During the last two years of a closed off world to travel and holidays, we have been forced to rediscover what is on our doorstep and we have found some real gems.
Recently we stayed with Little Hideaways, a collection of family-owned holiday properties in the heart of Northumberland. They have four self-catering holiday cottages located in Seahouses and an awe inspiring rural idle in the heart of the Northumbrian countryside. All offering cosy charming stays, close to unspoilt beaches, ancient castles and access to stunning wildlife on your doorstep.
We stayed in Tern Cottage. Tucked away in a courtyard of traditional fisherman’s cottages. Tern Cottage dates back to the 1800’s and has a large cosy, welcoming living space hosting a traditional log burner, which we made good use of. The cottage is 100 metres from the harbour and coastal path and once parked up, you can forget about it and walk everywhere.
From the outside Tern Cottage looks tiny, but once inside this amazing Tardis opens into a substantial family dwelling with everything mostly on one ground floor level. There are two bedrooms, a double and a twin, a newly fitted bathroom with underfloor heating and an outdoor patio where you can sit on warmer days and enjoy a BBQ or drink.
It was the start of spring when we visited and although it was beautiful sunshine for the whole week, there was a sneaky sea breeze and the evenings turned very cold, so we made good use of that log burner!
The location of Tern Cottage is idyllic. Seahouses is a traditional heritage fishing village situated on the Northumberland coastal path. Unspoilt and with a slow pace of life, you feel all your daily stresses evaporating instantly.
There’s everything you could need, and more, for a self-catering holiday – local shops, pubs, amazing fish and chip shops and large choice of restaurants. We cooked breakfast in the cottage every morning before exploring all that the area has to offer and this saw us through to the end of the day when we either ate in The Olde Ship Inn or gorged on that day’s catch of fish and chips, crab, or lobster!
The location of Little Hideaways holiday cottages couldn’t be any better. We loved waking each morning to seagulls’ cries and the smell of the salty sea. It’s medicine for the soul.
Now let me tell you about the beaches. They are many, huge and possibly the cleanest beaches we have seen in the UK! The beaches here are a magnet for children, with large stretches of perfect sand, areas of rock formations to climb and an abundance of rock pools to explore.
Because the beaches are so big, no matter how many people are on them, they seem quiet and it’s a doggie paradise, which had us wondering how the beaches stayed so clean. Until we noticed how every dog owner, without exception, cleaned up after their dog and made use of the many bins provided.
During our stay we walked along the beach from Seahouses to Bamburgh Caste and back, a good four miles each way and wow was it worth it! This is the Kingdom of Northumbria’s epicentre and home of the Armstrong family since 1894.
Crowning nine acres of the Great Whin Sill, Bamburgh Castle has stood guard above the Northumberland coast for thousands of years. Well worth a visit.
Another day we walked in the opposite direction along the beach, eventually following a coastal path among the dunes and grasses, where we discovered wild ponies! So used to seeing people they just ambled past us without a second glance! It was magical.
Other places to put on your visitors list are the Farne Islands, a boat trip fromSeahouses harbour over to the islands is a magical experience; you will be able to spot seals and seabirds, and, if you’re really lucky, pods of dolphins and the occasional Minke whale have also been seen from the boat.
This is also the land of magnificent castles! Make sure you visit at least two. Northumberland is steeped in Roman history with Roman forts, Hadrian’s Wall and museums to explore and a trip to Lindisfarne, also know as Holy Island is a must.
Back to Little Hideaways – we just could not fault it. The accommodation, the location, the facilities and amenities are all spot on! This is a hidden gem we want to share, and you can even take your furry family member as one well behaved medium sized dog is welcome. Not all holiday cottages are so accommodating.
The cottage also has parking for two cars and if you can’t get the dates you want at Tern Cottage, look at: Guillemot which sleeps six, St Cuthbert’s which sleeps two and Oystercatcher which sleeps four and, all are dog friendly.
Families and groups, check out the latest addition to Little Hideaways, Swallows Rest. This is something very special which we will have a dedicated feature on soon.
We know that you will love staying in one of their fantastic holiday cottages. But make sure you book now before word gets out!
For more information call Rachel on 07974 076094 or Email [email protected]. You can check availability and make your booking at www.littlehideaways.co.uk
READER OFFER
20% Discount Off Booking at Guillemot Cottage and Swallow Rest from 16th to 30th April!! Call Rachel on 07974 076094 to Make Your Booking.
