Monday 16 June 2014

An Opportunity for Excellence

Resting in the heart of Northumberland is an opportunity.  It’s not the opportunity to rest and relax in the midst of stunning rolling hills, surrounded by picturesque countryside. That opportunity already exists to anyone, and rather, this is an opportunity for luxury.

Near Felton, Morpeth, an exclusive development is being erected. 50 cottages are being built that will offer beauty and freedom, but the ease of living that comes with being within a four-star resort. They will provide the perfect away-from-home experience, all from the comfort of a stunning cottage.

A different way of thinking
Northumbrian Hills is an ideal location for a second home out of the city, and every three bedroomed home is constructed to a unique layout – the bedrooms are located on the ground floor, while the living area and third bedroom is placed on the first floor in order to allow owners to take in the beautiful views.

A cottage in the Northumbrian Hills resort will include a fully stocked kitchen with a modern finish, appliances, en-suite bathrooms and a log burner. French doors lead out onto a balcony with stunning views across the rolling Northumbrian hills.

Construction and development
The construction of the development is being split into three phases: In phase one the cottages will be built, all set close to the pavilion – and each building will provide 107 sq. m. of floor space with a balcony that can offer south, south west or westerly views of the countryside.

Phase two will see the pavilion being constructed – which will provide bars, restaurants, a swimming pool, spa and fitness facilities.

Phase three will excite golf lovers everywhere, as it is the construction of a golf academy that includes teaching bays, a driving range and a short game zone – as well as other sports facilities.

A round of golf
For those whose ideal day consists of a round of golf, Northumbria Hills is the perfect place to indulge your game. The entire development is set within the ground of championship golf course.

And the development’s location – set between Alnwick and Morpeth – is ideal if you want to go off resort for 18 holes. The Alnwick Castle Golf Club is set close to the famous Alnwick Castle, and offers countryside views across the whole of the par 70 course. Morpeth Golf Club is based right in the heart of the ancient market town, and was founded in 1906. It was designed by Open champions Harry Vardon, and it often used for national and county events.



Other activities
Other activities around the area include the Lindisfarne Priory, located on Holy Island, which was the site of Viking attacks in 793. In a trip to Lindisfarne, you can also see the old priory and marvel in the history of a place that can only be reached at low tide.

Alnwick Castle, near the golf course, is one of the largest inhabited castles in the world – and was the setting for some of the filming of Harry Potter. Tickets to the castle can also be validated for 12 months at no extra cost!

Other activities include Go Ape! a tree-top adventure park, and the Northumberland National Park, just south of Hadrian’s Wall.

Which all makes Northumbrian Hills a fantastic opportunity to get away from it all and enjoy the calm and silence from a wonderful holiday home.

For more information visit the Northumbrain Hills website: www.northumbrianhills.com







Land a hole in one with Warkworth House Hotel

When you think of golfing holidays, you don’t automatically think of Northumberland. Rather, Northumberland might be held in the same train of thought as a place to stay for beautiful countryside, beaches and enough history to devote an entire week to. But what if you want to devote you entire week to something else? What if you want to spend the time strolling around the fairways and greens of some spectacular golf courses?

Perfect
Is the county somewhere to do that? Of course it is. From open-champion designed course at Morpeth to the 18-holes in the shadow of Alnwick castle, there are plenty of places that golf enthusiasts can spend their time.

Warkworth is just one of many courses that offers stunning scenery in the county. It was designer was Old Tom Morris in 1891 – Morris was an early pioneer of British golf, and won the British Open multiple times.

With views of Carr Rocks, Coquet Island, Warkworth Castle and the surrounding Northumbrian countryside and coastline, Warkworth is a truly stunning course that has a large pond behind the first green – a brilliant side-product of a development sponsored by the Environment Agency.

Challenging 
The course at Warkworth has nine greens, but 18 tees to give the golfer a unique challenge at every hole. Be warned though, visitors are not able to play on Tuesdays and Saturdays as they are reserved for members of the club. Other golf clubs around the area include Alnmouth Golf Club, a 10 minute drive to another course located near the sea – and set in a picturesque seaside village.

Dunstanburgh is a 25-minute drive away, and includes eight holes that fringe the beautiful Embleton Bay. The course consists of fourteen Par 4's, thee Par 3's and one Par 5. Four of the Par 4's are in excess of 400 yards from the Yellow Tees.

Nearby
A great place to stay in Warkworth is the Warkworth House Hotel, a three star establishment that is located less than a mile from the coast and in the crook of the River Coquet. It is also around a 2 minute drive from the golf course – which is ideal.

The building was originally used as a coaching inn during the 1820’s, and that history has carried on until this very day. It also contains a staircase that one belonged to King George IV’s second wife, Caroline of Brunswick.

The hotel is also set in the shadow of the castle, which was the seat of the Percy family – whose number include Harry Hotspur, who played a vital hand in the War of the Roses, fighting on the side of Henry IV. The bar offers fine drinking, among them a selection of local real ales and fine wines, and the rooms come equipped with hospitality trays, DVD players, LCD TV’s and come with an en-suite bathroom.

For those with a taste for the superior things in life, the hotel offers rooms that offer more. They come with king sized beds, a separate seating area and all the bathrooms have walk-in showers.