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.

On Ya Bike! Northumberland Provides Beautiful Cycling Routes.

Northumberland can sometimes be an overlooked county. Just south of the border, Yorkshire has its magnificent moorland – while Edinburgh and Glasgow can draw the eye away from Warkworth and Alnwick. But for a cycling holiday, Northumberland fits the bill beautifully. It has a number of great routes to keep your legs pumping and eyes wandering up and down the scenery for a long as you stay south of the Scottish border.

The Coast and Castles Cycling Route is part of the National Cycle Network Route 1, and it runs up and down the coastline of Northumberland – between Tynemouth and Berwick upon Tweed. Entering Northumberland at Seaton Sluice, the route is flat but incredibly scenic, which makes it a perfect choice for a lot of cyclists.

The attractions it passes include three castles (Warkworth, Bamburgh and Dunstanburgh), while it also passes the Woodhorn Museum, Holy Island of Lindisfarne and the Druridge Bat Country Park. The website for the route recommends doing the Newcastle to Edinburgh route first, as it ends with a more picturesque finale in Scotland as bikers pass Arthurs Seat, instead of Byker and Wallsend on Tyneside.

Another cycle route that could be taken the Hadrian Wall path – but at 150 miles long, it might be better suited to the more experienced cyclist. It does leave Northumberland and go into Cumbria as it follows the length of the wall.

Inside Northumberland, it runs along the Tyne Valley between Gilsland and Wylam – unsurprisingly, it brings a follower in contact with a number of Roman forts, sites and museums. A great route for someone after a little bit of the region’s history. For those who would rather take a mountain bike down a dirt trail, the Deadwater Trails in Kielder Forest are one of the best in England and offer breathtaking views. The Red Trail is the highest in the country, and climbs to 1900ft (580m).

Northumberland also offers a variety of other mountain biking spots, including Hexhamshire Common and the Cheviot Hills near Wooler. The National Cycling Charity organises rides that leave every Tuesday at Merton Hall in Ponteland. Rides leave at around 10:30am and return by 4:00pm. Riders normally bike around 35-50 miles, and stop for lunch at a café or pub. Worried about the pace? Don’t be, it’s easy and nobody is left behind.

From April to September, on the last Tuesday of every month, an ‘away day’ is arranged. This just means that the group leaves from a different location, instead of Ponteland. Barneburg CC also offers Saturday and Sunday morning rides, for cyclists of all abilities. Based in south-east Northumberland, they are open to people who want to ‘race, tour, or just potter through Northumberland.’

You could combine your biking holiday with self-catered accommodation with Tidal Holidays. 

Tidal Holidays offer a high class experience in beautiful cottages. It would be the perfect base from which to begin, or think about beginning, a cycle tour through the coast and countryside of beautiful Northumberland.