This 200-year-old cottage offers space to unwind for families or groups of friends, whatever their age and with canine companions, too. It is set at the end of a short track, in a quiet hollow in the hamlet of Humbleton, on the border of the Northumberland National Park. Just over a mile away is the market town of Wooler, where there are shops, pubs, restaurants and a nine-hole golf course. Walkers will love the area: a bridleway leads from your front door into the National Park and to the famous St Cuthbert’s Way, and there is a wide variety of walks to enjoy – with a great chance of not seeing another soul for hours on end. If you want to drive out for the day, the Ford & Etal Estate is 8 miles away, where you can ride a steam train, stroke a heavy horse, learn how the power of water is harnessed to produce flour, or discover a Victorian schoolroom.
The large stone-and-slate cottage is set on two floors, but with all rooms on the ground floor except one bedroom. Although there is a ‘front’ door, most guests will enter from the drive and through the utility (off which is a handy WC). The welcoming kitchen/diner is the heart of the home, with exposed beams, stripped-wood floor and both an Aga and an electric cooker. Its wooden table will seat everyone comfortably – a lovely place to dine together in the evenings and discuss the day’s activities. The vaulted lounge is centred on a huge chimney with a wood burner, and is full of comfortable seating, books, games, maps and guides, and there is also a separate conservatory with a dining table and chairs for informal dining and enjoying that indoor/outdoor feeling. Up a short flight of steps a hallway leads to three charming bedrooms – a king-size room with an en-suite shower, a double and twin, as well as a family bathroom and a snug. This small room provides a quiet space in which to relax, read or catch up on some work. On the first floor is the impressive fourth bedroom, a double, which has a lovely beamed, pitched ceiling and views over the neighbouring fields.
The cottage’s mature garden is absolutely wonderful, providing space to enjoy the Northumbrian countryside air. Mostly laid to lawn and with trees, shrubs and herbaceous borders, its fence forms the border of the National Park. A decked dining area boasts expansive views over Humbleton Hill and is the perfect place for a summer lunch or evening drink. Elsewhere in the garden are two large benches, a love seat and a small gazebo, while a converted stable provides a games room with a multi-games table and a fridge. This also houses a BBQ and can be used for bike storage. The neighbouring wooded wetland attracts a wealth of birds and wildlife (unfenced pond, please supervise children).