Arrival
All residential courses start with dinner at 6.30pm and finish after breakfast or lunch. Please register between 5pm to 6pm on the start day of the course.
Courses
You will receive a course programme shortly after booking which will provide information on the course content, times, materials and equipment. Our courses cater for students at all levels of experience but please phone for advice on the level of a particular course. Walking courses are graded levels 1, 2 or 3.
Level 1 – easy – Up to 5 miles with little uphill and on good paths.
Level 2 – moderate – 5 to 10 miles on recognised paths that could be rough or stony in places, with some uphill to 500 metres.
Level 3 – demanding – 8 to 12 miles on rough, steep paths, possibly with some easy scrambling, with climbs of around 1000 metres.
Please note that we may vary the course programme or replace a tutor should it be necessary.
Special diet or vegetarian?
There is always a vegetarian option at lunch but not at dinner, unless you order beforehand. We can usually cater for special diets if you tell us when you book.
Friends of Higham Bursary Fund
A number of bursaries are available from The Friends for new students. Please write to us for more information.
Facilities
We have some excellent facilities available to guests and students staying at the hall, including a garden with woodland walks, a putting green and croquet lawn, as well as some wonderful walking country surrounding the college. Our food continues to maintain its reputation and is complemented by a good wine list. There is also a well-stocked bar with locally brewed real ale, a library and a drying room for wet walkers! The hall has been adapted for guests with disabilities, within the limitations of an old and historic building. The main lecture room has a hearing loop and a portable hearing loop is available for use in other rooms. There are 17 en-suite rooms (all with showers) and 8 standard rooms (all with handbasins) in the hall, and a further 7 rooms in the gatehouse and bungalow (with shared bathrooms). We offer en-suite rooms on a first-come, first-served basis, and you cannot reserve specific bedrooms. Please note that all en-suite rooms have showers and not baths. If you have a standard room, you will have use of 3 shower rooms and 2 bathrooms. All bedrooms have their own phones, hairdryers and radios.
Corkage
As we have a licensed bar and dining room, we will charge corkage at £5 a bottle for wine brought in.
Library
We would welcome donations of books to expand our library stock. Books on art, architecture, crafts, music, fashion, history, language, literature and science would be greatly appreciated.
Bringing a friend
We are happy to accommodate a friend who is not studying on a course. If they share a room with you they will be charged our standard bed and breakfast rate. Or, if you want to stay privately, we will do our best to accommodate you.
Other accommodation
Local bed and breakfast accommodation is usually available when all the college rooms are taken. We can put you in touch with a number of guesthouses close to the college and you can then book directly with them. So, even when we are full, you may still be able to go on a course.
Caravans
There is a hard-standing area at the back of the college for caravans or motorhomes. You can sign up as a non-resident and pay £6 a night for each person. Water, toilets and showers are available in the college but please note that there is no disposal for chemical toilets or electical hook-up.
Bungalow to let
We have a bungalow in the grounds, which we let out when it is not used as accommodation for our courses. It is fully equipped and suitable for wheelchair users. At £315 a week in the winter and £375 in the summer, including heating, electricity and bed linen, it is exceptional value.
Public transport
The nearest convenient railway stations are Penrith and Carlisle. If you need information on local buses, please phone the Traveline on 0870 608 2608. The most convenient bus stop for Higham Hall is at the Wheatsheaf Inn at Embleton (about a mile from the college) for the bus from Penrith Station. We can meet you at this bus stop, if you phone us beforehand. You can contact local taxis from Cockermouth on 01900 822795 or 01900 826649.
Friends of Higham
The Friends of Higham is a separate charitable organisation supporting the college with bursaries and special project grants and, of course, looking out for the college in any way it can. Membership costs £6 a year and if you join you will receive a newsletter and a copy of each brochure ahead of the usual mailing. To become a Friend please contact The FOH Membership Secretary, PO Box 75, Driffield YO25 5XJ.
How to book
Please fill in the booking form on the back page and return it with your deposit. Or, you can book by phone using a credit or debit card. A special booking form is available for study tours abroad and will be sent with the tour details.
Fees
The residential fee quoted for each course is for single-room accommodation and includes all meals, travel during the course, entrance fees and tuition but not materials. The non-resident fee includes all meals except breakfast. The en-suite supplement is £6 a room for every night (when available). There is a discount of £3.50 a person for every night if you share a twin or double room.
Payment and cancellation
You will need to pay a deposit of £25 when you book a place on a course or the full fee for day courses. Deposits, and day course fees of less than £25, cannot be refunded or transferred. The balance of your course fee will be due one month before the course starts and cannot be refunded if you cancel during that period, unless you have cancellation protection. You may lose the place to someone on the waiting list if we do not receive the payment in time. Cheques should be made payable to Cumbria County Council.
Cancellation protection
You can take out cancellation protection for £2 for every day of your course (resident or non-resident). This will cover the loss of your course fee (deposit not included) if you cancel through illness or injury at any time before the course starts. You should make this request and payment when you pay the balance of the course fee and not with the deposit. |
