If you’re after a family break full of fresh air, long walks and plenty of quality time together then Cuthbert House could be the perfect base.
Firstly, it’s situated in a beautiful part of Northumberland, just inside the Coquet Valley’s spectacular Brinkburn Estate. That puts you close both to the remains of a 12th-century Priory, and to an abundance of outings suitable for those of all ages or experience, whether on two or four legs.
The house’s open-plan ground floor has been designed to make it easy to chat and spend time together, while never feeling cramped. To one side is a sitting room featuring two sofas facing a Smart TV, with a large dining room for family meals to its side and in the heart of the room is the kitchen with a built-in breakfast bar and four stools where you can come together to cook, drink cups of tea or play games.
Venture upstairs and you’ll find two super-king bedrooms – one ensuite – and an extra bathroom. Each sleeping quarter has bedside tables and lamps, a chest of drawers, hanging hooks and a bright, Scandi-style colour palette, and each can also be arranged as a twin. The ensuite bedroom also contains a decorative feature fireplace, while its counterpart has lovely views over fields. The bathrooms both have rainfall showers, and one also boasts a separate bathtub.
Outside, the cottage is accompanied by a lawned, south-facing garden framed by bamboo fencing and aromatic shrubs. A dining table and chairs are laid out here to suit al-fresco dinners or perhaps a game of cards.
Cuthbert House is part of a short, longstanding terrace at the estate’s entrance. That puts Brinkburn Priory at a two-minute drive or ten-minute walk, secluded on a snaking, steep-sided bend of the River Coquet. Featuring distinctive witches’-hat towers, it was built in 1135 by Augustinian monks delighted at the seclusion of this wooded valley. Centuries later, the now-private residence was painted by Turner before seeing a gothic manor house added.
With the Priory now an English Heritage property, you’ll need to pay (or be a member) to enter and admire its stained-glass windows or William Hill organ. Around the wider, wonderful Brinkburn estate, there’s a designated spot for wild swimmers and a gorgeous circular trail to walk along the Coquet. Access to that is offered by a meadow-crossing path from Cuthbert’s back garden.
Ready to explore further? Alnwick Castle and the pretty market town of Rothbury are close, while Coquetdale, the Coquet’s upper section, is a wonderfully wild expanse of open moorland and rocky outcrops extending into the Cheviot Hills and Northumberland National Park. You’re also within 15 miles of Alnmouth’s bay beach, and just an hour’s drive from Hadrian’s Wall.
ADDITIONAL ACCOMMODATION
For guests looking to holiday together, this property can be booked alongside the other three cottages in the row, Bel House (sleeps 4), Blakey House (sleeps 4), and Mullins House (sleeps 4). Blakey & Cuthbert House can also be booked as a single unit sleeping 8. A further two properties, The Stables (sleeps 8) and Priory Cottage (sleeps 2), are located 0.5 miles away on the Estate. The Stables & Priory Cottage can be booked as a single unit sleeping 10.
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