The Old School House

Over a century old, The Old School House is doing far better than most of its age. Before becoming the best of neighbours with Cardrona Hotel, this charming building once housed late 1800s school children in the plateau of Crown Range and was later used as a Sunday school in Cromwell.

In January 2018, the building was transformed into a boutique gift shop and gallery, looking after beautiful works from a growing number of local makers and businesses. Sitting pretty on the shelves, the collection of locally made wares all have something in common: they’re high quality, sustainable and ethically sourced.

Rifle through cosy woollen wares from Southern Lakes Tartan, hand-blown glass creations from Bundilla Glass, classic merchandise from the famous hotel next door, local honey, preserves, repurposed wine barrel platters, jewellery, books, artist prints and more. The breathtaking outdoor scenes from every window are reason enough to visit and while the office views are truly enviable, it’s hard to resent the hospitable, smiley staff for it.