Welcome to the gratuitous bonfire page! They have very little to do with conservation, but we do enjoy a good fire - well controlled of course. We usually have fires in the winter when the public are not around, or are at least less numerous. The record number of fires for a task is four, which was achieved at Cragside on a weekend away. One of these was started practically in the stream pictured below - testimony to our pyrotechnic prowess!
The main reason for fires is to dispose of pruned, felled or cleared material, but if we happen to be near a shed or barn we usually end up burning all the unwanted junk too. Old, rotten fences we’ve removed are also prime candidates for combustion.
Photos by M. Wilson
