Northumberland Coastal Retreats Collection

All of our luxury self catering cottages are either personally owned by us or have been hand picked for our collection for their unique qualities and their prime coastal positions around Bamburgh, Beadnell, Newton by-the-Sea, Seahouses and more recently Warkworth. There are now 13 properties in our collection.

FANTASTIC NEWS FOR 2007- ALL OF OUR PROPERTIES HAVE  BEEN AWARDED 5 STAR GRADING FROM VISITBRITAIN!

Nook End and Driftwood are adjoining stone cottages, within a couple of minutes drive from Beadnell village and beach. With distant sea views, large gardens and superb games room, these are our original properties in the collection and are exceptionally popular, with some of our guests returning year on year! They both sleep 5 adults and one child and so together will accommodate up to 10 adults and 2 children. The kitchen table in Nook End is larger than the average dining table and will sit 10 comfortably.

The Fisherman's Retreat in the old part of Seahouses village sleeps 6. We renovated this derelict 17th century grain store a couple of years ago and have created a wonderful character cottage, which has been featured in various interior design magazines over the last few months.

The Plaice is one of our newest properties and has already won a design award. It has an enviable position on the harbour in Seahouses and has true sea views towards the Farne Islands from its two balconies and first floor open plan living space. Sleeping 6 in comfort and luxury, this is an exceptionally impressive place to stay.

The Mariner's in Beadnell village sleeps 6 and has proved popular with those wanting to be within walking distance of all the important places like the beach, harbour, the fish and chip restaurant, the village store and the two great village pubs! With one of the double bedrooms and shower rooms is on ground floor level and this makes the cottage appealing to those not wishing to negotiate any stairs.

The Budle Bay Penthouse is found on the top level of the well known historic Maltings - a converted stone mill dating back to Norman times, at the mouth of Budle Bay. In an area renowned for its bird life, the Penthouse is a superb place to watch the tides and the wildlife. Sleeping 6, it has a contemporary interior design scheme and is popular for those wanting something a bit out of the ordinary! With lift and stair access, it is also popular with those wanting accommodation all on one level.

Seafarer's in Seahouses is a spacious family cottage in the heart of the oldest part of Seahouses, just a few steps from the harbour, the rocks and the boat trip kiosks. It is our only cottage for 7 guests, is spacious, offers two bathrooms and has some fantastic original artwork on the walls. It is an an ideal holiday base for those wanting everything on the doorstep. We are delighted to receive the 5 star VisitBritian award for the Seafarer, our newest addition to the collection.

We fell in love with the Tughall Steads hamlet a while ago and knew early on that this would be a perfect place for some of our holiday cottages. The historic stone farm buildings on Tughall's organic farm, have been  beautifully and professionally converted into spacious, well designed homes and we now have five cottages here, all within steps of each other. Booked together, we can accommodate groups of up to 32 guests!

Moo House with the Cow Shed is our premier coastal retreat! The unusual name gives reference to its former life as a cow byre. Sleeping 10, it is our largest property yet and is ideal for house parties, extra large families and two/three families holidaying together. With 5 bedrooms, 4 bath/shower rooms and the Cow Shed - the best games room/chill out garden room you're ever likely to see in a self catering cottage! This comes with a full size pool table, table football, an electric organ and a huge squashy leather sofa from which to watch TV or listen to the piles of CDs left for easy listening! sea bed

Many small groups and couples have expressed an interest in booking Moo House, so from January - March and from November - December, we can offer Moo House at a reduced rate if just 2 or 3 bedrooms are booked (the other rooms will not be available). Bookings on this basis need to be made directly with us rather than through the on-line booking system.

The Granary, next door to Moo House, has been fully booked since its opening just a year ago. Sleeping up to 8, our guests love the contemporary four poster bed, the spacious interior and the child friendly garden leading directly off the large kitchen/dining room. This is a fabulous 3 bedroomed property and particularly appeals to families and groups who like the idea of entertaining and making the most of the gourmet kitchen. (There have been many Fresh Element dinner parties in this kitchen! - see www.freshelement.co.uk)

The Garden Cottage, as it name implies, has a lovely garden, in fact two. It is the quintessential country cottage and is loved by small families and couples. With its special children's bedroom, complete with bunk beds, children's toys and games, and even its own little TV and sofa, it is easy to see why children want to return to this cottage. It can accommodate 4 adults and 2/3 children.

Glebe Cottage is our only two bedroom cottage and will is proving popular with couples and small families. With its professionally designed interior and gourmet kitchen, we have just opened this property, in fact, the paint is just dry! Although it is our only 2 bedroom property, it is in fact, very spacious, and gives more room downstairs than some of our 3 bedroom cottages! It is also a very flexible cottage, as we have a chair bed that can accomodate a third child in the second bedroom and also the sofa in the snug, can be offered as a sofa bed if neccesary. Sometimes, the cottage has been booked by groups of 5-6.
Glebe Cottage is especially perfect for couples and those looking for a 'romantic break'.

The Hemmel is our newest property to open at Tughall Steads and is welcoming its first guests at the end of May 2007. It will sleep 5 in 3 bedrooms. Adjoining the Granary, this is a superbly converted farm building with its beautifull hemmel arches, stone lintels and huge timber beams and roof trusses. It has professionally finished interior finishes and beautifully made soft furnishings. The garden is the icing on the cake -professionally landscaped with the utmost of care by local craftsmen and the owner himself.

Waterside is another of our new properties and for this we venture slightly south of our other properties, to the well known and beautiful village of  Warkworth. Made famous by the  English Heritage Warkworth Castle. This 3 storey town house sits right on the river and has superb river views and beyond,  towards the sea and the Marina at Amble. The enclosed sunny patio with these splendid views of the river make this house a perfect place to stay. Coupled with the convenience of staying within walking distance to the village restaurants, pubs, cafes and specialist shops including the well known Dial Gallery. With 3 bedrooms and accommodating 5 guests, Waterside opens at the end of May 2007.

We have hand picked these individual properties in order to create a portfolio that will meet the needs of the most discerning holiday maker. The high standards of interiors, stylish and quality finishes and unique character of our cottages mean holidaymakers are returning  time and time again. Some return to the same property, others enjoy trying out a different home on each visit.

All of our Northumberland cottages are in some of the most picturesque locations along the Northumberland coast, with the Penthouse at Budle Bay being furthest north and the conversions at Tughall Steads the furthest south. They are all within easy access of Bamburgh Castle, Alnwick Castle & Gardens (of Harry Potter fame), Embleton, the smokeries at Craster, Rothbury, Hadrian’s Wall, the Cheviots, Edinburgh and Newcastle & Gateshead Quayside.

Some of the UK’s best beaches are all on the doorstep – Bamburgh, Ross Sands, Newton by-the-Sea, Embleton, Seahouses, Bamburgh and Beadnell.

For sport enthusiasts there are plenty of opportunities for hiking, diving, fishing, kite surfing, surfing, kayaking, golfing, swimming with dolphins & sailing. For those wanting a less strenuous holiday, there
is no better place to chill out and with our wonderful selection of books, CD’s and interior magazines, you may never want to leave the comfort of the open fire or the peace of the garden at your chosen holiday cottage in Northumberland!

All of our self catering cottages have similar features and facilities and of course, the same high standards in cleanliness and in the way they are presented. They are all exceptionally well equipped. If there is something we have missed out, then please tell us! We do ask our guests to complete an evaluation of their holiday before they leave (if they want to) and we are always keen to take on board any suggestions for improvements!
For the benefit of all of our guests, our properties are non-smoking and none will accept pets. (if you do have a pet and would love to stay in one of our properties, we can suggest the name of a local kennel if this helps!)

We can occasionally make available a small toddler mattress for the floor if you need a bed for an extra youngster.

If you are looking for a venue for a large group, the we suggest you give us a call and we can advise on which properties may best suit your needs - 0191 2851272

PRICES

As a five star collection, our prices are fully inclusive. There are no booking fees, no agency fees, no compulsory cancellation insurance. We don't take meter readings or ask you to bring your own bed linen (it's amazing that some cottage owners still expect this!) and we don't charge you extra for using the baskets of logs, like some!

Fresh bed linen and towels are provided along with generous supplies of cleaning materials, dishwasher tablets, washing powder, bin bags and kitchen rolls. We leave you a lovely selection of Gilchrist & Soames toiletries to use or to take home  and when you arrive you'll find your afternoon tea tray set with Northumbrian cake and biscuits. We leave sweets for your children to enjoy and place mineral water bottles in your bedroom. In the summer, we will provide the barbeque coals and in the winter, you'll be left a generous supply of kindling, logs and coal for the wood burners. We'll also leave you a decent bottle of wine for your arrival with a corkscrew at the ready and if you're coming back to us as a return guest, then you'll find a bottle of fizz in your fridge.

FEATURES AND FACILITIES

We don't believe in roughing it! There's nothing particularly romantic about dishwashers and washing machines and so on, but there is something decidedly unromantic about having to do without them. You'll find everything in our kitchens from a garlic press to a milk frother! Or as one of our guests put it ' the only thing missing was the blow torch for the creme brulee!'

We think we've though of everything when it comes to children and babies (again, please tell us if we've missed something). We can provide travel cots, high chairs, night lights, videos, books, buckets and spades to suit the age of your child. Especially popular are our dressing up boxes - guaranteed to please children and adults alike!

In the bedrooms and bathrooms, we also provide creature comforts to enjoy such as Gilchrist & Soames shampoos and bubbles, bottles of mineral water, piles of coffee table books, Living North and Country Living magazines, hair dryers, plump pillows and bedroom TV.

Our properties are equipped with.....

• Winter and summer tog duvets (non-allergenic) All beds fully made up with big pillows, duvets and co-ordinated cotton linen
• Full oil central heating or electric heating with radiators
• Double glazing
• Wood-burning stoves (except our Penthouse which has a contemporary electric pebble fire instead and also in Glebe cottage, there is a feature electric fire. Waterside has no fireplace. The Hemmel has an effective gas 'log burner' in a hand built fireplace. At The Plaice, the focal point is the fabulous sea view!)
• Brushed steel ovens and hob (double ovens with electric hobs in most)
• Dishwasher/microwave/fridge/freezer*/washer/dryers
• Coffee machine and cafetiere
• Juicers, bread makers, popcorn makers, blenders, sandwich makers in some of the kitchens
• Toaster
• Cannisters of tea, coffee and sugar to get you started
• 2 colour televisions and video or DVD, most have a digital box
• CD player and selection of  CDs
• Hair dryer
• Soaps, bubbles and shampoos by Gilchrist & Soames
• Parents’ ‘peace of mind’ kit (cot, high chair, toy box, night light and emergency nappies).
• Decent selection of videos/DVDs and games
• Iron and ironing board
• Payphone  (honesty box with a regular phone in  Garden Cottage  & Moo House)
• Emergency baskets (full of little items that you may have forgotten to pack!)
• Sewing basket
• Selection of interesting coffee table books, current magazines and publications
• Especially for foodies and gourmet cooks, in the kitchen there will be recipe books, cannisters oftea/coffee/sugar, a good selection of kitchen and table ware, napkins and all types of glasses from champagne to sherry. A good selection of equipment ranging from milk frothers and  garlic presses, wine stoppers and kitchen scales
• For picnic and barbeque lovers, there are flasks, picnic baskets, plastic dishes, kebab skewers
• Collection of maps and local information on where to eat, places to visit, things to do and see.
• Suggestion book for guests to complete, to help future guests make holiday plans

At the Penthouse there is a large fridge/freezer plus an additional small fridge.

At Glebe Cottage, there is a fridge, a separate freezer plus the luxury of a wine cooler

There is a washing machine and separate tumble dryer at Nook End, The Plaice, The Granary and the Garden Cottage

At all of our properties we have a key safe, so if you  need to, you can arrive in the middle of the night. We will give you the code for the safe and you will be able to let yourself in at any time of day or night. We’ll call you sometime after your arrival just to check that all is well and we can be contacted at any time to answer questions or to help you with any concerns you may have throughout your stay.

On arrival, you will find the cottages warm, welcoming and spotlessly clean. What ever time you plan to arrive, the heating and lighting will be set accordingly and you will find the beds made up, teacups at the ready, milk in the fridge, fresh flowers on the table, plenty of hot water for a big relaxing bath and a nice bottle of wine chilling in the fridge.

What better way is there to kick start your holiday?