Would you consider renting it out to a local group very occasionally? I am part of a local group that is part of a national organisation and sometimes use local huts as bases for walks. We have used Mosedale Cottages before and since we don't do much that way I was wondering... I won't be offended if you tell me to bugger off.
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Hi, I've just joined. This thread was brought to my attention this morning through the Wainwright Society website Forum. The subject of Burnmoor Lodge has come up there before and I thought it might be of interest to repeat here part of one of my posts:- "On the subject of Burnmoor Lodge, it isn't any more 'idle' or run-down than it was 40 or so years ago when I first stayed there. In fact, I know it has been repaired and some internal improvements made. It is boarded up only to stop break-ins (there's no Neighbourhood Watch scheme there!). The following post (from late last year) gives some further background to this (in my opinion and experience) great place.
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I don’t have exact details, but the Lodge is Victorian and used to be a base for shooting parties (grouse?). It is said that there was quite a bit of ‘partying’ and that the Tarn has quite a few bottles at the bottom.
I have stayed at the lodge 3 times, for a week in 1966, 1972 and 1976, when I was part of a church-based youth group. It was in Burnmoor Lodge on my first ever day in the Lake District that I listened to England winning the World Cup. Those were very memorable weeks, getting to know that corner of the Lakes a bit and spending time with good friends.
The lodge was then owned by a family in Sheffield, who spent time there and allowed it to be used for things like the ‘house-parties’ I went on. My last contact was in 2000, when I was told the same people still owned it.
It is in a superb location, 3 miles from anything man-made – the nearest habitations being in Eskdale and Wasdale. No sound of traffic, no neighbours. Waking up to a view of Scafell or seeing the sun set on it in the evening was very special. Its remoteness did mean, however, that everything (food and supplies) had to be carried up from Boot, 3 miles away.
The building is quite Spartan (or was last time I was inside), with no running water or electricity. We used gas lamps and cooked by gas. Water had to be carried from Burnmoor Tarn (100 yards down a slope) but it was pure (the owner tested it annually it was said to be better quality than the water where he lived). The lodge contains one or two ‘jokes’, such as light switches and power sockets (to catch out the unwary newcomer).
Inside it has two rooms downstairs, one as a dining/meeting room and the other a large equipment/drying room. Also downstairs is a kitchen. Upstairs are 3 bedrooms with bunks. There were no floor coverings, wallpaper or curtains. Very basic, but I loved it. As far as I know, it is still used, but boarded up in between to keep out vandals (sadly that became necessary)
And the buildings at the bottom of the garden? These were partly for storage, but also the location of the chemical loo (not the most attractive feature of a stay at the lodge!).
So, there in a nutshell, is my knowledge of Burnmoor Lodge – a place that holds very special memories for me and which I try to revisit whenever I can ‘to pay homage’, wallow in nostalgia for a while and remember old friends." David
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Paul, I hope I've just sent you a PM. I think I need to state publicly that my policy for the last 20 years has been to lend it only to people I know personally or who have been recommended to me by someone I know. This is because of both my own and my father's experience of people causing problems either with the building, or with the neighbours - it's very easy to do things which are unhelpful to some of the locals, and I really wouldn't want to annoy any of them - they're good people and some of them have been very helpful to me.
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Jon:
Thank you for taking the trouble to relate the folk tales. My American clients will love the story of the funeral processions!
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 There are lots of stories concerning that 'corpse road', and lots more stories if you look at other 'corpse roads' around northern England.
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There is one about a lady from Wasdale falling out of the coffin. Another involving a hawthorn tree. There is a website about Wasdale that recounts it (I think the website is to do with a pub / hotel near Wasdale). Although it also recounted some of the tales from the tall tales guy from Wasdale head inn so not sure if they were true. I've got a good story about Borwick Hall just south of the Lakes. The family that owned it before it became LEA outdoor education place had an old lady knock on the door in a blizzard one new years eve looking for some place to bed down. The owner put her up and made sure she was well fed. The next day she gave a ripe apple to the owner and said if he kept it high up above the fireplace all year he would have good fortune that year. If he took it down then disaster would happen. It is still a tradition for someone to knock on the door and had over an apple to this day. Another story involved a stone mason in charge of the building who died just as the last stone was laid. As a mark of respect the owner had him interred in the centre of a vertical, spiral staircase in the centre of the building. He was interred vertically!! It is of course haunted.
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I spent a restless night at Borwick Hall back in the 1970s. Ghosts - I could have coped with them - no problem... But people wandering around wearing sheets all night... Never again!
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Hi Jon, Probably pushing my luck a bit here as this thread looks quite old. I was reading this with great interest as I used to stay at Burnmoor Lodge quite frequently between the late 60s and mid 70s, always travelling up with you and your father and the other covenanters from St. Pauls in Hyson Green. I don't recall your father's name, I don't think we ever knew it, to us he was always Docco or Doc (or Dr. Foote if we were in trouble). Anyway, hope all is well with you and Docco. Last I heard he was working for the church in the Sheffield area. I hope all is well with him and please pass on my regards to him for me. All the best, Kevin.
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Hi Jon,
Totally understand your stance on renting the lodge out. I notice you mentioned that there are pike in the tarn. Do you know who controls the fishing rights/if it's free to use? I've walked past the tarn many a time and have wondered if there were any fish in there.
Best,
Freddie.
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Dear Kevin, Docco's formal christian name was John. His wife Mary told me that they called their son Jon which is the same name but Jon is the Hebrew and John the Greek version . I to used to enjoy Covenanter camps at the Lodge, my first on was in the mid 50's. Would you or any other ex Burnmoor Covenanter camper like to do a site where other simularly minded boys might like to exchange photos and stories of the camps.
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Would not the MBA (or if not them maybe some other walking club/group?) be possibly interested in help maintaining the Lodge if it were to be opened as a bothy? Its such a fabulous building in an amazing location its a shame the risk of vandals puts you off letting people use it, though I totally understand your reluctance.
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Hi Jon, I spent one week in the Lodge, about April 1965 I think and your father was there. Having just read your posts on this thread, I have to admit that I had been given the impression that he was a research chemist for Boots the Chemist in Nottingham. I wonderwhere these rumours come from. And I wonder what happened to The Covenanter Union in the last 45 years. The internet is very reticent about it.
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The Covenanter Union is no more. I think it stopped operating about 10 years ago and all its assets were passed to 'Youth for Christ' And Docco was a pathologist and I understand he was the top pathologist for both the city of Nottingham and the county of Nottinghamshire. Bob.
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Delighted to find this forum
I was a member of St Pauls Hyson Green Covenanters in the early 60's.
I never went to Burnmoor but heard lots about it from my fellow Covenanters who did.
I went on several climbing outings to Black Rocks and Birchens Edge and used to look forward to Friday leisure evenings at St Pauls.
I was also in Jucos (Junior Covenanters) which met at St Simons Hall on Russell Rd Nottingham not 100 yards from where I lived
Dr John Foote was a wonderful human being.
Is he still alive?
Covenanters I remember include John Sanday (became a fireman in Nottingham), Ian Gray, Paul Seaman, Chris Smith, the Reville brothers, John Bird, Trevor Clarke and Glyn Bailey.
Dear old Derek MacFarland (Mac) who tragically died at Cambridge Uni and Peter Tulley who was killed in the TT races on the Isle of Man.
Mister Harrison (MOH) and Bernard Crowther who taught at Forest Fields Grammar where lots of the Covenanters went to school.
Anyone out there reading this?
I tracked Trevor Clarke down a few years back.
see http://www.bendrigg.org.uk/html/staff.htm
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Message for Jonathan Foote, If you mail me via Geograph.org I think I have some pictures including Dr Foote taken c1965 which I can send to you. http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/2274646
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I too was a member of the St Pauls Hyson Green Covenanters in the late 50's early 60's and went to Burnmoor several times. My first visit was with Tom Brooks, Gerald Warraner, Mick Gill and some others from I believe London. I went back several times for weekend visits with Dave Berry by motorbike. I can honestly say that these were some of best times of my life and I was able to tell 'Docco' this and thank him just before he passed away. I live in California now and have often thought how great it would be to see Burnmoor Lodge, Boot and that area again. I often visit websites with pictures of this area, in fact that's how I found this website and I'm glad I did.
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I've just been lurking occasionally around here for a while. As Outdoors Magic seems to have completely forgotten that I exist, I've rejoined so that I can respond to some of the "recent" posts on this thread. It's been good to see several names mentioned that I remember well. In reply to Alex Osborne, I'm a member of the MBA and talked a few years ago to some of the active people in the MBA about Burnmoor Lodge. The consensus was that it's too accessible and would get trashed if it was left open. Considering what has happened to some of the MBA bothies, for example in Galloway, I think it would be irresponsible to leave it open to all and sundry. Someone did break in earlier this year but fortunately didn't do much damage; repairs can be quite a challenge. It does get used with permission, though, at all times of year.
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