Perfect Self-Catering Stays in the North East for a Relaxing Retreat
The best self catering properties for your next staycation
Marine House Cottage
In brief: An attractive stone-built cottage in a prime location in the village of Alnmouth.
Our highlight: Known for its expanse of golden, sandy beach and estuary, Alnmouth is the perfect base for exploring northumberland and its heritage coastline.
Insider guide: With beautiful views overlooking the golf course with the sea as a backdrop, the location of Marine House Cottage is certainly special. Tastefully furnished, immaculately presented and equipped to a high standard, the cottage is ideal for two couples or a small family. Benefitting from private parking (a must in this popular village) and an elevated terrace with outdoor furniture means you can sit back, relax and admire the stunning views after a day out and about.
Alnmouth, Northumberland
01665 830783
northumbria-cottages.co.uk
Breamish Valley Cottages
In brief: Award-winning luxury holiday cottages at the mouth of the stunning Breamish Valley.
Our highlight: The Bosk restaurant – with big cosy chairs, rustic yet elegant interiors, and stunning architecture, it’s a place to eat, to celebrate and to relax.
Insider guide: Based at the foot of the Cheviot Hills, these award-winning luxury holiday cottages are perfect for family holidays and relaxing short breaks. Sleeping between two and eight, the traditional stone-built cottages have been built with guests in mind, featuring fantastic spacious rooms, farmhouse kitchens equipped with everything you could need, comfortable beds and multiple bathrooms to make life easy. After a busy day exploring, come back and enjoy the variety of leisure facilities that complement the cottages as, just a stone’s throw away, there’s a swimming pool, gym, jacuzzi, steam room, sauna, tennis court, adventure playground, games room and observatory.
Breamish Valley Cottages, Powburn NE66 4LW
01665 578263
breamishvalley.co.uk
Brinkburn
In brief: Six luxurious holiday properties in the heart of the Coquet Valley.
Our highlight: The Stables – a stable-turned-cottage, perfect for a family get-together.
Insider guide: Brinkburn’s six unique cottages (all complete with wood burners) can be booked together or separately, and range from romantic boltholes for couples to home-from-homes for families. All combine modern comfort with the character of the original buildings (one is the original gatehouse for the priory and manor house), and while the surrounding Brinkburn Estate is well worth exploring, your home-from-home offers a brilliant base from which to discover Northumberland’s castles and coast.
Brinkburn Northumberland
01665 570870
brinkburnnorthumberland.com
Kidlandlee Holiday Cottages
In brief: Award-winning luxury holiday cottages and barn conversions in the heart of Northumberland National Park.
Our highlight: Their prime location – sitting 1,400-feet above sea level, this is a place of big skies and never-ending walking and cycling trails on the doorstep.
Insider guide: For lovers of the great outdoors, or those seeking a blissful escape from it all, these beautifully secluded award-winning luxury holiday cottages offer peace and tranquility, where the landscape takes centre stage. Sitting in the heart of Northumberland’s National Park this is an off-grid experience without compromising on luxury. Map incredible night skies using stargazing kits, or choose a range of treatments from The Holistic Healing Cabin and relax, unwind and discover the best of Northumberland.
Kidlandlee, Harbottle, Morpeth NE65 7DA
01669 650472
kidlandlee.co.uk
Tiny Chapel
In brief: A beautifully converted 19th century chapel in the heart of Hadrian’s Wall country.
Our highlight: The south-facing stone patio with a private hot tub and 180 degree views of the surrounding countryside.
Insider guide: Just a short drive from Hadrian’s Wall, and only two miles outside the historic market town of Hexham, you will find The Tiny Chapel. This aptly named little gem is a converted 19th century chapel sleeping up to four guests across two ensuite bedrooms. The master bedroom has a hand-made timber, king-size double bed with Tempur mattress, and sits under a stunning vaulted timber ceiling. It also has its own free-standing bath tub, which means you can sit back and enjoy a relaxing soak after a day out exploring.
Allendale Road, Hexham NE46 2BP
07929 363036
tinychapel.co.uk
Southlands Farm Cottages
In brief: Traditional, environmentally-friendly, farm cottages (and a showman’s wagon) nestled in the heart of Northumberland.
Our highlight: The Showman’s Wagon – a truly unique stay in a restored 1940s wagon.
Insider guide: The four cottages at Southlands Farm were developed from an 18th century Northumberland byre and granary. They retain many original features, and crisp linen sheets, generous baskets of local treats and hand-tied flowers from the garden mean you’ll always get a friendly welcome. Fancy a romantic retreat for two? Book a stay at Middle Cottage with its wood-burning stove, or in the converted hay loft, the latest addition to Southlands Farm.
Gunnerton, near Hexham NE48 4EA
01434 681464
southlandsfarmcottages.co.uk
Garden Cottage
In brief: A delightful single-storey cottage set in open countryside just one mile from the beach.
Our highlight: There are several fantastic local pubs and restaurants close by for those days when you just can’t be bothered to cook.
Insider guide: Tucked away in the tranquil location of Tughall Steads, Garden Cottage is the perfect place for a getaway. Accommodating six guests and two pets, the holiday home boasts ground-floor accommodation, a well-equipped kitchen including all amenities needed for self-catering stays, and two enclosed gardens. Appealing to walkers and dog owners alike, it’s the ideal base for a relaxing holiday exploring the Northumberland coastline. Within easy reach of Bamburgh, Seahouses and Alnwick, as well as the stunning sandy beaches at Beadnell and Newton by the Sea, the surrounding area is great for exploring.
Tughall Steads, Chathill, Northumberland
01665 830783
northumbria-cottages.co.uk
Chesters Stables
In brief: Seven luxury self-catering stable suites offering a home away from home.
Our highlight: The selection of unique extras on offer, such as in-suite dining during your stay or groceries delivered and unpacked before you arrive.
Insider guide: The fully-renovated Chesters Stables started life in 1891 as part of the Chesters Estate. Reborn in 2018, these luxury stable suites now rest amid the landscaped Walwick Hall Country Estate in the heart of Northumberland. From the handmade kitchens and marble bathrooms to the toe-warming stoves, this self-catering accommodation is a true rural retreat. During your stay, you’ll experience the luxury of having a boutique spa on your doorstep along with the complete privacy and peace your fully-equipped Stable Suite offers.
Walwick Hall Hotel, Humshaugh, Hexham NE46 4BJ
01434 620156
walwickhall.com
Trees at Tughall
In brief: Three exclusive cabins set within a small wood on the Northumbrian coast.
Our highlight: Popular cycle routes, iconic hiking trails and touring routes such as the Northumberland 250 are all on the doorstep.
Insider guide: Connect to the great outdoors in minimalist luxury at Trees at Tughall. Just four fields away from the watersports mecca and Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty that is Beadnell Bay, it feels totally secluded and immersed in nature yet still very accessible. Designed by award-winning architects Koto, the single-bedroom cabins are named after species in the wood and offer some of the highest quality cabin stays in the country. Their design is simple, contemporary and modern – a clean slate from which to enjoy nature unfettered by the clutter of everyday life.
Tughall Grange Farm, Chathill NE67 5EN
07593 437255
treesattughall.com
Sycamore Cottage & Glamping Pods
In brief: A cosy cottage, holiday huts and glamping pods on a Northumberland family farm.
Our highlight: A couples retreat in The Black Hut (a new addition) where you can experience stargazing from the dedicated dark skies lounge.
Insider guide: Ideally located for rambling in the rolling countryside, take your pick from Sycamore’s varied accommodation. Willow Pod is the best base to see the sun and the stars, the spacious Cedar Pod offers rare accommodation for five, and if you’re bringing your four-legged friends along, book Sycamore Cottage (where two dogs are welcome, and there’s an enclosed garden). Plus, the BBQ hut is available to hire so you don’t need to leave the site for your evening meal. Your hosts, third generation livestock farmers, can also provide you with fresh eggs, a fire pit pack, flowers and banners for celebrations and a tour of the farm.
Barrasford, Northumberland
07793 868277
sycamorecottage.org
The Braid in Amble
In brief: An impressive escape just a short distance from Amble Harbour.
Our highlight: A gorgeous welcome hamper is provided on arrival, including luxurious complimentary toiletries.
Insider guide: Part of Amble’s new development Marina West, The Braid is a stunning timber-frame property just yards from the sea. Spread across three floors this holiday home sleeps eight guests in four rooms, as well as two well-behaved dogs. The second floor boasts an impressive entertaining area complete with comfortable seating perfect for socialising with family and friends, while the pretty south east-facing courtyard with festoon lighting allows you to spill outside in the warmer months. The Braid also has parking for two cars on the private drive at the rear of the building, a spacious garage and offers access to an electric vehicle charging point if needed.
Marina West, Amble
01665 710700
coquetcottages.co.uk
Lavender Shepherd Hut
In brief: Five-star glamping in a vintage shepherd’s hut just off Hadrian’s Wall, perfect for a romantic break for two.
Our highlight: A breakfast hamper including local bacon, sausages and black pudding plus everything else you need for a full English breakfast, together with delicious pastries, can be delivered to your hut.
Insider guide: Whether you’re celebrating with a bottle of bubbly or cosying up by the wood-burning stove, you’re promised scenic views and a relaxing retreat in your shepherd’s hut, but you’re less than 30 minutes from Newcastle, in the perfect location to explore a stretch of Hadrian’s Wall. There’s an abundance of wildlife around you – watch the roe deer pass the hut at dawn and dusk.
Nesbitt Hill Head, Stamfordham NE18 0LG
07760 165408
hadrianshepherdhuts.co.uk
Doxford Farm Camping
In brief: A glamping, camping and caravanning site on a 500-acre, family-run, working farm in Northumberland.
Our highlight: The new Boothill pod – sleeping up to two guests and two dogs, it features a king-sized bed, bath, shower room, underfloor heating, kitchen and swinging egg chair.
Insider guide: Stay in unspoilt countryside at Doxford Farm Camping. An ideal location, you are surrounded by woodland, a lake and fields, and only four miles from the nearest sandy beach. The site accommodates caravans, motorhomes and campervans to pitch up, with an electric hook up and shower facilities on site. For those looking for a little more luxury, there are also glamping pods and bell tents where the addition of mattresses and sumptuous bedding make your stay even more comfortable.
Doxford Farm, Chathill NE67 5DY
07773 714482
doxfordfarmcamping.co.uk
