National Garden Scheme - Northumberland Gardens Announced

The following gardens in Northumberland will open for charity this year as part of the National Garden Scheme. More information about gardens outside of Northumberland can be found on the NGS website

For garden opening news follow @cottagegardener on Twitter

ACTON HOUSE
Felton, Morpeth NE65 9NU. Mr & Mrs Alan & Eileen Ferguson. N of Morpeth. On old A1 N of Felton. Take turning to Acton, follow rd for 1/2 m until fork. Take R fork and follow signs. Light refreshments & home-made teas.

Adm £3.50, chd free. Sat 4 Aug (1-5). Upon entering the walled garden, you can see the structure, colour and variety of planting. It is full of herbaceous perennials and different grasses. This garden, planted in the spring of 2011, has sections devoted to fruit and vegetables, David Austin rose borders, standard trees and climbers spreading over the brick walls. There are additional mixed borders, ha-ha and developing woodland planting extending over 5 acres. Herbaceous perennial section incls species and varieties favoured by butterflies and bees (info available). Possible Jazz music performance and art exhibition - to be confirmed.

THE BEACON
10 Crabtree Road, Stocksfield NE43 7NX. Derek & Patricia Hodgson. 12m W of Newcastle upon Tyne. From A69, Stocksfield turn off, into village. Pass cricket ground, station on L.Turn R into Cadehill Rd & next R into Crabtree Rd. As Crabtree Rd is a cul de sac please park in Cadehill or main rds. If you like a good walk park in the stn car park. Cream teas. 

Adm £3, chd free. Sun 3 June (2-6). This garden has been created over the last 13 years and illustrates how to make a garden, with lots of interest at different levels, on a steep site. Water gently runs through it, and it is planted with acers, apple and lilac trees, roses, rhododendron and herbaceous perennials. There are quiet, tranquil places to sit. Featured in Amateur Gardening.

BIDE-A-WEE COTTAGE

Stanton, Morpeth NE65 8PR. Mr M Robson, 01670 772238, www.bideawee.co.uk. 7m NNW of Morpeth. Turn L off A192 out of Morpeth at Fairmoor. Stanton is 6m along this rd. 

Adm £3, chd free. For NGS: Sats 21 Apr (1.30-4.30); 4 Aug (1.30-5). For other opening times and information, please phone or see garden website. Unique secret garden created over the last 30yrs out of a small sandstone quarry, it features rock and water. Unusual perennials are woven within a matrix of ferns, trees and shrubs. The garden contains the National Collection of centaurea, and many other plants seldom seen.

BLAGDON
Seaton Burn NE13 6DE. The Hon Matt Ridley, www.blagdonestate.co.uk. 5m S of Morpeth on A1. A1 N of Newcastle 8m, turn on to B1318 towards Seaton Burn then L at r’about (Holiday Inn) and follow signs to Blagdon. Entrance to parking area signed. Home-made teas.

Adm £3, chd free. Sun 20 May (1-5). Unique 27 acre garden encompassing formal garden with Lutyens designed ‘canal’, Lutyens structures and walled kitchen garden. Valley with stream and various follies, quarry garden and woodland walks. Large numbers of ornamental trees and shrubs planted over many generations. National Collections of Acer, Alnus and Sorbus. Train ride around the estate (small
additional charge).

CRAGSIDE
Rothbury NE65 7PX. National Trust, 01669 621267, www.nationaltrust.org.uk. 13m SW of Alnwick. (B6341); 15m NW of Morpeth (A697). 

Adm £9.45, chd £4.80. For NGS: Sat 14 July (10-5). For other opening times and information, please phone or see garden website. 3 acre formal garden in the ‘High Victorian’ style created by the 1st Lord
Armstrong. Restored Italian terrace, orchard house, carpet bedding, dahlia walk and fernery. 4 1/2 acre rock garden with its restored cascades. Extensive grounds of over 1000 acres famous for rhododendrons in June, beautiful lakeside walks and woodland.

DILSTON PHYSIC GARDEN & NORTHUMBERLAND MEDICINAL PLANTS
nr Corbridge NE45 5QZ. Prof Elaine Perry, www.dilstonphysicgarden.com. 1m W of Corbridge, 2m E of Hexham. On B695 between Corbridge & Hexham,just W of the junction with B6529. Car park on W side of main garden, entrance where Dilston Scout Camp is. 5min walk (footpath). 

Adm £3, chd free. Sun 15 July (1-4). For other opening times and information, please see garden website.
This garden, dedicated to the healing power of plants, has been established as an education and research venue. It is not a garden of finely tended herbaceous borders. Set in 2-acres beside the Devil’s Water, over 800 plants are grown for their medicinal, magical or mind altering powers, each with a sign providing valuable information on the plant and its uses. Whilst being educational, Dilston is also designed for fun. It is child friendly, with places and sculptures that will keep children amused. This is a unique and quirky
garden for those with a sense of adventure. Freshly picked and prepared herbal teas to order. For children - animal trail, chamomile lawn to lie on, kids play area with safe herbs for children to discover, kids drawing hut. Featured in Hexham Courant and on BBC Women’s Hour.

FALLODON HALL
Alnwick NE66 3HF. Mr & Mrs Mark Bridgeman. 5m N of Alnwick on A1. Turn R on B6347, and turn into Falloden gates after 2m. Home-made teas.

Adm £3. Sat 23 June (2-5.30). 12 acre garden, incl a 30 metre border, finishing beside a hot greenhouse and bog garden. The C17 walls of the kitchen garden surround cutting and vegetable borders and fruit greenhouse. The sunken garden from 1898 has recently been replanted by Natasha McEwen. A maturing millennium arboretum beside the pond. Home-made teas in stable yard and plant sale, predominantly of Fallodon plants. Limited wheelchair access.

HEXHAM COMMUNITY WALLED GARDEN
Queen Elizabeth High School, Whetstone Bridge Road, Hexham NE46 3JB. 1/2 m W of Hexham. From Hexham bus stn travel west. When you reach 3 way T-lights - Fox PH on R - turn L up Allendale Rd, after T-lights, take 2nd R turn go up lane. Car park signed. Home-made teas. 

Adm £2.50, chd free. Sun 17 June (11-5). Although this walled garden, developed by young people and community groups, is only 1/4 acre it feels much bigger. It is full of interesting and unusual plants, and has been developed with wildlife (newts, bees, butterflies etc) in mind. Paths wend through cottage style planting, past ponds, vegetables, fruit and herbaceous planting. Victorian greenhouse and willow tunnels. A
delightful place.

LILBURN TOWER
Alnwick NE66 4PQ. Mr & Mrs D Davidson. 3m S of Wooler. On A697. Home-made teas. 

Adm £4, chd free. Sun 3 June (2-6). 10 acres of walled and formal gardens incl conservatory and large
glasshouse. Approx 30 acres of woodland with walks and pond garden. Rhododendrons and azaleas. Also ruins of Pele Tower, and C12 church. Limited wheelchair access.

LINDISFARNE CASTLE GARDEN
Holy Island, Lindisfarne TD15 2SH. National Trust, 01289 389244, www.nationaltrust.org.uk. Located on Lindisfarne (Holy Island). On approaching the castle the garden can be seen 500 metres across the field
to the L. 

Adm £2, chd free. For NGS: Mon 9 July (1-5). For other opening times and information, please phone or see garden website. In 1911 Gertude Jekyll designed this garden as a summer garden for the then owner of the castle, Edward Hudson. Containing large drifts of hardy annuals (incl a fine show of sweet peas) the garden is a riot of colour in the height of summer. The gardener will be available for garden walks and to answer questions throughout the afternoon.

LOUGHBROW HOUSE
Hexham NE46 1RS. Mrs K A Clark, 01434 603351, patriciaclark351@btinternet.com. 1m S of Hexham. Take B6306 from Hexham, signed Blanchland, after 1/4 m take RH-fork. After a further 1/4 m you come to another fork, lodge gates are at intersection. Garden 1/2 m up the drive. Home-made teas. 

Adm £3, chd free. Sun 15 July (2-5). Groups also welcome by appt. Woodland garden with hododendrons, azaleas and hosta bed in the quarry. Bog garden with pond. Old-fashioned roses, 3 herbaceous borders, large area of lawns. Extensive kitchen garden and paved courtyard. Developing wild flower meadow with specimen trees.

NEWBIGGIN HOUSE
Blanchland DH8 9UD. Mrs A Scott-Harden, 01434 675005. 12m S of Hexham. From Blanchland village take Stanhope Rd. 1/2 m along narrow rd follow yellow signs up tarmac drive into car park. Cream teas.

Adm £4, chd free. Sun 29 Apr (2-5.30). 5-acre landscaped garden at 1000ft, started in 1996 and maturing beautifully. Old-fashioned herbaceous border, peonies, shrubs, roses, bog and wild garden incl wild rose walk. Magnificent collection of unusual trees and shrubs. Limited wheelchair access.

THORNLEY HOUSE
Thornley Gate, Allendale, Northum NE47 9NH. Ms Eileen Finn, 01434 683255,  enquiries@thornleyhouse.co.uk, www.thornleyhouse.co.uk. 1m W of Allendale. From Allendale town, down hill from Hare & Hound to 5th rd junction, 1m Thornley House is big house in field in front. Light refreshments & teas. 

Adm £3, chd free (share to Brooke charity for Working Animals). Sun 26 Aug (2-5). Visitors & groups also welcome by appt. Unusual 1-acre garden consisting of woodland, stream, pond, vegetable and
fruit garden, rose avenue and mixed planting. A feline theme is evident throughout this child-friendly garden. Seek and find quiz is available for family fun. Maine Coon cats and ornamental animals enhance this garden.

WALLINGTON
Cambo NE61 4AR. National Trust, 01670 773600, www.nationaltrust.org.uk/wallington. 12m W of Morpeth. From N B6343; from S via A696 from Newcastle, 6m W of Belsay, B6342 to Cambo. 

Adm £9.70, chd £6.70. For NGS: Suns 27 May; 8 July (10-7). For other opening times and information, please phone or see garden website. Walled, terraced garden with fine herbaceous and mixed borders; Edwardian conservatory; 100 acres woodland and lakes. House dates from 1688 but altered, interior greatly changed c1740; exceptional rococo plasterwork by Francini brothers. Head Gardener’s Question Time 12-4.

WHALTON MANOR GARDENS
Whalton NE61 3UT. Mr & Mrs T R P S Norton, www.whaltonmanor.co.uk. 5m W of Morpeth. On the B6524, the house is at the east end of the village and will be signed. 

Adm £3.50, chd free. Sun 1 July (2-5.30). The historic Whalton Manor, altered by Sir Edwin Lutyens in 1908, is surrounded by 3 acres of magnificent walled gardens, designed by Lutyens with the help of Gertrude Jekyll. The gardens have been developed by the Norton family since the 1920s and incl extensive herbaceous borders, 30yd peony border, rose garden, listed summerhouses, pergolas and walls, festooned with rambling roses and clematis. Partial wheelchair access. Some stone steps.

WOOPERTON HALL
Wooperton, Alnwick NE66 4XS. Mr & Mrs Robert Fleming. 6m S of Wooler. Signed off the A697. Home-made teas. 

Adm £4, chd free (share to Eglingham & Old Bewick Churches). Sun 27 May (1.30-5.30). Rescued from the brink and restored over the last 15yrs this country house garden has something for everyone - sweeping lawns with glorious views and mature trees, shrubs, rhododendrons and azaleas: overflowing mixed borders
and roses old and new. Extensive fruit and vegetable garden, wild pond garden. Music group playing throughout the afternoon. Limited wheelchair access, gravel paths and steep slopes.

February Advertising Offer

Your Northumberland Guide has quickly become the place to visit for all kinds of information about Northumberland. With social networks rivalling Visit Northumberland and thousands of visitors to the site we can now offer a unique and cost-effective way to advertise your business, with advertising options available from just £10 per month (including artwork design). For all adverts placed during February we are also offering a free advert in our first monthly Newsletter that will go out to over 10,000 people.

A summary of the benefits of advertising with Your Northumberland Guide:

• Adverts placed on our site reach thousands of visitors per week
• Advertisers are also announced through our Social Networks (currently approx 4,000 people)
• Free advert included in our first monthly newsletter (going out to 10,000 people at the end of February)
• Advertisers can use our Social Networks to announce news or special offers (subject to a maximum usage policy)

We believe we offer a unique way of reaching more people with your advertising, with options from just £10 per month and a special offer for adverts placed in February now is the perfect time to give us a try! Placing an advert couldn't be easier, just drop us an email and we'll get it all set up for you. For full information visit our Advertising Page on the Your Northumberland Guide Website. If you have any questions or if I can be of any help, please do not hesitate to get in touch.

Alnwick History Town Walk

Bailiffgate Museum are running a unique event  - Alnwick Town Walk with Adrian Ions on Saturday 11th February at 10am – Book now to avoid disappointment!

Discover Alnwick through the eyes of Adrian Ions, well known local historian, a founder of the Bailiffgate museum and a great storyteller! There will be an Alnwick Town Walk starting at 10.00 am on Saturday 11th February, starting from the Bailiffgate Museum during which Adrian will bring tales about the town and Northumberland into colourful life. There will be coffee and biscuits available in the museum following the walk. Numbers will be limited to 12 people, so it is essential to book a place by visiting the Museum or emailing ask@bailiffgate.co.uk or phoning on 01665 605847. Tickets are £2.50 per person. Even more information about Alnwick can be discovered by visiting the Historic Alnwick exhibition at the Museum which runs till March 4th 2012.

This is a unique and interesting opportunity, so you will need to act quickly if you would like to take part.

The Golf Trip - First Impressions of Northumberland

Growing up in close to Manchester in the industrial North West, I guess my first recollection of Northumberland was hearing of the famous Charlton’s of Ashington. It seemed a dour place, more redolent of industrial hardship and Billy Elliott than anything. Indeed, in his autobiography Sir Bobby tells of enjoying playing schools football for Bedlington Grammar because the post match meals were better than those he was getting at home! But of course the past is another country; they do things differently there…

Wind forward some forty or so years and my affection transferred from Football to Golf and my first real golfing partner was a son of Morpeth, who had settled for work reasons in Manchester. Yet he always spoke fondly of home. Eventually we made the journey North together to play a couple of rounds and for him to proudly introduce me to East Northumberland. My pal’s mother lived in Morpeth, but we lodged with his close friend and amateur Northumbrian golf legend Sandy at his home in Pegswood (Sandy’s wife and child were away). I hadn’t ventured North of Newcastle before, and trips to Scotland from the North West were always via Cumbria, so this was new territory.

The weather that weekend was glorious. April warmth and perfect sunshine made our hour long trip to play an Open Competition at the Roxburgh, Kelso a wonderful journey in itself. The countryside was stunningly beautiful, and its role as border country brought home. Less wild than the West coast roads, more ordered, more scenic and all the better for it. The trip back in late afternoon sunshine brought home the glory of these surroundings. We spent the evening in Morpeth, visiting the superb pubs and bars in this pleasant, historic market town and enjoying a Chinese banquet too. A sporty gang, I was told of fierce local rivalries against Scottish opposition. Their pride in their home county was clear. Why, the place was so magical that even Harry Potter had been filmed at Alnwick!

Their evangelism appeared to grow at the sight of this willing convert. So the following morning we drove to the coast at Seahouses for a breakfast fry-up before they took me onwards to Bamburgh. The castle looked spectacular. Who were the Kings that built such a magnificent place? When did they do it and why didn’t I know about it? I was told of the heroism of Grace Darling and shown Holy Island (admittedly more of a fixture in my school history books). These experienced and well travelled golfers took me to Bamburgh Golf Club, which they said was their favourite and though we couldn’t book a tee, we took photos to record the trip with the superb beach and castle as our background.

For Golf that day we travelled a few miles north to Goswick Links, like Northumberland itself this is a hidden gem. From 2008 the course had become an Open Qualifier and no wonder. This was a pure golfing venue with superb greens. I was told the Goswick greenkeeper George Thompson was so highly regarded he was drafted in annually by the Royal and Ancient to prepare the courses for the Open Championship. Indeed, there was photograph of him in the Club House, head down and mowing a green at an Open venue with Tiger Woods in the foreground playing his practice round.

Modest – understated - excellent, for me this image was a metaphor for Northumberland itself. Whatever they taught Harry at Hogwarts, it would still fail to match the magic of this spectacularly beautiful part of England.

Guest Blog post by Michael Sweeney

Three Star Sustainable Restaurant Rating For Battlesteads Hotel in Wark

Battlesteads Hotel and Restaurant in Wark, near Hexham, has been awarded a three star rating from the Sustainable Restaurant Association (SRA). The SRA Rating System involves restaurants completing a rigorous survey, providing answers and evidence to 70 questions across 14 areas of sustainability. The SRA then assesses the results and rates the restaurants accordingly with one, two or three stars.

One hundred and fifty restaurants completed the SRA Star Rating in 2011. A further 300 restaurants are currently going through the process or are booked in to complete it in 2012. Battlesteads has achieved Three-Star Sustainability Champion status, which represents demonstrating exceptional all round sustainability, scoring consistently well across every category. The SRA is a national, not-for-profit membership organisation providing more than 600 restaurants with expert sustainability advice through a team of specialist account managers.

Judges commented that ‘Battlesteads is truly exceptional in its efforts towards integrating sustainability throughout all aspects of the restaurant.’ They also noted that ‘Battlesteads also works with local primary schools in the area to teach students about sustainability and has recently begun to provide lunches to the local school.’

This is yet another accolade for the Battlesteads Hotel after they won our campaign to find Northumberland's Best Sunday Lunch late last year. We can't recommend them highly enough and would like to extend a personal congratulations to owners Richard and Dee Slade who have worked so hard since they bought the Battlesteads in 2005.

Review: Jolly Fisherman, Craster

PLEASE NOTE THAT IT HAS COME TO OUR ATTENTION THAT THE JOLLY FISHERMAN HAS CHANGED HANDS SINCE WE WROTE THIS REVIEW - MANY THANKS.

The Jolly Fisherman is located in the beautiful fishing village of Craster, which just happens to be the starting point for one of my favourite walks. Nothing can beat a ramble along the rocky outcrops to the majestic ruins of Dunstanburgh Castle and on to the beautiful sands of Embleton Bay. On a crisp day the views are simply stunning, but you'll probably need to sit by a roaring fire afterwards to help thaw out your limbs.

This is where the Jolly Fisherman comes in, it's right on the harbour and has fantastic clear views out to sea. When we arrived the fire was indeed roaring and there were many walkers warming themselves (and their dogs - allowed in the bar) with a hot drink and a meal.  The menu, as you would expect, consists mainly of fish dishes and seafood. If you're not a lover of the fresh catches from our great seas I would recommend you look elsewhere, I counted two options that didn't contain fish. We were looking for a light lunch so we ordered fish goujons with chips (£8.50) and the pea and leek soup (£3.95) with a side order of chips (£2.95) and took a seat by the window to admire the sea cascading over the rocks by the harbour.

It genuinely is a wonderful vantage point and we did enjoy the uninterrupted views, unfortunately the food couldn't quite live up to the surroundings. I'm afraid to say there is no other way to describe the soup presented to me other than 'poor'. It was essentially a bowl of what tasted like luke warm tinned peas with two strands of leek running through it, it even tasted as though the tinned pea juices had been used as stock. The chips came in a separate bowl, were meagre in portion size, slightly undercooked and oily. The cost for these two items alone came to £6.90, simply not good enough quality to justify half that price tag.  The fish goujons were a vast improvement over the soup and were tasty, but did come with the same oily (and often black) chips.

Unfortunately after a few mouthfuls of peas I couldn't stomach any more and had to leave half the bowl (and I really hate to leave food to go to waste). I can only hope that the other fish specials on the board are of a much higher quality than the food we were given. We went to the bar to pay and I was ready to give honest feedback about the quality of the meals we had been served. The bar staff however didn't ask if we had enjoyed our meals or if everything had been OK, they seemed very keen to take the payment without conversation. We left still hungry, with a slightly bitter taste in our mouths and a much lighter wallet.

Highlight: The wonderful vantage point that the Jolly Fisherman offers and the warm and cosy (dog friendly) bar area.
Lowlight: Disappointing food quality and service.

The Jolly Fisherman’s Scores
Venue: ***1/2
Ambience: ***1/2
Service: *
Presentation: *
Taste: *
Value for Money: *1/2

Overall Score: I would recommend the Jolly Fisherman as a brilliant stop off point after a bracing walk along the coast. A warm drink by the fire or sitting and watching  the waves crash over the harbour walls with a pint, it doesn't get much better than that. However, based on what we ate I couldn't honestly recommend the food, it was in my opinion of poor quality and didn't represent good value for money. *1/2

My scoring system explained:
***** Outstanding **** Excellent *** Good ** Average * Poor

New Year, New Events and What's On Section

As promised we are in the process of completely revamping the way we organise our Events and What's On Section on the main website. This will include a page for each month of the year, listing all the main events and festivals for the year ahead. Hopefully this will help people plan their holidays and spare time so they know exactly what's on when.

We are also launching a monthly newsletter. This will cover the month ahead, giving a full listing of what's on the following month, have a few stories of interest and give our advertisers more opportunities to reach their customers. In the next few days our first Newsletter will go out to:

• All our Social Networks (Fast Approaching 4,000 people)
• Our Mailing Lists (Currently 2,000 people and businesses)
• Visitors to What's On Section of the site (Currently up to 4,000 hits per month)

As an introductory offer we are giving away advertising in January's newsletter absolutely free to any Northumberland business. The advertising spaces are limited and the deadline is tight, so if you run a business that would like to reach up to 10,000 potential customers absolutely free then get in touch ASAP!

Advertising rates for February 2012 onwards will start from just £10 which is excellent value for money. More information about advertising in future newsletters will be released later in January.

Contact us on enquiries@yournorthumberland.co.uk if you'd like to take us up on this offer.