The eastern part of Cumbria is an area of stunning natural beauty, as well as many myths and legend, from tales of King Arthur, to those of giants and standing stones.  

Little Salkeld Watermill is one of Britain's few working water-powered corn mills still producing stoneground flour the traditional way, with clean self-renewing waterpower, as it has done for many centuries. The water powering the mill has its source in the Pennines, nine miles away, as visitors can discover if they take a mill tour.  They can also learn how the millstones grind the flour and how the Miller's Damsel feeds the stones with grain!  Everything produced at Little Salkeld is organic and bio-dynamic and this is an original green business using renewable power, caring for the land, using low energy solutions and serving vegetarian food in its award winning tearoom.

Self-guided tours of the mill (providing there is a member of staff, so best to call in advance) take place on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays at a cost of £2 for the first person, £1 for each other visitor, inclusive of printed mini-guide.

However, one of the best ways to really enjoy everything that Little Salkeld Watermill has to offer is to use its produce and learn how to work with its organic flours.  A variety of courses are available in the farmhouse kitchen with nearly all cooking done by hand, as follows:

Breadmaking  (£75 full day course)(March 24, April 28, June 7, July 7, September 7, October 6, November 3, November 24). Here, visitors can learn about grain, milling and making tasty bread with Little Salkeld flour. If people book a two-day 'More Breadmaking' Course (£125) their second day is spent going beyond simple yeasted bread and using sour doughs, experimenting with rye and barley and having a go at a No Knead loaf.  The two day courses can run March 24/25, July 7/8 and November 24/25.

There are short day courses covering Seasonal Salads (June 19), Soupmaking (Feb 29), Jam and Jelly Making (Oct 11) - using hedgerow produce and seasonal fruits to make crab apple jelly, a fruit curd, apple and elderberry flan and spiced pear and apple, Quiche and Savoury Tarts and Pies (November 14) - using Watermill eggs as well as flour, Cake Making - Christmas Cake, Chocolate Prune Cake, Apple Cake, Gingerbread, Lemon Cake (November 8), Scones, Pastry and Cake Making (March 21 and September 12) - using brown flour and overcoming what seems tricky in its usage to make a variety of scones/cakes.

Also available are outdoor oven building courses allowing people to learn how to make their own outdoor cob oven using the simplest methods and materials. Cob is a mix of straw and clay. The course will also teach people how to fire the oven, how to bake in the oven (pizzas, bread, etc), how to use the ash, maintain the oven and stay safe. These workshops cost £75 inclusive of morning coffee and lunch.

There are lots of wonderful places to stay nearby and 'green' accommodation in keeping with the Little Salkeld philosophy.

Visitors could always walk to see nearby Long Meg and Her Daughters - a stone circle of around 66 standing stones steeped in legend.  Nearest train station is Penrith, just a few hours journey on the mainline from London Euston.