North East England

Wydon Farm has four star B&B accommodation on a 366 acre working cattle farm on the Bellister National Trust Estate, close to Haltwhistle, Corbridge, Haydon Bridge and the infamous Hadrian’s Wall in Northumberland, U.K. The Accommodation: They have three traditional style rooms, all of which are very comfortable and spacious and come with private bathroom, TV and WiFi, and one room has its own whirlpool bath. Their full English breakfast is generous and good, with the eggs coming from the farm’s own hens, and they can offer a nice choice of cereals, yoghurt and fruit too. Guests are welcome to bring their dog to stay at the farm, just phone before you arrive to arrange. The Farm: The farm is a working cattle farm stretching across nearly four hundred acres of prime agricultural land on the Bellister Estate, a beautifully peaceful place with a history going back to the 13th-century. These days the Estate has a small 19th-century mansion house alongside the ruins of a 14th-century tower. The Location: The infamous Hadrian’s Wall of course gets number one billing in this area and is only about ten minutes drive from the farmstay, but there are other Roman ruins around too in this richly historic area too, at Vindolanda, Chesters, Housesteads and Birdoswald, and they can all be reached with the very convenient Hadrian’s Wall Bus Service which has a stop about a mile away from the farmstay. Europe’s largest man made lake at Kielder Water is also easily reachable from the farmstay. As is the spectacular Alnwick Castle with its famous gardens which make a lovely day out, Fishing is a popular activity around here and the farm has its own pitch on the South Tyne River which is reputed to be among the best salmon rivers in the country, and which guests are welcome to use. The surrounding area is also great for hiking and cycling, especially around the hills and moors of the Northumberland National Park and Kielder Forest Park, and if you want to venture farther afield Northumberland has miles of gorgeous coastline including the ancient, eerily beautiful, monastic site of Lindisfarne and the bird life filled nature reserve at Farne READ MORE

Posh Huts has some very cute and unique glamping hut accommodation on a peaceful farm in Falstone, Northumberland, very close to both Northumberland National Park and Kielder Water. THE ACCOMMODATION: The wooden shepherd’s huts are a modern day version of some very traditional style accommodation. In olden days the shepherds of Northumberland would stay on the farm during lambing season, sometimes being away for days on end, hence the need for a comfortable, secure base that could be easily moved when needed. Falstone Farm has four modern versions of them made from wood and steel, and with more modern insulation. They are nicely decorated too and though obviously small they are surprisingly comfortable. They are fully heated, and have a kitchen, cute seating area and one double bedroom. If you don’t feel like cooking you can arrange meals to be cooked for you and for an order of freshly baked bread to be delivered to your hut each morning. For guests who value a sense of escape; there’s no TV and no WiFi! THE LOCATION: Falstone Farm is a wonderful base for exploring this very historic and beautiful region.  It is very near the famous Hadrian’s Wall, as well as a host of other Roman ruins too, such as Chesters, Birdoswald  and Vindolanda. Kielder Water, Europe’s largest man made lake is just up the road too along with its gorgeous forest park. More natural beauty can be found on the windswept moors of the Northumberland National Park which offers great mountain biking and hill walking, and the coast of Northumberland is equally inspiring, especially the ancient monastery at Lindisfare’s Holy Island, and the Farne Islands with their abundance of sea birds. There is much more to be seen and felt too, just ask at the farm for recommendations, they can arrange tours of the local area for you as well as bike hire. WHAT OTHER GUESTS SAY: “Well organised arrival and departure and easy to find. The shower was a good size and the kitchen area was small but well-equipped. Although it went down to zero degrees during our stay we remained toasty warm (without even using the logs in the wood READ MORE