We had decided to make a stop at the “Chain Bridge Honey Farm”:https://www.chainbridgehoney.com/ because there was a jar of honey in our welcome pack at the cottage we had rented for the week, “Runglee”:https://www.silvertraveladvisor.com/review/accommodation/173762-review-runglee-cottage, not far from the farm. It was also recommended by previous tenants in the visitor’s book at the cottage. However, the title is a bit misleading as there is much more here than the title implies. This is a family run enterprise and they have been busy bees, pardon the pun. There is an exhibit about the Union Chain Bridge which is understandable since it is only five minutes’ walk down the road. There is also a very extensive museum about bees around the world, the different types, how they live and work and about honey. If you hear buzzing it might be coming from the living hive on display behind glass. There is no charge for viewing the exhibits; however there are many products for sale from a variety of flavoured honey (depending on the flowers they pollinate) to bees wax candles to skin care to books. There are samples of the honey for you to try before making your purchases.
There is also a very quirky café on site inside a Bristol Lodekker double decker bus. There is limited seating downstairs as that is where the kitchen also resides, more seating upstairs, and even more outside. After a visit to the aforementioned bridge and a look around the exhibits, we decided to have lunch at the café and it was delicious. We all had either lentil or leek and potato soup in large mugs and sandwiches which were made fresh after we ordered them. There is quite a variety to choose from and they’re all served with crisps. We settled on egg salad; walnut, apple and Stilton; basil, tomato and brie; and local cheese and apple chutney. All the baking looked wonderful so we ended our lunch with coffees and shared lemon drizzle and coffee cakes. Everything was reasonably priced and the service was friendly and efficient.
One of the staff, possibly the owner/mother, returned from a funeral in the hills as we were waiting for our meals and sat down for a chat with our server. She told us stories about the 96 year old woman and how she touched so many people’s lives. We also had a little chat with the DJ who was up from Manchester for the Borders Scooter Bash at “Paxton House”:https://www.silvertraveladvisor.com/review/attraction/176076 that weekend. His friend told us that Mark Ruffalo and Benedict Cumberbatch were in the area filming. We did not have room for honey ice cream though a number of people did stop by for some. It very much seemed like a spot locals call in for lunch or coffee, not just tourists.
Before we left we had a look around the vintage vehicles and the outbuildings full of paraphernalia depicting work and home life in the area over the years. You could spend a good hour or two poring over everything on display.
Note: the Honey Farm is open from 10-5 seven days a week Easter to October and on weekdays from November to Easter. The café is only open in the summer and is closed on Mondays except Bank Holidays.
