About Low Gillerthwaite

The Centre occupies a traditional 17th Century Lakeland farmhouse and outbuildings, once one of the largest and most important sheep farms in England.
It is now managed as a Registered Charity, No. CC 529193.

Resident Warden
Our Warden, Brian Burscough, lives on site and will normally meet groups on arrival to give an introduction and appraise you of any emergency procedures.
To make a booking for accommodation, please see the Bookings page.

Arriving - Click here for directions (opens in new tab/window)
Please locate the Warden on arrival - in case the Centre is locked, or there are any different conditions in force.
You may normally unload into the multi-purpose barn (large black doors on right), then continue through the gap and park in the main car park on the left by the hedge. This is a public right of way, and is on Alfred Wainwright's well-known coast-to-coast route. It's also a Fire muster point, a turning area and a farmer's access route, so please park tidily.

Group Leaders and/or Parents
Please take a few minutes to read the folder notes in the kitchen, and enter everyone's name on the Fire List in the lounge near the front door.
We recommend that you nominate a responsible adult to collect the Fire List in the event of an alarm, and take it to the muster point. Our Warden may not always be around, or may not hear the alarm from another building.
Also please advise your group that as we generate our own electricity, we have limited power available for hair dryers or other heated appliances. However, you will be able to charge your phones, music players, laptops, etc. We also advise you all to bring a torch.
It's unlikely that your phone will work in the valley bottom - you may have to walk up the hill to get a signal, but we do have a payphone! (see bottom of page)

Catering
The self-catering kitchen contains 2 gas cookers; one is a domestic size with eye-level grill, 4 hobs and 2 ovens, and one is a catering size with 6 hobs and larger oven. There is also a catering-type gas grill. As our electricity is not always available 24 hours, there is 1 domestic gas fridge with freezing compartment. Most standard cooking pots and utensils are provided.

The 'middle' kitchen has a disused fireplace with an old cooking pot hanger, and an interesting side oven. This was the original farmhouse kitchen.
There is additional shelving in here for your supplies, and a foldaway table and chairs if you have difficulty accessing the dining room.

Dining
The dining room is above the kitchen, and can seat 40 people on 5 tables with bench seating.
All cutlery, crockery, tea towels and washing-up liquid are provided, and there is a double sink and drainers for washing-up.

Relaxing
The main house has 2 lounges with open fires. The small lounge is carpeted, and the larger one still has an original stone flagged floor, and game(?) hooks in the ceiling. You should find a good supply of logs and kindling in here because the previous group has left them for you! We would expect you to do the same for the next group, and saws/axes are available from the Warden. Please do speak out if you might have a problem doing this.

Sleeping
We have 5 dormitories, named after some of the tenant farmers who once worked here.
In the main house, the Tyson Room has 10 bunks, the Richardson Room has 8, and the Birkett and Kirkhaugh Rooms each have 4. The Colebank dormitory is at the other end of an indoor corridor, and has 14 bunks. All bunks have a waterproof mattress and pillow, but you will need your own sleeping bag and pillowcase. We cannot provide a laundry service.

Washing
Along the indoor corridor behind the main barn, there are separate male and female toilet facilities both with hot showers included in your bednight fees. There is an additional sink near the Colebank dormitory, which is also available to campers.

Drying room
There is a useful drying room in the house, near the bottom of the stairs. Larger or wetter items and footwear would be better left in the barn.

Multi-purpose barn
The indoor corridor also gives access to the large barn where you may have unloaded on arrival, the ground floor of which is also available for gentler indoor games. Please do not go to the upper floor. There are hangers and boot racks in the barn for your outdoor gear and very wet clothing.

After dark
As we generate our own power on site, there may be occasional times when it is unavailable. Low power night lights operate between dusk and dawn and they illuminate the main areas including kitchen, dining room, stairs and toilets, but not inside the dormitories. This is why we also advise you to bring your own torch. There is a wind-up lantern in the small lounge.
We are miles away from the nearest street lamps, so it really does get very dark outside.
You may wish to consider bringing a telescope to check out all those stars on a clear night!

Wolfson Room
Across the yard is the Wolfson Room, also available to non-Centre users on a pay per day basis. This classroom/study room is available to Centre users at no extra charge, but needs to be arranged with the Warden in advance. It is heated independently from the Centre, and we may be able to loan you some Field Study items, like microscopes, maps and compasses.

Outside
Our own 2 acre field can be used for outdoor games, camping, stargazing, birdwatching, etc. Part of this field is managed as a wild meadow, so please heed any signs or marked areas, and be aware of any livestock. This field also houses our wigloo (see Activities page) which your younger members may enjoy playing in.

Before you leave
Like most hostels, we expect users to leave the Centre at least as clean as when they arrived. You should set your own cleaning rota, but to avoid duplication there are some cards in the kitchen which may be handed round, with notes relating to the cleaning of the various areas.
Lost property will be held for a while, but if you think you've left something, you should contact the Warden ASAP. If an item is not claimed after a few months we may need to dispose of it, or offer it to another visitor. We have collected too many torches, toiletries and dirty clothes over the years!

Glass, bottles, tins
Unfortunately our local Council don't do recycle collections in this remote area, so we must ask you to take these away with you. Paper, card and wooden waste can be used in our biomass boiler, so we provide a bin for Burnable rubbish. Other waste can go into bags in the Non-Burn bin to be taken by the refuse collectors. We have a can crusher outside for aluminium drinks cans, and guidelines are printed on the internal wall near the bins.

Public telephone
We allow public use of our private payphone (in the outside lobby adjacent to the kitchen).
Please be aware that it temporarily shares the main number with the Warden. It will also receive incoming calls on 01946 861229 - most mobile phones will not work here. The minimum fee is 40 pence, so remember to bring some 20p and 50p coins to make outgoing calls.

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