we discovered a rather odd looking piece of rock amongst the debris of the building. Unsure what it was, we cleaned it up, and decided it was worth further investigation. Well, our odd looking rock turned out to be a 'quern stone' - an early form of milling tool (we've since had it carbon-dated back to the 11th Century) and after such an exciting discovery, the barn couldn't really have had any other name!
Another interesting find, though not nearly so old, was an original 'scratter' - an old-fashioned apple pulper, used for making cider. We're told that back in the '50s Riverside Farm earn't itself something of a reputation as a meeting place for thirsty locals to drink their nights away. Those days may be gone, but each year, we still make small batches of cider with apples from the original trees still growing on the farm.
The barn's renovation began in late September, following a short delay whilst we waited for it's tenants (a family of swallows who for years have been returning to the barn to nest) to leave. We admit we had a few sleepless nights, fretting over how our birds would react when they returned the following year to find their home much changed. Thankfully, our fears proved unfounded, as they were more than happy relocating to nest boxes we'd put up for them in an adjacent building.
Over the winter months the building was restored to its former glory and by April, Quern Barn was finally ready to receive it's first human occupants.
Since that day, we've had the pleasure of welcoming hundreds of guests through the gates of our Riverside Farm home, and just like our returning swallows, we're delighted to see many again year after year.
We look forward to your stay.