Holiday Cottages & Northumberland Blog

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Proud to be part of The Illuminating of Hadrian's Wall 2010

noreply@blogger.com (Northumbria Byways) — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 10:47:00 +0000

Standing tall with the flare

The Helicopter flying over us videoing the spectacular

David holding his flare

Vicky and David ready with candle and flare

Being taught how to operate the flares

Being taught how to assemble the gas burners

The assembled gas burner when lit

Proud to be part of a fantastic event!

I was recently extremely fortunate to be chosen as an illuminator for the extravaganza along Hadrian's Wall. Wow it was a brilliant day.

For the section of the Wall I was to be involved with I was told to go to the muster point at Lanercost Priory for 1.00pm. We were given soup and a sandwich, asked to fill in our health and safety forms and given our reflective waistcoats, name tags and times for lighting up. Then we were given detailed instructions on putting together and dismantling the gas burners, shown how to light the flares and the candles. I teamed up with an old friend David Gosling, who incidently has an unusual job, he restores old sign posts . We were given 1 flare and 1 candle. Then we made our way to our position on the Wall, which was at Hayton Gate just up a lane from Lanercost Priory. Most people had to go on a bus and be dropped off at various points along the Wall but ours was close enough to walk to. So off we went. I decided to be in charge of the candle as the flares were a bit more scary! Our lighting up time was 6.25pm. We nearly halted ALL proceedings at 6.15pm when we both realised we did not have any matches! Panic ensued but with seconds to spare a lighter was found so at precisely that time I lit my candle and proudly held it high. My friend was instructed to set the flare off when he heard the helicopter, which was going to be flying along the route of the wall filming the whole event. We are actually visible on the video approximately 23 seconds through, you can just make out 3 picnic tables and David with his flare and me in my pale blue coat holding my candle.

Oh what an night - Brilliant!

Cottages with no "T.V"

noreply@blogger.com (Northumbria Byways) — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 08:46:00 +0000

Looking through the ways in which people find our website i came across searches for cottages with no TV. There can't be many quality cottages left like this as most owners consider it essential.But sometimes you get cottages in remote and isolated areas where there is no reception.

We have stayed in the College Valley and never missed the "box".

Hadrian's Wall and people who love it

noreply@blogger.com (Northumbria Byways) — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 10:23:00 +0000

So many visitors to the North East head off to the coast and the sandy beaches of Bamburgh and Seahouses. Lovely as that part of the world is they do miss out on some of the more quiet and historic areas of Cumbria and Northumberland. We have already posted extensively about the College Valley which is hidden in the Cheviot Hills and we will, over the next few months be highlighting Hadrian's Wall. You might already have noticed that we have been showcasing Danny Brannigan's pictures on the home page movie but with the forthcoming illuminations on 13th March it is probably time that we talked about other local people who through their work reach out to people far away from here and introduce them to the "Wall".

Joan Thirlaway lives in Gilsland and her website "after the rain" shows a large selection of Wall pictures which you can also purchase. Her blog is here

Enjoy!

Dog friendly cottages in Northumberland

noreply@blogger.com (Northumbria Byways) — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 08:23:00 +0000

Just written a new page on dog friendly cottages in Northumberland.
Some good photos and comments. Hope that you like this.

Howick Hall and snowdrops

noreply@blogger.com (Northumbria Byways) — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 14:49:00 +0000

The much loved snowdrop walks at Howick Hall Gardens near Longhoughton will begin early in February. Rated by BBC Gardener’s World magazine as one of the top five coastal gardens in the country, Howick boasts one of the best collections of woodland snowdrops in the North of England. Head gardener Robert Jamieson is anticipating a good show for visitors this month, despite the very wet winter months. He said “We have several varieties of Galanthus, the largest drifts of which are the Galanthus nivalis – the common single snowdrop, but there are also doubles and the Northumberland Yellow, Galanthus nivalis “Sandersii Group”.
Later in the month Sweet Box, Sarcococca confusa will be fragrant in the Acer glade as will Viburnum x bodnantense Pink Dawn with its small tubular pink flowers.

The snowdrops will be followed from late March by hosts of pre-war planted daffodils for which this garden is famous.

The gardens and the Earl Grey Tearoom are open from February 7 from 12 – 4pm, and will be open Saturday, Sundays and Wednesdays until April 1, after which they will be open every day from 12 – 6 pm. For more information visit: Howick Hall
Howick Spring Festival Flyer pdf

Why not book a break in The Old School in Howick Village and get a free pass to Howick Hall Gardens.

noreply@blogger.com (Northumbria Byways) — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 12:07:00 +0000

We have been looking for ways to try and illustrate the beautiful photographs taken by Danny Brannigan along Hadrians Wall. One of the options is to embed the images as a slide show and this is one for his photographs of Steel rigg.

We hope that you like the pictures.

Military road, Hadrian's Wall

noreply@blogger.com (Northumbria Byways) — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 11:46:00 +0000

Built by General George Wade in 1745 at the time of Jacobite rebellion, the military road offers a more civilised route between Newcastle and Carlisle. Whilst the heavy traffic ploughs along the A69 below you can drive sedately through this beautiful countryside.

During the summer there is the AD 122 bus service along the military road with drivers who are well aware of the history and will talk about it.The bus connects to railway stations at Carlisle and Newcastle and you can take bikes on both bus and train.
So the next time you are driving alongside the Wall between Hexham and Carlise please remember some of the history.

Bamburgh, the church of St Aidan

noreply@blogger.com (Northumbria Byways) — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 10:07:00 +0000

This scan is from the front of a pamphlet from 1948 which talks about St Aidan's church in Bamburgh.

To quote:

" The Church of St Aidan is one of the largest ...and finest...in the county"

The pamphlet then talks about

The Tower...is ascended by a stone staircase around a square newel ( only other example of this being the Pele Tower at Welton).It rises 2 stages higher than the church...the 1st stage being used as a belfy and the 2nd for the peal of bells.

Then it covers the Nave and north aisle.

Then the transepts

It then discusses possible traces of the original Norman church and ends up with a description of the 13th century chancel.

More to come in future blogs on Bamburgh.

Cottages in Belford, Northumberland

noreply@blogger.com (Northumbria Byways) — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 09:54:00 +0000

Belford is a village in North Northumberland, half way between Alnwick and Berwick upon Tweed.

Belford Hall is the main property in the area and is a Grade 1 listed building, although it has now been converted into residential apartments. The village is ideally situated to either reach the Northumberland Coast or to head west towards Wooler and the Cheviot hills.

Northumbria byways are able to offer beautiful holiday cottages either in or close to Belford.

Ludlow cottage in the centre of Belford.

Cuthbert cottage

and the Hayloft above the coffee shop!

So if you would like to make Belford a base for exploring Northumberland then please give us a call.

Northern Heritage

noreply@blogger.com (Northumbria Byways) — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 15:20:00 +0000

Every year we look forward to receiving the new mail order catalogue from Northern Heritage.

It's usually the books but sometimes the DVDs which we find so appealing. This is a great way to investigate the out of the facts about Northumberland which you normally wouldn't come across.

Some we hope to buy over the months ahead, for example this book of old photographs or Redesdale and surrounding areas

http://www.northern-heritage.co.uk/product.php?id=100818&cid=2

Others such as this classic on Castles and Pele towers we already have

http://www.northern-heritage.co.uk/product.php?id=100808&cid=2

So why not pop over to their website and have a look around?

Cottage in Amble, Northumberland

noreply@blogger.com (Northumbria Byways) — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 09:46:00 +0000

Amble has been referred to as "The Friendliest Port". The town has Roman origins but was developed as a coal port at the mouth of the River Coquet in the 18th century. The harbour is now shared by traditional fishing boats and a modern Marina, full of colourful yachts and other sailing craft. There are several flourishing boating clubs including yachting, sailing and canoeing. During the summer boats sail regularly from the harbour to the RSPB bird sanctuary at Coquet Island.

Here at Northumbria byways we are able to offer the following holiday cottages either in or close to Amble

Lobster Pot at Low Hauxley

Chantilly, also near Low Hauxley

Southmede in nearby Warkworth

and Watermill cottage at North Charlton

So if you would like to explore the Northumberland coast why not give us a call and book one of these beautiful cottages.

"Cottage for 2 with a bath and fire"

noreply@blogger.com (Northumbria Byways) — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 21:04:00 +0000

Cottage for two with a bath and fire....what a simple requirement. But sometimes it can be hard to actually find the right place. Our visitors seem to think that Coldburn cottage in the College Valley is the best answer.Remote, isolated and with panoramic views this is a simple but quality cottage with a lot to offer.

Self catering northumberland, "no neighbours"

noreply@blogger.com (Northumbria Byways) — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 20:53:00 +0000

One of the things which always amazes us is the wide variety of ways which people use search engines to find our cottages
For instance we've been looking at some of the entrance keywords for the College Valley and have come across many instances of searches for
"Self catering northumberland, no neighbours"
Well the College Valley isn't short of isolated houses or indeed remote cottages.

Cottages in Rothbury

noreply@blogger.com (Northumbria Byways) — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 09:32:00 +0000

Rothbury, known as the 'Gateway to the Northumberland National Park' and is a perfect base to explore the heather topped expanses of the Simonside and Cheviot Hills.

The picturesque village of Rothbury can trace its origins back to 1100, whilst an early Saxon cross can be found in All Saints Church dating back to 800AD.

The evidence of Bronze Age settlements, hill forts and cup and ring marks have been discovered throughout surrounding hills. On the outskirts of this ancient market town is Cragside Estate.

Recently the town has been in the news with some unusually high floods.

Northumbria byways are fortunate to be able to offer many cottages both in the town and nearby. These include

The Masters Lodge

Riverside Lodge

Wellstrand house

Westfield cottage and Wreighburn cottage both at Thropton

A little further afield in the historic village of Elsdon there is also

Townfoot cottage

Near to Rothbury are the villages of Thropton,Elsdon and Alwinton.

So if you would like to explore this beautiful area of Northumberland then please just give us a call.

Cottages near to Kirknewton,Wooler

noreply@blogger.com (Northumbria Byways) — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 09:04:00 +0000

Kirknewton is a small village north of Wooler and halfway to the Scottish Border. It lies at the heart of Glendale , a valley formed by the confluence of the River Glen and Bowmont Water.

The area is rich in history, from the prehistoric displays at Maelmin , through the battlefield at Flodden , border reiver times and into the 19th century with the Collingwood oaks...there is plenty to see here.

There are some lovely holiday cottages to chose from, for instance

Those in the College Valley

and then

The Lodge

Croft Cottage

and

Mindrum Mill

So if you would like to explore this wonderful area of Northumberland then please give us a call.

Cottages in Wooler,Northumberland

noreply@blogger.com (Northumbria Byways) — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 09:19:00 +0000

Wooler is an important market town situated just to the east of the Cheviot hills and south of the border with Scotland.It looks eastward across the valley of the Till and is a thriving centre with shops and accommodation. Popular with walkers and the many tourists who come to stay in North Northumberland it provides an ideal centre for exploring this beautiful area of Northumberland.

Northumbria byways have many cottages both in and close to Wooler including

The Bothy

Akeld hill view

Croft cottage

The College Valley

and

the Garden flat

So if you would like to explore this beautiful area of Northumberland why not give us a call?

Belsay in Northumberland

noreply@blogger.com (Northumbria Byways) — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 15:57:00 +0000

Belsay village in Northumberland is situated on the A696 to the north west of Ponteland.
Belsay castle is a 14th century medieval castle which is both a scheduled ancient monument and a grade 1 listed building.When Belsay Hall was built the Castle was no longer used for accommodation and it is now administered by English Heritage.
Belsay Hall is a 19th century country mansion and also a grade 1 listed building.It was built by Sir Charles Monck.

Belsay Hall

and Belsay Castle

Useful links

Wikipedia for Belsay
and same for the Hall and the Castle

Northumbria byways have

Lake cottage...part of the Belsay estate
as well as South Hall cottage

Thropton in Northumberland

noreply@blogger.com (Northumbria Byways) — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 15:46:00 +0000

Thropton is a small village about two miles to the west of Rothbury.It sits alongside the River Coquet. where it is joined by the Wreigh burn. It has a post office which sells fresh fruit, vegetables and basic provisions. Then there are two pubs, the Cross Keys and the Three Wheat Heads which is a 300 year old coaching inn.
Thropton is the terminus for the 516 bus route which covers Newcastle to Morpeth and on to Rothbury.

Northumbria byways can offer these properties either in or close to Thropton

Westfield Cottage

Keepers Cottage

Wreighburn cottage

and Grandma's cottage

Close to thropton are Elsdon , Otterburn and Alwinton.

Cornhill on Tweed

noreply@blogger.com (Northumbria Byways) — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 15:18:00 +0000

Cornhill on tweed is a village in Northumberland. It is just 1 mile to the east of Coldstream. Its original name was Cornell. The River Tweed is about one mile from the village and here there is an eighteenth century bridge with five arches spanning the river.

Strangely Cornhill used to be part of County Durham but in 1844 an Act of Parliament transferred it to Northumberland.

The Anglican Church is dedicated to Saint Helen , the mother of Constantine the Great.

Northumbria byways has Keeper cottage close to the Village.

Northumberland ice cream

noreply@blogger.com (Northumbria Byways) — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 10:26:00 +0000

Sitting warm and cosy by a warm fire as the snow falls heavily across Northumberland our thoughts turned to the summer and ice cream by the sea. We knew that there are many small ice cream companies scattered across the north of england and just how hard it can be for them to make the next step up into a medium to large sized company....but exactly how many ice cream companies are there in Northumberland?

Well here are just a few

First there is the Doddington dairy situated close to the market town of Wooler. This is a true ice cream farm with its own herd and traditions.

Then down to Stocksfield where you have Wheelbirks farm and their herd of Jersey cows.

Morwick dairy at Warkworth sells their ices under the mouthwatering title of "Royal double"

Three quality producers of ice cream...and thats before we start to look at all the ice cream parlours and restaurants helping to keep the tourists and locals happy.

Cottages in Hexham

noreply@blogger.com (Northumbria Byways) — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 08:42:00 +0000

Hexham is a market town in Tynedale sitting on the A69 road between Newcastle and Carlisle. The area is steeped in history, these being just some examples

1. Hexham Abbey. Predominantly from the 11th century but originally dates back to the 7th century.

2. Hadrians Wall. Easy access to all the main sites.

3.Allendale town with its history of lead mining.

4. The oldest purpose built prison in England, the "old gaol"

5.Battle of Hexham levels.

6. Hexham riots.

7.Kielder water reservoir.

8.Border reiver country and history.

Northumbria byways have a number of holiday cottages both in Hexham town and nearby. For example

and many more...so if you are interested in coming to this beautiful part of Northumberland then just give us a call.

Just to the south of Hexham is the tranquil town of Allendale with its history of mining.

Cottages in Stanhope, Durham

noreply@blogger.com (Northumbria Byways) — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 14:30:00 +0000

Stanhope is a small market town in County Durham.It is built alongside the River Wear.The area was originally well known as a coal mining centre.

Stanhope originally had a Norman Castle but that was abandoned and it wasn't until 1798 that the present castle was built by Cuthbert Rippon, a London solicitor. In later years it became a site for an approved school but then was sold and sub divided into apartments.

This image from Google earth shows the town and the river alongside it

References include

Wikipedia

and the Durham and Dales centre.

Also

The rather rare heated open air swimming pool.

and this suggested walk around Stanhope.

Allendale town, Northumberland

noreply@blogger.com (Northumbria Byways) — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 15:07:00 +0000

Allendale is a large village in Northumberland just south of Hexham.It is situated within the North Pennine Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.It is named after the River Allen which gave the name to the Valley. The main employment is now in agriculture and tourism. Historically however lead mining was a key activity from Roman times until the 19th century when investment funds were diverted into the growing local coal industry.

Allendale Town has a thriving community with shops, many pubs and a scenic golf course.

Useful links include

Previous blog posts on Allendale and Allenheads.

Wikipedia

Northumbria byways have a number of quality cottages here including

Allen Mill

Dale View

and

Station house

Otterburn, Northumberland

noreply@blogger.com (Northumbria Byways) — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 14:49:00 +0000

Otterburn is a small village in Northumberland on the banks of the River Rede close to the confluence with the Otter Burn.
It is well known for a number of reasons.

Historically it is associated with the Battle of Otterburn and of course it is in the centre of Border Reiver lands

It is the site of Otterburn Mill. This Mill was built to work with the local wool which was and still is an important industry for the area. There is some evidence that the mill dates back to the 15th century. however little is known prior to the 1820's. The Mill grew and prospered until the late 1960's when a lack of funds to invest started a decline until manufacturing ceased in 1976. The Mill was eventually sold to the Pringle family.

Then there is Otterburn tower a fortified Northumbrian country house which was founded by a cousin of
William the Conqueror in 1086.It is now a quality hotel, restaurant and wedding venue.

Near to Otterburn are the large ministry of defence lands and of course the historic medieval village of Elsdon.

Useful links include

Our blog entries for Elsdon.

Wikipedia for Otterburn

Otterburn tower

and of course the Mill

Northumbria byways are happy to offer the Drovers rest as the ideal cottage to explore the area.