Castlerigg Cafe Title
               Hayloft Cafe Open For 2008

For more photos of the Hayloft Cafe please look at out Photo Gallery via the link on our Home Page.

The Hayloft Cafe opened in March 2008. We plan to provide Full English Breakfast in the morning and Dinner in the evening. Opening times may vary depending on how busy we are but generally opening times will be 8am to 10.30am for Breakfast and 6pm with last orders at 8.15pm for evening meals. Please check in shop window for open times and up to date menu.

         Hayloft Cafe                      

                                      Sample Menu                            

                                               Starter

Chefs Home-made soup of the day served with a Crusty Roll .

Pan Fried Black Pudding with a Black Peppercorn Sauce & Ciabatta Bread.

Garlic Mushrooms with Ciabatta Bread.

Prawn Cocktail with bread & butter

 

  

 

                                              

                                                        Main

10oz Horseshoe Gammon Steak served with Egg or Pineapple, Onion Rings, Potato Wedges & Vegetables.

Cumberland Sausage with Onion Gravy served with Mash Potato & Vegetables.

Fresh Battered Haddock served with Potato Wedges and Vegetables

Slow Cooked Lamb Shank served on a bed of  Mashed Potato with a Rosemary & Red Wine Sauce

Chicken Rancho                                                                                                                                               Chicken covered in BBQ Sauce, Bacon, Tomato & melted Cheese, Served with Potato Wedges & Vegetables.

Steak & Ale Pie served with Potato Wedges & Vegetables.

Penne Pasta with Tomato Sauce, Mozzarella and Parmesan Cheese.

Omelette of your choice, Mushroom, Spanish, Cheese, Tomato or Tuna, served with Chips & Salad.

Jacket Potato with a choice of Baked Beans, Cheese , Coleslaw or Tuna.

  

                                   Selection of Sweets 

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The Barn before Renovation
The Hayloft Cafe
  

In 2006 we decided to apply for planning permission to convert a barn in to a Cafe. The barn we decided to convert was previously used for storing hay. In one corner of the barn floor was a hole where hay bales could be dropped through to feed the cows in the byre below. The old barn was chosen for the cafe's location, firstly because it was close to the camp site but also because it was in much need of renovation.

 
In 2007 plans were passed but work could not commence until the site closed in November.       Before we could even consider anything that resembled a cafe the old building needed a lot of work just to make it waterproof and safe. The roof had been leaking for years and buckets were placed around the floor to catch the water, anyone entering the barn stood a good chance of disappearing through the floor and landing in the byre below with the cows. The old beams in the roof still looked good but the rest of the roof needed to be replaced.
The Barn Exterior
Barn Before Renovation

Before renovation started we commissioned a bat and owl survey, although we see bats and owls around the site none were found in the building. We decided to leave appropriate holes in the outside walls of the barn to accomodate the bats in the future.

Work on the barn started in November 2007, the roof and barn floor were the first priority and once these two things were completed the internal work commenced.

The small building next to the barn had originally been the "bull hull" and used for what the name suggests and housed the bull. Once the roof was removed from this building the walls started to fall down, it was decided to take down the walls and start again. It was important to keep the buildings looking as original as possible and the skilled builders helped us to achieve this. The small building will now be used for all the boring stuff such as pumps, water storage and dustbins.
We needed an outside seating area and this was achieved by levelling the garden. The garden started life 10 years ago and was originally a grassy bank, it wasn't the easiest garden to maintain as it was mainly stone and grew a lot of weeds so it wont be missed. The view from the seating area towards the Blencathra range of mountains is amazing and changes daily depending on the time of year and the weather. Lighting has also been installed around the outside seating area, now all we need is some warm weather.
 
The 'Bull Hull'
View from the cafe seating area towards Blencathra
Inside The Hayloft Cafe
Inside The Hayloft Cafe

It soon became clear the walls and beams inside the barn should be left exposed. The oak beams and natural walls gave the cafe the rustic look we were aiming for. We had to combine the rustic with the modern and incorporate a fully equipped kitchen, hopefully we have managed to do this successfully.

A log burning fire gives the cafe a cosy feel and works well with the visual effect. The large glass window where the old barn doors used to be supply the cafe with plenty of natural light and the window to the north of the barn gives wonderful views towards Latrigg and Skiddaw.

Our aim is to provide good food from local produce. We plan to open for breakfast and evening meals.

When the site is quiet opening times may vary.