Reviewing The Bairns for BBC Music, Mel Ledgard described it as "an album with a cinematic quality, huge in dramatic atmosphere".

[1] Iain Hazlewood, for Spiral Earth, described it as "[a] gorgeously melancholy and sensual album that has raised the bar several notches".

"[6] Justin Hopper, writing in Paste, called it "a milestone in English folk music".

[7] In a four-starred review, Robin Denselow of The Guardian nominated it as "one of the folk records of the year".

[11] The CD sleeve was designed by Steven Wainwright, incorporating photographs of the band taken at Beamish Museum, Co.